 Poster: A snowHead
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I want to get a Tom Tom or similar for driving around Europe. There's 10,000 of these on ebay for next to nothing, and a lot of them offer interesting treats such as free maps for life. Is there any disadvantage to these? Would they be linked to someone's account and already 'claimed?'
The blurb on http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TomTom-1XL-Europe-Complete-In-Origional-Box-/280997961063?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item416cc89d67 says:
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| The TomTom XL comes pre-loaded with all UK and Ireland maps and the user is offered lifetime updates entirely free of charge. |
Is this actually going to be the case?
If anyone could save me a few hours of researching and just tell me which one to get and how much to pay for it I'd be most grateful! I want something that'll live in the car and take me around Europe - map updates an added incentive.
Cheers all![/url]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've got a Garmin Nuvi 1340 with free updates. Updates are important otherwise the French Gendarmes will confiscate if you have speed camera warnings on the device. The update quickly removed them and changed them to safety zones.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Another Garmin user here - way better accuracy than Tom Tom on the continent. My Nuvi also tells me when I'm speeding, so I don't need camera warnings! 
Before anyone pipes up about the accuracy bit - we have tested the two makes against each other over here - the Garmin comes out top every time. In France my Tom Tom could not even find the village we were heading for whereas the Garmin (a way earlier model) delivered us to the house door at the correct time! Garmin is a navigation instrument company, they have been around for aeons before sat-nav became fashionable in cars.
The lifetime of free updates (4 per year) is tied to the owner not the device. I could not pass on my update rights to my sister when I gave her my old sat-nav.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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+1 for a Garmin, I have a TomTom and a Garmin, the Garmin is much better and reliable. Sorry don't know about updates, that's something I have never done.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I find the routing algorithm on the Garmin to be more reliable.
That being said, my garmin has been relegated to my off-road bike as it's not that new and I'm not as bothered if it gets damaged (it's also waterproof)
In the car and on my touring motorcycle, I use my iPhone, running Sygic (which is also available on Android). That also has free map updates, is cheaper than a dedicated sat-nav and has some VERY nice features that integrate with the phone such as navigating directly to contacts. If you have an iPhone or Android device, I can REALLY recommend you look into it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Another +1 for the Garmin here.
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^^^^ for Garmin
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What feef said.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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jiagedaping, I use that very unit - well it looks like mine which is a One XL - my first and only Satnav. Never had too many problems with it. I managed to break the RDS connection on the base (due to my own stupidity) and TT customer service were great - my unit was 3 years old they replaced it with a completely brand new FOC and paid for expensive looking packaging and postage for me to send the old one to them. The current full Eastern europe map is too big for the on board memory in the one XL (you can download specific countries), but I bought an SD card (you need the right one and can PM me if you go ahead for further details) which fits into the base of the unit and takes the full map and haven't had any problems since sorting out the installation onto the card (which is a bit fiddly, but I can point you at the instructions). In short I don't go out looking to buy anything else and its never 'lost' me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks all, that was fairly unanimous! Iphones etc aren't an option I'm afraid, I'm a phone luddite! I just like having separate devices for everything - say what you will.
I've picked up a refurb Garmin 265w with European maps from ebay, should do the job.
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