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Review - TOMTOM Go 550 Live John Kaponi
I have to confess I am a sucker for old fashioned map reading, and I am always amazed by how London's black cab drivers spend around three years doing the "Knowledge", so that they can learn the roads of London. So, when the new TOMTOM 550 live landed on my desk to do a review, I immediately said "I don't really need this", well how wrong I was.
Your standard TOMTOM will guide you to the fastest route using GPS technology, the new 550 live accesses the internet and receives updates from the internet of traffic problems and tells you how traffic flow is going around you, so I tested this when I drove to Kent, and found that the system worked and gave you an added sense of security when driving. But my big problem with drivers that use sat-nav systems is that they are focusing on the sat-nav screen, and not on the cars in front or behind.
The TOMTOM 550 has an "active dock" which means the unit is a lot easier to install on your car than before, the battery last for ages, and the instructions on how to use the system are very easy to follow, so ideal if you want to do a lot of motorway driving.
The downside is here. I received two penalty notices when driving using the TOMTOM 550, because the GPS system and the live internet system still has not factored in camera's that film you going into red routes or bus lanes. I am not blaming the TOMTOM for this, but I was relying on the sat-nav in an area I had no knowledge of the roads and I got myself into trouble, twice! The lesson here is, you cannot rely 100% on the TOMTOM; and it is always a good idea to read a map to see where you are going.
Another really good feature on the TomTom 550 is the, "what time you need to arrive option", which allows the GPS system to work out the fastest route to where you need to get to.
Moreover would I splash out around £200 to but the TomTom 550 Live? Probably yes, if I am doing lots of driving on motorways and even abroad, you can buy a European version to drive you around the continent for around £200.
The TomTom 550 Live has the following features:
A real-time connection to HD Traffic, Safety Alerts, Fuel prices, Local search with Google™ and more.
LIVE snapshot
IQ Routes™ technology
Maps of United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
TomTom Map Share™ technology
Hands-free calling
Voice command and control
Eco Routes
3/5
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