Here are several reasons outside of the ones noted for my returning the TomTom unit:
1. Most importantly, I have been unable to activate Major Roads of America and Hawaii. I have successfully activated WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, AZ (one mapset) and a seperate Texas. TomTom Tech support has not yet figured it out. They state that you for the Major Roads to activate you must have at least one other mapset on the same card activated - which has them stumped since it is on mine. I have been attempting to get a satisfactory answer on this issue since Tuesday night. TT tech support is taking 18 hours per response to get back to me.
2. Can't add anything else to the SD card. Each time I attempt to add either a JPG or Mobile Access Database to the same SD card an error message Fatal Alert "DataMgr.c, Line:9529, Index out of range" The soft reset button on screen will not initiate the reset so the reset pin must be used on the back of the T3.
The only way I can recover is to delete the contents of the card via my card reader, reformat the card, reinstall the software and be certain that nothing else gets loaded onto the card. My plan was to use a single 512MB card to handle the majority of the maps and any other files that I deemed. Tech support is stumped on this one and offers no information to correct the issue since Tuesday when I informed them of this.
3. TomTom tech support - this is handled via email with a server recording the entire issue so that you can see all of your comments and their comments when replying via the supplied link. The system is good however the tech's aren't. The individual I'm dealing with hasn't fully read my issues - each time I've had to go back and restate the problem with the more emphasis and I'm only dealing with the two issues - the lack of activation capabilities on the map sets and the ability to add something to the SD card without the program crashing.
4. Documentation - there is absolutely no documentation on the BT module itself. How long will it hold a charge, how to read the LED's, how to turn it on (single button) how to turn it off (one button - must be held for 4 seconds - got that much from the tech).
5. There is no documentation on the supplied car power supply (hard wire version not the cig adapter) about how to hook it up. Also, this permanent wired version should have been supplied with a fuse and or circuit breaker. It's not - it's two stripped wires and if you simply hook it into the car circuitry you will pop something. Either the T3 or more costly the ECM(Electronic Control Module - main computer) for the car. Without a fuse and documentation - this could be a really good liability for TomTom.
6. If you remove the SD card your last location is lost. Ok, why would this be an issue. Well see number 2 above. So now that you've lost your location - you can't simply route back home. You must now tell TomTom where you are and then wait for it to find the Sats - my warm boot to locate sats under this situation took 3 minutes.
7. See #6 - You can't multi- task. If you are in the TTN (TomTom Navigator) program and you exit it for any reason such as to log an expense or check your calendar - it doesn't remember what your were doing before you exited the program.
8. Did I mention Tech Support?
9. Did I mention Tech Support?
10. Did I mention Tech Support? If I did I meant to say, "lack of tech support.
Let me summarize: Don't forget my experience with the opened package. The second one arrived in a sealed shrink wrap around the box so it definitely was all there - or was it. Don't forget that the original TomTom web site stated that the unit came with 3 different types of mounting solutions for the car.
This is not the case. It comes with only the sunroof/windshield mount. I say sunroof mount because in my Impala it's the only glass area that I could place the mount and be able to reach the handheld while in the drivers seat.
Yes, I'm slightly prejudiced by my bad experience. And my experience may not be typical of anyone else's. But considering I know my way around a Palm pretty well, I can not recommend this product for those of us who are power users of their devices.
I may be asking too much from a handheld and may have to be content to not converge devices. So for now, I will keep what I have and continue to operate the T3 as the PDA of choice and the Que as the gps of choice.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my wife's desire to have a GPS in her car - but unless Garmin is going to annouce another PDA/GPS unit in the next few days - me thinks my wife may get my old Que and I may buy a 2nd Que.