TomTom GO 510 Review - Day 3

[jmelby]

After working with the newly released GO 510 for 3 days, I'm ready to share some initial opinions.

I like the new larger screen. It's about the same size as the StreetPilot 2610 I've been using lately, and it's been easy to read under a variety of lighting conditions. The SP2610 was also easy to read, but it wasn't as colorful or detailed. I do, however, prefer SP2610's daytime color scheme (black on yellow) over GO 510's (white on beige) -- black on yellow seems to work a little better in direct sunlight. Newer Garmin models have screen resolutions and color-depth that are pretty close to TomTom GO 510, but I don't have enough hands-on experience with them to make any useful comparisons.

GO 510 doesn't speak street names, but the spoken turn directions from GO 510 are clear and easy to understand. In some cases, they're more descriptive than those provided by StreetPilot 2610 (e.g. "at the end of the road, turn left" vs. "turn left in 500 feet"). One thing I do miss, however, is spoken guidance about which side of the street the destination is on. GO 510 shows this on the screen but doesn't announce it verbally (e.g., "arriving at destination on right"). This may seem like a minor detail, but my wife and I both miss it a lot.

GO 510’s volume control comes set at 70%. There’s also a preference setting that automatically adjusts the volume based on the ambient noise level (as detected by GO 510’s built-in microphone). I didn’t feel the need to manually adjust the volume at higher speeds, so I would venture to guess the ambient noise algorithm works just fine.

The SiRF chipset that GO 510 uses to process GPS signals seems to be really fast at finding your starting position. I haven’t yet done any timed tests or taken it through any challenging areas for GPS reception, so I can’t say much more about its abilities.

GO 510 includes a suction mount that lets you attach the unit to your windshield. This was sturdy, easy to setup, and worked exactly as it should. However, I do miss the SP 2610’s “bean bag” (friction mount) system. In my opinion, it was easier to move between cars, and it was easier to completely hide the GPS inside the car. (I’m a little nervous about leaving the suction mount attached, as it might entice a thief to break in and have a look around.)

The on-screen navigation map is easy to follow, but I did miss a turn when the verbal guidance came later than I was expecting. Perhaps this is just me needing to "recalibrate" my brain from the other GPS I've been using. I'll need some more time to form a solid opinion on this.

I'm continually amazed at how much data is included in modern GPS maps. I noticed GO 510 maps show some additional details, such as concrete barriers in the center of the road, which were not shown on StreetPilot 2610. I've heard Garmin's City Navigator Maps have this data and use it in route calculation, but it's not shown on-screen by the SP 2610. Not a big deal either way, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Menu screens on GO 510 are pretty easy to follow, but I think there's room for improvement. I haven't had any trouble finding what I'm looking for, but some options seem to be buried a little deep (e.g., cancel current route). This is partly because GO 510 divides menu choices onto separate pages when it has more menu icons than it can fit on the screen at one time. (The preferences menu, for example, is 7 pages long.) I don't mind this approach. However, I do have an issue with only being able to page through the choices in one direction. If you miss what you're looking for, there doesn't seem to be a back arrow to take you to the prior menu page. This "problem" only affects menus. Up & down scroll arrows *are* available for addresses, POIs, and other database content.

I’ve only used the “TomTom HOME” software (included with GO 510) a couple times. It lets you backup and manage the maps, settings, and other content stored in the GPS. I made a quick backup and played around a little with the route planning feature, but I don’t have enough experience with it to share any opinions yet.

If you haven’t already done so, you should checkout the photos and screenshots I’ve posted on the GO 510 page at RoadmapGPS. Here’s a link:

GO 510

I’ll continue to post additional comments as I gain more experience with GO 510. Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts.

JM

[Propak]

Just have a couple of questions, hopefully you can shed some insight on. Is the GO510 portable at all? I am finding the battery feature on the nuvi350 very handy. It allows me to remove the unit, leaving the cords and mount, and let my wife or son use it for an outing. Very handy. Is there a 2D viewing feature available? Can you see an overview of your entire route on one screen? I like to see the entire route w/o having to scroll through the turn-by-turn directions. Overall it sounds like a quality unit. I especially like the QWERTY keyboard!

[jmelby]

Originally Posted by Propak

... Is the GO510 portable at all? ... Is there a 2D viewing feature available? Can you see an overview of your entire route on one screen? ...

I wouldn't consider GO 510 to be pocket-sized like nuvi, but it does have a built-in rechargeable battery and is a lot more compact than something like the StreetPilot 2600/2700 series. I've managed to carry it inside the front pocket of a loose pair of shorts, but it does look a bit unsightly.

You can easily toggle between 3D and 2D navigation maps via the preferences menu. Also, GO 510 always starts by displaying a 2D overview of the newly calculated route on a single screen. You can return to the 2D overview at any time using the "View Route" > "Browse Map of Route" feature.

I've added some new screen shots showing 2D navigation maps and route overview screens on the GO 510 page.

JM

[Propak]

Ohhh, I like the route overview on start-up. That is what i am used to on my laptop. Kinda gives me an idea of the general direction I am heading. I can get to a 2D rendering of the route on the nuvi 350 but only after tapping the screen about 10 times to zoom out. Ugh.