!#5: Features of the TomTom XL 340S GPS Navigator

!±8± Features of the TomTom XL 340S GPS Navigator

The TomTom XL 340S GPS Navigator is a 2009 offering from TomTom, reputed manufacturers of GPS devices. Depending on where it is purchased, the XL 340-S is a middle-of-the-price range device that contains significant upgrades from its previous incarnations, the TomTom 330. Among these are a wider screen, a crystal-clear display and a sound system capable of making itself heard over the noise generated during driving. In addition, TomTom has shipped this unit with the capacity to help you choose your route better, by providing information on shorter routes to your destination, as well as a feature that gives you more realistic pictures of the road ahead. In short, the XL 340-S is a fantastic little device that more than satisfies most consumers' navigational needs.

Being larger than its previous versions means that this device has a clearer screen, and that it contains more hardware. TomTom have focused on creating a clearer picture of the road with this device, so it has a 4.3-inch widescreen that renders route direction in detailed 3D. In addition, the wider screen means that the touch screen function is less likely to result in accidentally pressing the wrong button. The screen is designed to be easily read while sitting in the driver's seat. Combined with the software the Tomtom XL 340S runs, including two amazingly useful features concerned with clear rendition of the road ahead, the whole package is an easy to understand and intelligent road companion.

GPS is a tried-and-tested technology, and the ubiquity of GPS devices means that it becomes difficult to choose between them. TomTom, however, have long been responsive to customers' needs, and have designed the Tomtom XL 340S with something new in mind. This is the Advanced Lane Guidance system, which provides advice when nearing particularly complicated routes or turns. In addition, a feature that tells the driver which lane is best for them makes for a safer driving experience. This is combined with particularly detailed route-maps for the United States, Mexico and Canada, rendered in 3D. The sum of these technologies is a device that can deliver the passengers, via step-by-step vocal and visual instructions, right to the address they are aiming for.

The Tomtom XL 340S comes with 2 GB of customizable memory onboard, but does not possess a USB port for adding more space. Those 2 GB contain the entire map library of the device, which is extensive, and covers all of the USA, Canada and Mexico. The device also records past journeys and samples them at random, adding its own information about known congestion points and bottlenecks, to create the IQ Routes system mentioned above. It announces these changes and warnings in a pleasant, non-obtrusive voice, which can be customized from its library of celebrity voices. The celebrity voices cannot, however, do text-to-speech conversion for information that has been fed into the device manually. The map library can be enlarged and augmented, within the 2 GB limit, by connecting the device to one's PC and downloading new information.

TomTom has long been known for focusing on the basics, and this device is a testament to their ingenuity in making the simple things even simpler. The device picks up not just one, but two to three satellites, thereby ensuring a more accurate lock on its position, and can obtain this within less than a minute after being newly installed in a vehicle. The downsides are relatively minor, and can surely be overlooked for the astoundingly low price the Tomtom XL 340S is generally available for. It draws power directly from the lighter emplacement on a dashboard, and has no other moving parts except the screen. Good sound, excellent visuals and an intelligent onboard computer make this device an obvious choice for anyone looking for a nifty little gadget that will get them to their destination with ease.