I guess I'll start by saying that this appears to be an awesome GPS model for the price. The display is clear, the alerts are great and the 'navigate to' option is superb.
This is the only GPS in it's price range that I could find which also had a Bluetooth connectivity so that you can also use the GPS as a handsfree kit, which is great and seems to work well.
I initially bought this device from Dick Smith's and used it for approx 2 weeks solid driving around NZ's North Island. What I discovered initially was a bizarre problem with the computer voice. Whenever we were driving along route 'SH1' or 'SH22' or wherever, the voice should say 'proceed along SH1', but instead we would hear something like this 'proceed along samporee crosstella equalsSH1'. I have not been able to decipher this, but all I can think of is that the device is reading some sort of code in the background which is coming out like gibberish. The only way to stop this is by using a different voice, thereby eliminating the computer voice and disabling one of the Via160's main selling points, which is of course, 'Spoken Street Names'.
*Update, my 2nd Via 160 Device which I have been using has now started to freeze on shutdown and start up. I honestly think that the device runs software which for all it's features and ease of use, is buggy as hell!
In addition to this, one of the other features that the Via160 gives us is the Mapshare service where other TomTom users can correct errors on maps and share it with other TomTom customers via the net.
The Via160 asks if you would like to join this service, which of course I immediately hit 'yes!'. But guess what? as soon as you load the software from the TomTom site, we get a message saying that Mapshare is not available for your device.
Is this false advertising? Fraud? or something along those lines? because as much as I love the interface, maps, voices (apart from the gibberish speaking computer voice) and speed alerts. This simply is not good enough. If the mapshare functionality is not available, fine. Then don't print it as a feature on the box!
They also said that the gibberish voice was something they were aware of and it is just the TomTom GPS attempting to abbreviate some of the street names.
No, sorry mate, but if it comes out like gibberish, it's gibberish.
*Update, I have since returned this one to the shop for a full refund, I tried a Navman, but also took that back due to the useless Bluetooth functionality. But now I have a Garmin and although it doesn't have as many features of the TomTom, it is at least stable!
*Update, the Garmin has gone back to the shop, due to the lack of speed camera information. I am now on my 5th GPS in 3 weeks, can you guess what it is? .....you got it. A TomTom Via160.
My wife laughed at me for buying another one after I bad mouthed all the problems I had with it, but now I know why the TomTom tech support guy was so overconfident in the Via160. The reason is not that the Via160 is so good, it's because all the alternatives are so bad!
*If I have no more problems with this particular device, I shall put some of the previous problems down to a bad batch and raise the rating.
5/10
2 comments:
Hi, I have just purchasesd an XL 250 and am very pleased with the operation except that it does NOT let you create a custom POI catagory or even add POI's to exsisting catagories.
1. Is this possible with the VIA 160?
2. Can you still correct errors on your own map on the VIA 160, e.g. when a street has been changed to a "No Entry"?
If the VIA 160 does these things and works as good as the XL 250, I will change!!!
Hi mate,
you can definitely change street names, but if the unit crashes and you lose audible speed alerts (which has happened to me a couple of times) then you need to do a factory reset, which means you end up losing them anyway.
I think you can add Custom POI's though, you can also add speed cameras etc,
Cheers
Muzz
Post a Comment