brand new 130..need help...

[tigz9299]

Thanks for listening..I just got a new 130,and haven't opened the package yet..I was wondering if it is worth using the product for everyday driving in areas I know fairly well..I see that you can also get traffic updates,along with ordering maps for another country..we are going back to Paris next year,and was wondering..can you carry it around with you and use it as a map with the available updates..sorry for all the questions,but since I haven't opened it yet,I need to know about the drawbacks of the product..thanks....

 

[dhn]

Thanks for listening..I just got a new 130,and haven't opened the package yet..I was wondering if it is worth using the product for everyday driving in areas I know fairly well..I see that you can also get traffic updates,along with ordering maps for another country..we are going back to Paris next year,and was wondering..can you carry it around with you and use it as a map with the available updates..sorry for all the questions,but since I haven't opened it yet,I need to know about the drawbacks of the product..thanks....

First and foremost ... make a complete backup of the contents of the unit using Explorer, not TomTom home software. Make sure you have Windows' folders set to show hidden files and extensions for known file types.

Yes, you can have it operating with no route set and it will show which road you happen to be driving on at the time.

If you mean carrying the unit with you when WALKING in Paris and having a map for France installed, technically, the answer is 'yes'. Having said that, what you'll discover (remember, a GPS of this type is meant for a vehicle of sorts), is that the icon signifying the 'car' [meaning you, walking] won't update as quickly when you walk as it does update the location when a true vehicle is moving. In other words, you may experience a lag on the screen of a few seconds before it refreshes with your precise location on the street.

There is another factor to consider if using this gps, or any for that matter, as a 'handheld'. You have to be careful as you are holding it and looking at it that you don't bump into somebody and drop it. As someone who was in Paris a year ago, trust me when I say that the streets are busy there!

But the bottom line is, knowing the limitations, you can use it anywhere as a handheld .... in fact one of the options for choosing a route besides 'fastest', shortest', etc. IS 'walking'.

But you have to walk on a mapped road. For example, walk into a field and the gps can't track you. You'd need a different kind of gps device geared to that kind of travelling.

 

[Buddharay]

Thanks for listening..I just got a new 130,and haven't opened the package yet..I was wondering if it is worth using the product for everyday driving in areas I know fairly well..I see that you can also get traffic updates,along with ordering maps for another country..we are going back to Paris next year,and was wondering..can you carry it around with you and use it as a map with the available updates..sorry for all the questions,but since I haven't opened it yet,I need to know about the drawbacks of the product..thanks....

the 130 is a great unit. i mean, i'd obviously primarily use it for driving (i prefer the 130S, with text-to-speech), but it's definitely worth using on a daily basis. you'd be surprised how often you will end up using it.