TomTom 6 is available for Windows mobile 2005 which sees it capable of running on a host of devices from PDA's to Smartphones, which increasingly use the operating system. Our test rig was set up on a Dell Axim handheld and our first sign that Navigator 6 was a bit different was the simplified install process. Which from inserting the SD card was just a few clicks and the familiar device registration via the TomTom site. The registration process locks your device to the software and you need to remember that this is fixed for the first 6 months of ownership before you can request to have the software paired with a new device.

With the software installed our next job was to pair the Bluetooth GPS receiver supplied as part of this bundle, the receiver may look familiar in fact almost identical to the old unit but this one has the latest SiRF star III chipset. This made 2 differences to our review, first was the very fast time to fix with the unit managing a first connection in under 45 seconds and then as low as 20 seconds when starting from warm / cold in the car park. The second is much improved accuracy and coping with built up areas and overhung roads, but more on that later.

The basic kit comes with almost everything you need expect one vital component, a cradle. The idea is that you select the correct cradle for your device rather than a one size fits all arrangement, however we can foresee many people getting their new kit only to discover that there is nothing to hold the PDA within your line of sight.  TomTom sell a universal holder for just over £20 but many PDA's either come with their own or can be purchased with a customer made PDA holder.

Finally with our Axim sat in a TomTom universal holder and the power lead attached to our cars 12 volt supply (the lead supplied with our Axim) and the Bluetooth GPS unit sat on the dash we were ready to try our TomTom 6 in anger.

Destination entry uses about every method known to mankind, with full UK postcode, address, city, POI and even a link into your pocket outlook address book so you can navigate to a contact, you can also navigate to a buddy but more on that new feature later. Route calculation speed will depend on your PDA but it is swift and on our test Axim our normal test route was plotted only marginally longer than with the TomTom Go unit that normally lives in the car.

The en route display has had a tweak too with improved 2D and 3D mapping which seems to render much more smoothly and retains the clarity of user interface that is the hallmark of TomTom, sub screens are well executed as is the menu system which is easy to use without the PDA's stylus. This is good news as some functions like the "avoid roadblock" feature may have to be operated while on route.

Audio instructions are as succinct as ever and heavily reliant on the audio output of the PDA, the Axim's speaker didn't really do TomTom much justice in this department and struggled to be heard over an averagely loud radio. We had hoped that the new text to speech engine might have made it from the TomTom go 910 into Navigator 6, but sadly not, you just get the basic turn left and turn right spoken instructions. With that in mind TomTom 6 does support a mind boggling array of languages that can be downloaded from DVD onto the device, or from the TomTom website.

We made numerous journeys during the course of the Navigator 6 review and found that the route selection combined with the latest mapping data provided excellent door to door guidance and the routes were normally the fastest. We did note that TomTom does tend to choose fast A roads and motorways which seem to provide the fastest journey times but can be prone to traffic holds ups. Traffic information can also be provided to the Tom Tom 6 software via a GPRS data connection from either a mobile phone or if the PDA is so equipped directly. This is one of the TomTom plus suite of extras which also includes extended POI's (points of information) and also TomTom buddies.

TomTom buddies uploads your current lat and long position to the TomTom server and allows those who you have approved to see your position on their TomTom navigators or TomTom all in one devices. You can then navigate to one of your buddies position which apart from being very cool may also have a practical use for those who manage fleets of vehicles.

We did get a chance one afternoon to try out the new navigator software on the Axim as a pedestrian navigation system, the only snag was keeping the Bluetooth GPS receiver pointing skywards without looking very daft. Having gotten over our fashion faux pas it was onwards to test a short walking route with Tom Tom guiding us along the streets of London. A real aid to this form of use is the fact that the software can now work with either heading upwards (top of the screen) which is fine while driving or north up which is far more map like and better when on foot. While not as accomplished as some dedicated walking Nav systems for the occasional use TomTom 6 on a PDA does work.

A two week period with the new TomTom 6 software proved that the Dutch SatNav experts haven't forgotten the PDA users that started their business. Sadly it is difficult to get excited about the PDA version as most of what we've seen is already in the all in one range, but for TomTom Navigator owners still on TomTom 3 or even TT5 the upgrade opens a door to new features and improved accuracy provided by the SiRF star III Bluetooth unit.

Priced at £130 including the TomTom Bluetooth receiver, UK maps, but excluding the PDA TomTom 6 offers a step up for PDA owners who have been holding back on upgrading. So stop making do with out of date maps and old routing algorithms TT6 is here and retaining its top slot for PDA navigation.

Published - 03/12/2006

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