TomTom Rider GPS

[04FJR4ME]

Just tested the TomTom Rider with Bluetooth for motorcycles.

It is a very nice unit, comes with bluetooth receiver and helmet speaker, uses the right mapping software made by NavTeq. Unit is made for motorcycle and it seems to be very solid.

Bluetooth phone capabilities is very nice to have also.

This unit display is bright, uses SD card memory so no hard drive failure.

I think TomTom did a nice job on this one.

My Webpage

 

[nusman68]

-good to know...been seeing the ads for the Scala wireless headset for cell phones; also anticipating all GPS manufacturers to follow suit soon. Once the smoke clears, it's shopping time for me....

W/regard to TomTom specifically, I was told by another person that Garmin makes it; true? Are they just trying to expand their market share through 'creative marketing' like so many other companies?

 

[BrunDog]

I doubt it - Garmin and TomTom are competitors.

-BD

 

[04FJR4ME]

W/regard to TomTom specifically, I was told by another person that Garmin makes it; true? Are they just trying to expand their market share through 'creative marketing' like so many other companies?

No, Garmin does not make TomTom, although most GPS systems are made in Taiwan or China these days anyway!

TomTom is from the Netherlands and is a Dutch corporation.

Garmin is from the U.S, and the CEO Min Kao is Taiwanese, Garmin is a Bahamian corporation. Garmin manufacture most of their own GPS systems.

Magellan is owned by a French company Thales and manufacture their GPS units in Thailand and China.

Garmin has just took over the PND market from Magellan this year will all the new lines of product including the C3xx and Nuvi, and TomTom in 6 months has taken 9% of the PND market. what advertisements can do.

Most customers will never know how limited their GPS system is without having the oppertunity to use other systems and compare. You ask any GPS sales reps or customers that own a GPS system and they will tell you they have the best system in the market. We can't all be number 1 can we?

They all try to copy each other and a lot of them are manufactured in the same manufacturing plant in China.

Most GPS companies are going with SiRF GPS receiver because they are one of the best available in the market and Magellan and Garmin is unable to beat them in performance with their own GPS receivers.

What, no sucessful GPS company from the U.S?

No, we in the U.S just contribute to all this by paying a much lower price for these GPS systems from other countries.

 

[quicksilver]

gag!!

grab my heart and drop to one knee!!

$1100.... that took my breath away.

I'll bet it reaches around and scratches your ass too.

Have fun with it.

 

[afterburn]

They make nice products, but imo unless you use a gps to go from A to B as quick as possible, TomTom products are useless. In other words, I will never use a TomTom product on my bike unless they start giving you software with it like Garmin does.

I have done the most amazing vacation trips over thousands of miles after sitting behind my computer for an hour or two to plot a route on the map and loading it to my Garmin GPS. Done roads that aren't on any (usefull) roadmap, or roads that are so local, the locals don't even know where it ends up at.

Then again, I guess I don't use a GPS on my bike as a GPS. More like an electronic graphic roadbook with voice instructions. I use it more like an old fashioned map, except the map is always there and I don't have to stop and search where I am everytime I want to check where I am going.

 

[JimV]

What, no sucessful GPS company from the U.S?
No, we in the U.S just contribute to all this by paying a much lower price for these GPS systems from other countries.

No, even better, we contribute to the success of the Chinese by spending billions to put up and then to maintain the GPS birds while they profit from it without having to spend any money on the network.

Does anyone know if GPS receiver makers have to pay any form of royalty to the US government for each receiver that they sell? It would be nice to think that the taxpayer wasn't footing the bill for all of this.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[afterburn]

I doubt it. In most countries, radio signals are free to do with by anyone as he choses.

Actually, Garmin is a US company, though manufacturing is in Taiwan.

 

[kaitsdad]

Seems it's free of charge to anyone.

"The GPS system was designed by and is controlled by the United States Department of Defense and can be used by anyone, free of charge."

Wikpedia Clicky

Which means that everyone in this country pays for the system. Just not the rest of the world.

But hey- I'm glad to have it !!

 

[04FJR4ME]

Garmin is a Bahamian corporation and not a U.S corporation, they do work out of the U.S and hire U.S employees. Thank GOD.

And FJR forum cost for TomTom rider is not $1,100 but it is very expensive since it does come with the TomTom Bluetooth receiver, helmet speaker, mounting brackets for motorcycle etc.

Garmin does not have the bluetooth feature as TomTom Rider and the display on the TomTom Ricder is much better then any I seen, very bright!

Not trying to talk anyone into buying a TomTom Rider but just letting you know some of the other options that is now available to you guys.

$1100.... that took my breath away.

Remarks like this is the very reason why China is making the GPS's instead of the U.S, we like something for next to nothing, than we wonder why they are not made in the U.S! Can't have it both ways can't we. You want cheap, expect most U.S jobs to go to China and India, you want your kids to have good jobs in the future, invest in your own Country at what ever cost. Simple. :blink:

 

[skyway]

I have done the most amazing vacation trips over thousands of miles after sitting behind my computer for an hour or two to plot a route on the map and loading it to my Garmin GPS.

Don't the latest Garmin Streetpilot models, 2720 2730 have everything loaded to the GPS out of the box? I am very interested in the 2720, but it does not come supplied with any mapping software to plot routes at the PC, unlike the ageing 2610? Can offline mapping software be purchased for the 2720, and if so, at what cost?

 

[afterburn]

I have done the most amazing vacation trips over thousands of miles after sitting behind my computer for an hour or two to plot a route on the map and loading it to my Garmin GPS.

Don't the latest Garmin Streetpilot models, 2720 2730 have everything loaded to the GPS out of the box? I am very interested in the 2720, but it does not come supplied with any mapping software to plot routes at the PC, unlike the ageing 2610? Can offline mapping software be purchased for the 2720, and if so, at what cost?

I don't know how it is in the US, but in EU the 2720 comes with a DVD with all the maps and software for all of Europe.

The 2720 has all maps for the region installed in the unit, so you don't need any software to use it, but after an extensive lobby of the m'cycle community that uses Garmin products to plot and map routes on the software and upload to the gps unit, they now deliver the software and maps with the unit.

However, you do not have to upload any maps to the unit, as it already has everything loaded. The software/maps just add capability of uploading your own routes to the gps.

 

[Pacman]

No, even better, we contribute to the success of the Chinese by spending billions to put up and then to maintain the GPS birds while they profit from it without having to spend any money on the network.
Does anyone know if GPS receiver makers have to pay any form of royalty to the US government for each receiver that they sell? It would be nice to think that the taxpayer wasn't footing the bill for all of this.

Cheers,

Jim

Jim, chill out. There ain't no such thing as free lunch. Do you really think our government would spend gazillions for the world to use for free? C'mon! Let's get real and leave populist rethoric aside.

BTW, a couple of days ago Europe sent its first of...many satellites for their own Galileo GPS system. They claim they don't like the "downgraded" version the Pentagon makes avaliable for the world.

 

[JimV]

Jim, chill out.  There ain't no such thing as free lunch.  Do you really think our government would spend gazillions for the world to use for free?  C'mon!  Let's get real and leave populist rethoric aside.

According to kaitsdad, there are free lunches floating around:

""The GPS system was designed by and is controlled by the United States Department of Defense and can be used by anyone, free of charge."

Which means that everyone in this country pays for the system. Just not the rest of the world. "

Its not populist rhetoric, just concern that we know how to innovate but not how to profit from it. Why shouldn't the gubmint make $5 in royalties for every GPS ASIC sold? Have the government guys call Qualcomm, they'll explain how it all works.

Oh, and 04FJR4ME is right, we all expect to get everything for free and then wonder why all the jobs are moving offshore. I don't know what the answer is, but I do think we should be considering what we think our children are going to be doing to support themselves in the future.

Oh, BTW, apologies in advance. This will be my last post on this topic lest I be spanked for being overly political in a GPS thread. :nono:

Cheers,

Jim

 

[skyway]

I don't know how it is in the US, but in EU the 2720 comes with a DVD with all the maps and software for all of Europe.

So Europe gets the mapping software then, what say the 2720 owners in the US?

 

[04FJR4ME]

So Europe gets the mapping software then, what say the 2720 owners in the US?

Yes, this was announced by Garmin back in July '05 that SP 2720 comes with pre-loaded North America map and still has 700MB of internal memory available to load other MapSource maps such as City Navigator Europe.