The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds
90%

TomTom GO 530 Traffic

Already tip-top TomTom gets tweaked

SaaS data loss: The problem you didn’t know you had

Review Bearing a close resemblance to the 520, the GO 530 is the entry-level unit in the new TomTom 30 range, which has now replaced the well regarded and popular 20 series.

Retaining the trademark TomTom curved, slightly rubberised casing, excellent build quality and 4.3in screen, the GO 530 is a classic case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The weight stays the same as the 520 as well at 223g.

TomTom GO 530 Traffic satnav

TomTom GO 530: same robust build as the earlier 520

In the box with the base unit you get a handy USB desktop stand to keep the unit charged, a TMC aerial, a car charger and a fine windscreen mount. This latter deserves further mention, as although it looks a bit cheap it is not only very compact - so easy to stuff into any glove box - but it also has an excellent ball mount that allows you to adjust the angle. It's actually the best screen mount we have come across.

With maps carried over from the 520 and very similar if not identical hardware, you could be forgiven for asking just how “new” the 530 actually is.

Well, the first new big idea is something called IQ Routes, which calculates the fastest route based on historic real world traffic speeds, time of day, day of week and so forth rather than the usual blunt instrument shortest/fastest/most efficient choices. On balance, we'd say this actually works.

Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/Recovery

Latest Comments
Anonymous Coward

Eire is not Éire

>>As for "Where's their Eire place you refer to", Eire is the irish

>>name for Ireland in the same way as the german name for

>>Germany is Deutschland.

Nope, Éire is the Irish name for Ireland - note that little accent on the first letter. And the English language (which is the language that these forums are conducted in) name is very definitely Ireland.

0
0

TomTom

The best marketing strategy ever employed by Garmin....

I used to think TT units rocked, then tried the entry level Garmin Nuvi 250, European maps etc, no pointless features and under £100!

The new version is great if you live in the US as it speaks street names too, but pointless in the UK, so stick with a Nuvi 250 from Amazon and be happy!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000OV16MQ?ie=UTF8&tag=spoavetstu-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B000OV16MQ

0
0
Anonymous Coward

@Andy

It is strange how the customer experience differs. I bought a Garmin Nuvi last year which broke on the first software update. It lost all its maps, effectively bricking it.

I took it back and exchanged it for a TomTom 520. This has worked flawlessly ever since. I even use all the features, including the FM, Bluetooth etc with no problems.

0
0

More from The Register

 breaking news
You've seen the Large Hadron Collider. Now comes the HUGE Hadron Collider
International Linear Collider ready to rock and roll
Headbangers have a gas, gas, gas in mosh pits
Boffins say heavy metal crowds behave like The Vapours
Hubble spies unlikely planet being born in hostile neighborhood
Hoovering a cloud of sand 7.5 billion miles from a tiny star
 breaking news
Jaguar to open new car-making factory in Blighty (virtually)
Britain still makes stuff, it's just not real any more...
 breaking news
China's second woman 'naut blasts off for coupling in HEAVEN
Wang and pals test the cosmic waters for Chinese space station
Scientists investigate 'dark lightning' threat to aircraft passengers
One stormy flight could give lifetime radiation dose
 breaking news
Chinese 'nauts prep for next coupling in Heaven, clear way for new station
Second woman taikonaut and pals test tech for China's own orbiting platform
Boffins hide cute kitty behind invisibility shield
No polarisation or microwaves needed, yet the cat and fish disappear
 breaking news