TOM TOM Go 2535 GPS Navigator Giveaway and Review~ 11/20

Momma Told Me: A man will never stop and ask for directions.

It's an old cliche. A man and his missus set out an a relaxing travel vacation, perhaps jet setting to Paris for a honeymoon, and rent a vehicle to shuttle them around town. 2 hours into a 40 minute drive to the local beach, the sightseers are starting to quarrel. She points out they are now winding their way through mountains, clearly heading inland, while he explains the beaches of Paris are 'covered in mountains and cliffs'. Another hour later, the sun dipping below the horizon, their foreign gas meter takes a dramatic leap towards empty. At this point the lady is tying her shawl, preparing to depart the vehicle, claiming she's rather take her chances on foot than drive another moment into the oblivion of stubborn stupidity. End scene.

Sure, modern day tales have been updated to include a dying cell phone (lacking the charger that wasn't packed), but the majority of this story remains the same. As a child, I clearly recall one instance of global misdirection that found 7 members of my family at eachother's throats. It was somewhere around Fall of 1992, and Momma (having the 'luxury' of insufficient lung capacity to fly), had escaped our yearly trip Back East. The snow came early that year, and I was in the best spirits of our lot; grandma, father, aunt, uncle, great aunt, and grandpa as acting guide. We were in Fall River, MA, the city my grandparents have now spent over 70 years in, and arguably their 'backyard'. In an attempt to entertain me, my grandparents had decided to search out a new family restaurant they had heard of. An Italian eatery with special dinner shows and entertainment for kids. It was around 6PM when we'd all piled into their mini-van to leave for dinner, and it was nearing 8:30 when the crowd began to get restless.

I was adequately occupied with car games and a selection of toys, but I remember my father commenting to me about how it was good my 'mother wasn't there'. From my vantage point, in the middle of the center seat, I could hear other grumbles emerging around me, "Joe, just stop and ask for directions", my Aunt pleaded as we crossed the same bridge for the third time. My stomach began to grumble, and I was now paying more attention. Outside a soft flurry had begun to fall, and it was pitch black. My grandfather, particularly notorious for his stubborn 'anti-direction requesting' ways, defiantly insisted, "It's just across the street! We're less than 5 minutes away". My heart, and stomach lifted, just five more minutes to a warm room with fresh bread sticks! Unfortunately, before the modern cell phone popularity, and without asking for directions, our caravan proceeded for another 40 minutes before locating the actual restaurant. In a quote, and story, that has since been told in my family for years, we pulled into the parking lot at last, as I said (no older than 6), "Grandpa, that was the longest 5 minutes of my entire life!"

Thankfully we live in a wonderful world with GPS technology. I'll admit, I never paid much attention when my father was teaching me how to read map books (though he certainly tried). So, I'm grateful for electronic devices that can do the hard parts for me. GPS (Global Positioning Systems) have even become so mainstream they're inserted in phones and MP3 players in the form of apps. Sometime in the future, I imagine all cars will come standard with them. But, until then costly apps, or free pre-loaded content is often sketchy, and becomes outdated fast. There's nothing worse than following directions based on obsolete information and data, that leads you to a sketchy, uninhabited part of town. I'll admit, even with the most amazing of GPS systems, sometimes you simply have to be smarter than the machine and use common sense! There should be a disclaimer on the boxes stating (Brain required. Not included)!

In any case, I'm the sort that starts to panic when I'm heading somewhere new (which is often alone). My life tends to be a series of unfortunate events (think Murphy's Law), so I try to cover all bases with back up. Enter the marvelous Tom Tom GPS. Tom Tom was the very first brand of GPS I ever owned, and that humble little unit was truly loved. At the time I managed a Pizza Hut and the company did not have a plan in place to provide loaners or compensation for drivers who purchased a GPS. I loaned mine out night after night, with 4 charger cord replacements (they kept getting lost or caught in doors and severed). I loved Tom Tom because it was intuitive, and more often than not, impressively accurate.

If you're familiar with GPS navigation systems, then you likely know that (like phones) there are typically add-on services you can subscribe to. When you buy an older unit the maps can be outdated and, depending on it's age, this can be just as dangerous as driving without directions. I recall a skit on 'The Office' where Micheal Scott (Steve Carrell) drove into a lake because the GPS instructed him to do so. It was hilarious at the time, but not at all funny when I experienced a similar situation (as a passenger) in real life! When I spend hundreds of dollars on top of the line technology, I do not want to spend hundreds more adding on all the amazing features it boasts. Enter TOM TOM Go 2535, with 1 year (pre-loaded) subscriptions to vital brand features like HD Traffic and LIVE.

For a SRV of $299.95, the Tom Tom Go 2535 GPS Navigation System is one of this season's hottest tech gadgets. Offering peace of mind for the giver, and year round security for the recipient, the Go 2535 is much more than a digital map collection and global positioner. Featuring over 7 million (and growing) Points of Interest, a Click and Lock Mount, Bluetooth, 3 Hour Battery Life, and 5" Widescreen Touchscreen Display, this Tom Tom really gets you there in style. I received a gift ready Tom Tom Go 2535 unit for review here on Christmas Wishes. Inside the manufacturer's box was the (2 piece) Easy Click Mount, Car Charger (with USB connectivity), and actual unit. Before digging into my new GPS I had to create a Tom Tom LIVE account, online, and register my product with the included software packages. Connecting the 2535 via the USB cord, my computer automatically uploaded and detected drivers. One I'd created an account a folder was housed on my desktop for maps and other digital Tom Tom files.

Next, my Tom Tom LIVE homepage prompted me to update the maps and software of my new unit. This process took near 26 minutes; a period in which I spent browsing the additional add-on services Tom Tom has to offer. For a fun twist, I learned the user can customize their navigator voice with famous actor and character voices. I'll admit, I got suckered into Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) for $12.99/1 year and have been a little disappointed. The write up sold the service much better than the actual range of 4-5 unique phrases. I was half expecting the GPS to make a witty comment as we drove past a Dunkin Donuts (good advertising opportunity, no?), but it's primarily homer's voice you are paying for. Either way, it beats the generic British and Australian pre-loaded narrators. Uploading the second set of data (voice pack) took about 13 minutes. Then we were ready to take our new Tom Tom Go 2535 for a test drive at last!

In the car, we fixed a round adhesive disc to our windshield, then locked the mount into place with a few easy clicks. The Go 2535 utilizes magnetic technology to help keep the GPS screen and charger locked into place. In fact, I love that I can keep the charger port fed through the bottom of the cradle, and store the screen itself (for safety) when not in use. Speaking of the unit's screen, the generous 5", widescreen, display offers a brilliant range of color and complete customization from personal 'welcome' and 'goodbye' images (loaded via USB or SD), and color coded maps. My favorite feature is the custom vehicle avatars ranging from classic convertibles to HUMVs. The factory settings are extremely easy on the eyes, with a map that automatically changes color schemes for easy viewing at night, and indicates landmarks such as bodies of water and bridges.

As part of the LIVE experience, I can access instant traffic updates, and request alternate routes. The unit will even flag upcoming delays via the distance meter on the right side of my screen. Thanks to Local Search with Google I can also find local hot spots and search for destinations by name or topic, as well as access current gas prices. (Can you hear that? That's the sound of Tom Tom Go 2535 paying for itself!) I simply cannot get enough of the instant gas price feed. I turn my Tom Tom on at the beginning of every trip, simply to check the fuel prices on my route. I can easily organize by price or distance, and tell the system to incorporate my chosen gas station into the trip. It doesn't get much more stress free than that. Additionally, I can access Map Pack updates within the US/CAN for 1 year, free, through my LIVE Tom Tom account. Additional maps, for out of country destinations, may be purchased as needed. Rounding out the Go 2535 special features is the Weather application, which enables me to view forecasts, up to 5 days, locally, or at my destination. And, because the Go 2535 is like a small tablet, I can easily tuck it away to review data in hotel rooms or over dinner.

What Daughter Says: Ditch the hidden fees, and special features you have to pay to unlock. Discover the freedom of on demand services and stress free travel with Tom Tom Go 2535 and 1 year of HD Traffic and Map Updates!

One Momma Told Me follower will win a Tom Tom Go 2535 Prize Pack including 1 year of HD Traffic and Maps!