As some might know I try to keep up to date in terms of the Tomtom devices that still can be modified.
During my online researches I noticed that TT is IMHO going downhill very fast.
Here are some examples that can show why customers feel left alone:
1. for old devices TT does not offer any Navcore updates, this includes otherwise fine devices with 64mb of ram only because they are known to have troubles, like the X10 series.


2. maps...
One of biggest problems for many customers is the fact that TT fools them with specials and prices that no longer make sense.
You can buy a brand new TT and after a few map updates you paid more for the maps than for the device itself - no very smart with several GPS providers supplying free maps.
But again you see a special a few weeks later, with your new device being offer cheaper and with lifetime map updates - but existing customers won't receive such offers.

The other problem with the latest maps is a destinct lack of properly integrated roads and speed restrictions.
Again and again I see that speed limits that never changed on the road change with every second or third TT map.
Same with roads: private roads with locked gates stay in the map for ages, non existing in rural areas are the same.
Also quite a lot of roads miss the connection to other roads on the map, causing frustration and re-routing for no reason.


3. Usability and user friendly interfaces...
We all know from our older TT's that the menu never really changed, and that everything mostly stayed in the same place.
Although the menu is not readily to edit or modify we got used to it.
But users of older devices often miss features like the screen turner or auto-on with ignition that TT discontinued.
It is hard to understand why an item, like the screen turner, is removed from the menu but not from the Navcore itself when TT claims this is an abandoned feature,
at least for me it still works on the 9.485 NC with a custom menu ;)

Owners of in car systems or of the new Live devices know that accessing and modifying a TT as we know does not work at all.
TT refused to pay Microsoft for the further use of the FAT filesystem - which for safety reasons is understandable.
The result is that these devices can longer be accessed as normal and on top of it an encryption is used to prevent user access.
Creating a working and stable backup that is easy to use is imopssible...

4. Support
Sending an Email usually results in up to three automated answers until finally a real person sends you to some section of the website to find a solution.
Although the databse is huge and the tipps often quite helpful, for a noob it is almost imopssible to find what he needs.
Visiting the official TT support forums only show endless numbers of requests and questions that never got any answer from the TT stuff,
and if they do it is often a sorry excuse that does not help anyone.
Customers are left abandoned in their search for help....

5. Overpricing and betatesting...
Good TT's always have been a bit expensive but with the introducion of the new NC10 based models things got worse than ever for TT customers:
The first models only had very basic and often buggy features in the menu, many things we loved and wanted were simply missing completely.
So you paid a lot of money for a new TT only to know it does less than the oldie you just on Ebay ;)
Checking that with the complaints at that time in the officail TT forums the excuse from TT was simple and basic:
"We are aware of some bugs and will resolve the issues with the next application update for your device"
Same for missing or non working features:
"We thank you for your feedback and with the combined feedback we decide to include the mentioned functions in further releases"
IMHO this only shows that selling comes before delivering a fully working system - well learned from Windows...

TT makes nice big ads for low end devices and claims them to be easy and good for the beginner.
But all they notice when it comes to actually using them is that too many standard things are missing completely - things that on your mobile are free and working...

6. Marketing
With PNA sells going downhill for all, TT and Garmin decided to make up for ground by integrating their devices into new cars.
Good thinking on one side, bad result for the customer on the other side.
Getting support or make a warranty claim makes a customer go nuts.
The car dealer claims it is a TT problem, TT claims the system is part of the car and the problem should be solved with the dealer...
On top of it the customer can't simply use Home for basic things like adding a favourite or creating new POI's, he needs to sit in the car and play on the screen.
Again, from the TT side, only excuse and workarounds, but no intention of solving the problem...

Conclusion (only my private opinion, so don't count on it ;) ):
I think when map sales for old devices go down to a certain level TT will abandon the support for FAT based models entirely.
The reason is simply: TT knows most people get their maps from forums like ours, so once the official sales of maps are down enough TT can offer a trade in and the game is over.
Navman did the same several times over the past...
Getting access and the encyption... Well, I think, apart from the MS problem, the only reason not to use a standard Linux filesystem was to lock us out.
TT reluctantly refuses to offer any type of direct acces to the new devices, only some tools like the Content Transfer Assistant - which makes it possible to transfer your data from an old TT to a new model.
For me the reason behind is simple: allowing any form of direct acces to the stored data on the new devices would mean we could be able to manipulate them.
Downside for the legal customer is that he is locked out too and has to rely on whatever TT thinks is suitable and enough.
TT had the chance to make the models better than anything we had before, but instead they decided to tell lies and hide behind excuses.
Why would you need begging customers to get features back that were know be usefull and used by many customers?
Because TT had no time to develop a proper Navcore for the release date!
If you check the update history for the new models you notice that instead of many cores for different models, everything is now based on only one platform with different features.

Due to the ease of having working, DOS based, tools for TT the development of new patchers or activators has stopped a long time ago.
It does not matter what tool you find or use, it will be based on the original Easyusetools by TTUSER - the rest around it is just a nice skin and some added extras.
Same for the so called SE Navcores, since TTUSER stopped a few guys have picked up his work, analysed what was done to older Navcore and did the same thing on the new Navcores.
All impoovements have stopped with the V8 NC's in this regards.
The only tool that stayed in constant development is the DSA tool, but it is based on an enirely different concept.
With the delays in supplying SE versions this tools has become more pupular over the time and works Win, Mac and Linux.
So can see that without the support of users and team members nothing at all would happen in the TT area...
At this stage I only see two options if you want to buy a TT:
a) go the legal way and get a new Live model but only if you get it together with lifetime map updates!
b) get a used or refurbished GO 520/530/720/730 and use what we offer on maps in the forum for free.
Without users buying new maps and supplying meta codes for the new maps b) might become a problem for certain areas/maps in the future.


What do you think ?? ;)

Very well written. As for lifetime updates, what does that actually mean? Untill they stop making that model or untill the device fails?

If a device fails and you do a replacement/warranty claim with TT all subscriptions will be trafered to the new device.
If you decide to get a different model and want to keep the map subscription you are out of luck, TT claims it is bound to the device, not to the customer.
So even if you upgrade your model you either make sure to get lifetime maps or sort it out with TT before buying ;)
I only know of lifetime updates for the new models, so I assume they will be valid at least until TT produces a new series of devices.

Tom tom will lose customers simply because they are resting on their laurals.In todays market you need to offer a sensibly priced product thats actually works and has the backup needed. Also any updates and modifications for said product should be free for the duration of that products life. As for new maps they should be included in the buy price of the product and last a minimum of 5 years.
Todays people have mainly got smart phones which in most circumstances are adequate for their journeys and in the main free.
Tom tom need to get their act together and improve product, customer service and support ,otherwise they are in danger of losing any goodwill/reputation they may have.

Could not agree more...