Finally: new maps for TomTom

Unlike last year, TomTom are not offering a special map-upgrade offer for their existing customers. But starting today, brand new maps have become available on TomTom's website. Also new is that these maps can now be downloaded, and until January 1st, TomTom are offering a 20% discount on the downloadable maps.

2006 maps

The new maps originate from Tele Atlas, and are based on their 2006.7 release. TomTom refers to these maps as version number 6.6. TomTom say that 40,000 kilometres of new roads and 18,000 new points of interest have been added to the new European map. A nice touch is that 7,000 new roundabouts have also been added.

Considering the release month of the Tele Atlas material (July 2006), it seems unlikely that there will be significant changes from the maps already supplied with the x10 range or the new edition One models.

New shop

TomTom has also opened a brand-new online shop in order for customers to download this brand new map material, as well as to purchase by the more traditional DVD and SD card method. TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn, says: "With the launch of our brand new online Map Shop, TomTom continues to deliver easy and affordable upgrades to the most recent maps. This ensures the best and safest navigation on the market for TomTom users, regardless of when they may have purchased our products".

In the web shop, you can buy the regional maps, the (old) Australian map, the US and Canadian maps and the Western European maps. Those last two can also be ordered on DVD and SD card. The Western-European map contains twenty-one seamlessly integrated countries: Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Swiss, Switzerland and Vatican City, all down to street-level detail. The Canary Islands are also shipped as a separate map in the same package.

Installation

The downloadable maps can be installed from the TomTom website or via TomTom HOME. When a user buys a new map which has never before been installed onto his or her PND, TomTom will automatically download extra useful map information after installation of that map. This will include information on maximum speeds and road signs on major roads of certain regions, which is then displayed on-screen when the user drives through that area.

The map material is not just suitable for TomTom's PND portfolio (GO, ONE and RIDER), but also for Navigator 5, Navigator 6 and Mobile 5. Users who buy map material for a PDA which can run Navigator 6 will also receive Navigator 6 itself free with their purchase. Users of PDAs which aren't Navigator 6 compatible will receive identical map material, but without the program upgrade.

All maps can be purchased through the new Map Shop on the TomTom website. The prices for the downloadable versions are:

• Regional maps with Major Roads of Europe : €59.95

• Maps of Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia : €59.95

• Seamless map of Western Europe (956 MB) : €99.95

• Seamless map of US and Canada (958 MB): €99.95

Should you choose not to download the Western Europe or US/Canada map because of size constraints, you can also opt to order the maps on DVD or SD card. But this is more expensive at €119.95 and €149.95 respectively.

The above prices do not include the discount mentioned. If the discount is subtracted from the price, the newest map of the UK with Major Roads of Europe (193 MB) will cost just €47.96.

Update

Now that some of our intrepid members have downloaded these new maps, a couple of issues have arisen.
Firstly, the extra map of the Canary Islands is not presently supplied in the download package for the Go and One models, although it is included on the SD card and DVD versions. Strangely, according to the TomTom website, it is also included on the download version for the Rider. We await further news from TomTom about this.

Secondly, although the map coverage is clearly mentioned on the website, several people have been annoyed to discover that the latest Western Europe map does not include data for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland or Hungary. Although TomTom are at pains not to say these maps are an "update", many feel that they should at least cover the same territories as their original maps, for example in the Go 700.

Finally, when you visit the web shop, if you select any machine that already has a v6 Western European map installed, (710, 910, One (Europe) or Rider (Europe)) you will not see an entry for the new Europe map, as TomTom believe your existing map is sufficiently up to date.

Also any machines with hard drives (700, 910) will not see the SD card as a purchase option.