Why is my Tomtom Start 42 so slow and why is the intuitive software not intuitive?
Alex the Bear
Registered Users Posts: 4 
Apprentice Seeker
Apprentice Seeker
Hi there, long time Tomtom user, first time poster - driven to ask questions as am at the end of my Tomtom road (excuse the pun), if I can't find some way to sort this.
Firstly, having had 3 Tomtom Start 25s, two of which failed completely after 14 months (just outside warranty, naturally), my wife bought me a Tomtom Start 42. I thought, great a new model, can only be better. What a waste of money and time.
My issues are:-
1. The old Tomtom 25 allowed you to touch anywhere on the screen to get to the menus. And it did it instantly. The 42 takes literally 5-6 seconds to change between screens and has a tiny button in the corner to select the menus. When you get to the menu (I was trying to change from day to night colours - 2 seconds work with a 25), I had to trawl through the menus and couldn't access what I needed anyway. Not easy to use in traffic or simple, so I turned it off rather than be dazzled by my own SatNav. Not a great safety feature.
2. Where is the feature allowing one to save 'my present location'? This appears to have been left off the 'new' software. Can 't find it and what a useful feature it was. You'd follow a friend to a site you've never been to before and then you could find your way back thereafter. Not with the 42, it seems.
This intuitive software with symbols rather than words, presumably so that they can sell it worldwide without having to adjust the software, is not intuitive. You have to guess what the symbols mean as the measly instruction book doesn't tell you anything useful.
Am VERY frustrated with Tomtom and now considering what alternative to buy. My old TomTom One lasted me 15 years and worked faultlessly all that time, only dying when the battery went. The 4(!) models in the last 4 years have been rubbish. Not using these things again without some serious persuading from you experts out there. Really poor software in my eyes.
Firstly, having had 3 Tomtom Start 25s, two of which failed completely after 14 months (just outside warranty, naturally), my wife bought me a Tomtom Start 42. I thought, great a new model, can only be better. What a waste of money and time.
My issues are:-
1. The old Tomtom 25 allowed you to touch anywhere on the screen to get to the menus. And it did it instantly. The 42 takes literally 5-6 seconds to change between screens and has a tiny button in the corner to select the menus. When you get to the menu (I was trying to change from day to night colours - 2 seconds work with a 25), I had to trawl through the menus and couldn't access what I needed anyway. Not easy to use in traffic or simple, so I turned it off rather than be dazzled by my own SatNav. Not a great safety feature.
2. Where is the feature allowing one to save 'my present location'? This appears to have been left off the 'new' software. Can 't find it and what a useful feature it was. You'd follow a friend to a site you've never been to before and then you could find your way back thereafter. Not with the 42, it seems.
This intuitive software with symbols rather than words, presumably so that they can sell it worldwide without having to adjust the software, is not intuitive. You have to guess what the symbols mean as the measly instruction book doesn't tell you anything useful.
Am VERY frustrated with Tomtom and now considering what alternative to buy. My old TomTom One lasted me 15 years and worked faultlessly all that time, only dying when the battery went. The 4(!) models in the last 4 years have been rubbish. Not using these things again without some serious persuading from you experts out there. Really poor software in my eyes.
0
Answers
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Hi
@Alex the Bear
The earlier Devices required me to enter my Route type every time, but at least 95% of my journeys I would choose the Fastest RouteAlex the Bear wrote: »(Snip)My issues are:-
The old Tomtom 25 allowed you to touch anywhere on the screen to get to the menus. And it did it instantly. The 42 takes literally 5-6 seconds to change between screens and has a tiny button in the corner to select the menus
The earlier NAV2/3 devices are Menu focused
Asking all of the questions and button pushing at the start... Then device planned the route
The Latest NAV4/5 (Wi-Fi) devices are Map Centric (Tomtom Speak)
The Route planning has the highest priority (95% of the time I want the Fastest Route... Job Done)
On the odd occasions I want something different, say I want to 'Avoid Motorways'...
After Planning and Calculating the route
I Tap the 4Dot (....) Menu --> Current Route --> Change route type... Choose Route Type required 'Like' (Avoid Motorways) the device recalculates the route avoiding Motorways
Tap 4Dot (.... Menu)Alex the Bear wrote: »When you get to the menu (I was trying to change from day to night colours - 2 seconds work with a 25), I had to trawl through the menus and couldn't access what I needed anyway. Not easy to use in traffic or simple, so I turned it off rather than be dazzled by my own SatNav. Not a great safety feature.
Also....
Have you accidentally set the Automatic switching of Day/Night Map colours to off ???
There's an anomaly in the Day/Night switching, where if you change the setting during the hours of darkness to off, the switching to Daytime Map colours never happens....
During the Daytime hours the the Night colours are OFF
Therefore the Icon is slashed through
Tap the 4Dot (.... Menu) --> Day/Night Icon screen bottom right
Main Day/Night auto settings menu....
Tap the 4Dot (.... Menu) --> Settings --> Appearance --> Display... Switch to night colours when dark (Default ON)
See... https://discussions.tomtom.com/en/discussion/comment/1131453/#Comment_1131453
Saving your Current position as a MyPlaceAlex the Bear wrote: »Where is the feature allowing one to save 'my present location'? This appears to have been left off the 'new' software. Can 't find it and what a useful feature it was. You'd follow a friend to a site you've never been to before and then you could find your way back thereafter. Not with the 42, it seems.
Tapping the Direction of travel pointer (Above the + & - signs)
Toggles the map view between the Driving & Planning views
If you are using the North-up overview planning Map
The direction of travel pointer... is flatter more squat
If you want to save your present location to 'MyPlaces'....
(1)... Switch to the North-up overview planning Map
Long Tap on the Chevron Location cursor (Tap and hold for + 1 second) a Quick menu opens... Tap the 3Dot Icon Tap 'Add to MyPlaces'
(2)... Switch to the North-up overview planning Map
Long Tap anywhere on the screen (Tap and hold for + 1 second) a Quick menu opens... Tap the 3Dot Icon Tap 'Add to MyPlaces'
Note... Long and short taps give different menu option
For example... Short Tap of the screen
(1)... With the screen displaying Driving View Map... Tap in the Arrowhead Location cursor --> Tap Mark Location
Tap 4Dot (.... Menu) --> Myplaces... Scroll down to Mark Locations --> Tap on the required Marked location --> Tap Add to MyPlaces --> Rename the location as required
(2)...With the screen displaying the North-up Overview Planning Map
Pinch Zoom the Planning Map to Max --> Tap in the Arrowhead Location cursor --> Tap Mark Location
Tap 4Dot (.... Menu) --> Myplaces... Scroll down to Mark Locations --> Tap on the required Marked location --> Tap Add to MyPlaces --> Rename the location as required
START 42 USER MANUAL....Alex the Bear wrote: »This intuitive software with symbols rather than words, presumably so that they can sell it worldwide without having to adjust the software, is not intuitive. You have to guess what the symbols mean as the measly instruction book doesn't tell you anything useful. (Snip)
Here... http://download.tomtom.com/open/manuals/start_42_52_62/index.htm
ATB YFM6
