• The TomTom XL 340 S is a GPS navigation system that was released in early 2009, and expands on the prior experience that TomTom systems had with car-based GPS systems. The system is noted for being larger than its predecessors, with a larger capacitive touch screen, and a better mapping algorithm that plots prior trips through a given area to make recommendations for shorter travel times and better fuel economy. The model is geared to the mid-range of automotive GPS systems.
  
  

Interface

• The TomTom XL 340 S has a 4.3-inch wide format touch screen on its front, with a two-inch speaker on the back; the screen is large enough to be easily read at a driving distances, and the audio quality on the speakers is good enough to overcome most ambient in-car noise. The system has a battery pack and a 12- volt adapter that serves to draw electricity from the car's cigarette lighter; the plug attaches to a mini USB port on the bottom of the unit. The only physical controls on the TomTom XL 340 S is a power button on the top of the case. It comes with a twist-ring mounted attachment point that puts a suction cup against the inside of the windshield of your car; this attachment mechanism allows the TomTom XL340 S to be removed from the car for security purposes.
  
  

Electronics Components

• GPS navigation systems work by tracking satellite signals; the XL 340 S was generally able to get a two or three satellite lock (ensuring positional accuracy to under a meter) in a minute after a cold start. The system's touch pad interface allows a customizable electronic keyboard for entering addresses and generating routes and driving instructions with good auto-completion of addresses. Hardware limitations include the lack of a memory card port; the unit is limited to just the 2GB of onboard storage, most of which is used for storing maps and voice information, and a notable slowness in generating a route from a moving vehicle.
  
  

Software Utility

• The TomTom XL 340 S has an extensive map library, which is user customizable, including correcting street names and such. It also has Advanced Lane Guidance, which gives a bit more detailed instructions on intricate roadway routing, particularly on highways and shows arrows to indicate what lanes drivers should be in. The routes are also adjusted by a feature known as IQ routes, where driving history is anonymously sampled, and taking a route that's slower than expected at a given time of day will cause the device to select routes that avoid known congestion patterns. The other notable feature is that the system can announce street names, with a wide array of voices, including some from celebrities.