by I picked up a TomTom GPS at a estate sale. I went online today to see if there were any fixes or updates, and discovered that TomTom isn’t a group I’d want to buy a device from. I bought one years ago, because it had custom voices, but it was the slowest device. So much as leave me stranded one night in a small town trying to figure out why it would only take me to a toll road.
For this device, I was curios what had changed. Indeed booting still takes forever. First I looked at the device info – Device: BQ4427A90776. A quick google search turns up Zero pages in google. Impressive. The map release date of January 2019 was encouraging.
On to model number. Its hidden under the USB plug. It says: MODEL 4EN52 / Z1230.
Okay, lets google that. Here’s where it gets dumb. That model number isn’t.. well… On the site I searched and it says there’s a table you can sort of convert from Model number into device name. My 4EN52 wasn’t listed so, I clicked the “click here for no longer supported devices”, this page loaded for a second, and then redirected to the store. Looking at the page, I get “We work very hard to bring you the best navigation experience ever. ….. It has become clear that some of our older devices do not have sufficient resources to run the newest maps”. Strange. They had resources to run the maps in 2019. But now they do not have the resources to run maps. There is interestingly a button to claim your discount. But its unclickable, behind the redirect you to the store panel. Even if I wanted to I still don’t know what model the device is.
When I pressed through, I got to a discount page
$10 for all your trouble.
That’s just fun stuff. The thing that puts them on my never list is this exchange from their support forum.
Tldr: user asks for tech support for his 4EN52. Mod replies: “there is no such device, Now go do what I say and then tell us what MODEL you have”
second user chimes in “my device is also a 4EN52”
Mod scolds this user also, “There is no such model, identify your model properly”
Again, back in the real world, the device, the little block of plastic that they bought., has one tiny sticker on it. Printed on that tiny sticker are the words: Model: 4EN52 / Z1230 / Serial #. Nothing else. When you go into the about screen, iall you get is a long number, that even google has never seen.
Back to the forum.. user Aivia sums it up: “I to have a 4EN52 Z1230. I know there is another name for this device’s model but am I the only one that sees how ludicrous it is to manufacture a device, include a label with the words: Model: 4EN52 Z1230, when that is not used in any way to identify this device?!
Your tool on https://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9508 identifies my device (starting with the serial number BQ) as a Via 1515? but after a few minutes I revisited the link and BQ is now a Start 25.
Someone in design and production needs to get their act together if you ask me.
I concur, someone definitely needs to get their act together.
As for me, the game ends here, we will see if we can scavange it for parts, or off to the thrift store.
