TomTom GPS not only helps people get to their destinations as efficiently as possible; It can also be a fun companion. Users can personalize their GPS devices by installing their favorite voices.
A wide selection of voices are available for use with TomTom GPS devices, including cartoon voices, character voices, celebrity voices and more. These voices make interesting and humorous comments while giving directions and can totally change a person’s driving experience. It can be fun to have famous voices like: Homer Simpson, President Obama, Snoop Dogg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. T, Dennis Hopper, Elvis Presley, Kim Cattrall, and Burt Reynolds pointing the way to a destination. Other voices that are very popular with TomTom GPS users include: the sultry Sadera, the drill instructor Sergeant Hartman, the cynical Gollum, the wise Pagoda and the drunken Captain Jack.
Voices that are compatible with TomTom GPS units can be downloaded from many websites on the Internet. Some of the voices are free to download while others require a fee. All TomTom GPS voices consist of two or three files, and these are represented by the extensions “.chk”, “.vif” and “.bmp”. If the “.bmp” is not available, voice can still work, but the other two must be installed. Before the installation process begins, the desired voices must first be downloaded. Windows users can extract the files with WinRar and Mac users can use Stuffit.
To install the voices, the user has to connect the TomTom GPS unit to the computer, using the USB cable. Then turn on the TomTom and click “My Computer” on the PC to access the device. Double click on the TomTom icon to open the file and a list of folders will be displayed. Find the “voices” folder and copy the three parts of the voices that were downloaded into the folder. Now the installation process is complete.
To check if the voices have been successfully installed on your TomTom device, disconnect your device from your computer, then go to ‘Change preferences’. Select “Change voice” and the current voice will appear. Use the left or right arrows to view the selection of voices that are available on the device. A message may appear to inquire about language options and the user must select “no”. To change the voice, simply choose the desired voice from the selection.
