• One Quick Start Guide (which at first looks like a substantially thick pamphlet, until you discover that it includes French, Spanish, and English versions, 12 pages per language)
• One six-step, foldout Installation sheet
• A microprint License Agreement (I think there are real words on there, but cannot see them)
• A product code card (looks like a credit card)
• One Application and User Manual CD in a paper sleeve
• Eight Maps CDs in paper sleeves
• One marketing pamphlet advertising the TomTom Plus service

Although everything was in good order, the Instructions and Quick Start Guide pretty much proved worthless, as the installation for this product did not go well at all.  I am not used to paying $125 for retail software that does not come in a retail box -- not a big thing, but an eyebrow raiser for sure. 

Putting in the Application and User Manual CD was uneventful, and the installation automatically started up as usual.  The menus and prompts were all fine with nothing complicated or confusing.  I selected to have the application installed on the internal memory of my Palm, concluding that I would then install the maps on my expansion card.  Everything APPEARED to go well.  After successfully going through the application install (but not yet Hotsyncing), I then installed voice and map files.  Finally, I Hotsync'ed...or at least attempted to do so.  I always Hotsync via Wi-Fi even when handling larger files like maps, videos, etc.  For some reason, the Hotsync continually failed, with an error message that I had lost my Wi-Fi connection.  I have since and prior installed other apps via a Wi-Fi Hotsync, and not encountered this issue.  So, I hook up the cradle to my computers USB port and again attempted to Hotsync the installation.  This time it does work...took forever and a day...but at least the Hotsync was successful.  But wait -- where is the TomTom Navigator app?  All I saw was Contacts Navigator, which did nothing but bring up a version of my address book.  I searched in all my categories, refreshed my launcher, even used a file manager and could not find anything that resembled Navigator.prc, TTN5.prc, etc.  Using the file manager, I eventually found what I assumed to be the app -- Start.prc -- which I deduced only because it had the same creator as CN.prc (Contacts Navigator), which is MniC (don't ask, because I don't know).  However, even though I found Start.prc, it still wouldn't show up in my launcher (Launcher X).  Off to the internet I go for a Google search on the problem. Sure enough, everyone running a third-party launcher was having this same problem.  The Navigator icon DOES show up in the default Palm launcher.  Each third-party launcher has its own work-around for this issue, but most of the workarounds are kludgey or not an effective solution every time.  The solution I had to use was to change the creator information of Contacts Navigator from MniC to xxxx, which then (for some bizarre reason) allowed the Start.prc app to appear in my launcher under the name Navigator.  However, when I use Contacts Navigator to select an address that I want to route to, Contacts Navigator reports an error, stating that it cannot run the Navigator app. 

So, close to two hours later I have a working copy of Navigator on my Palm with one minor caveat concerning the link between Contacts Navigator and Navigator, right?  Wrong.  Every time I ran the initial setup for Navigator, it couldn't find any voice files, even though (again using the file manager) I could see the voice files on my Palm.  Back out to the internet to Google the problem, but this time no luck!  Back out to the internet to search for 3rd-party TomTom forums, but since TomTom Navigator 5 for Palm OS is such a new product, the only information I could find seemed to be mostly about the PocketPC European version.  Finally, I found a small GPS forum that referenced this problem.  Apparently the voice files had to be in the same folder as the Start.prc file.  Folder?  This is a Palm device, not a PocketPC -- we don't have folders.  Well, apparently this guy was only able to get it to work by installing EVERYTHING to the SD expansion card.

...Sigh...

Okay, deleted TomTom completely from my Palm and used my favorite backup application, AdvancedBackup, to find any leftovers that the deletion left behind.  Reinstalled everything.  However, this time I only installed the applications and the voice files via Hotsync, and I installed them to the SD expansion card instead of internal memory.  I then took advantage of the advanced options for installing the maps, and had them copied to a folder on my desktop PC instead.  I then used a card reader to copy them to the SD card.  More weirdness occurred though, because Contacts Navigator (CN.prc) was installed to the \PALM\Launcher folder on my SD card, but for some reason Navigator (Start.prc) was installed to the \PALM folder.  The voice files were installed to a newly created \TomTom folder, and the maps I knew to manually install to the appropriate map name folder (in my case, \Southeast-Map).  Again, the fiasco where Navigator (Start.prc) does not show up in my launcher, but this time I get TWO icons for Contacts Navigator (CN.prc) -- one regular icon and showing that it was installed to the memory card. 

I then decided that where TomTom was apparently lacking common sense, I would insert my own.  I moved the Navigator app (Start.prc) to the \PALM\Launcher folder, made sure that there was only one instance of Contacts Navigator (CN.prc) and that it was installed in \PALM\Launcher, verified that all the voice files were only in the \TomTom folder on my SD card, and also looked for other stray apps in my Palms internal memory.  This got me back to where I started -- I couldn't see the Navigator app in my launcher.  So I again changed the Contacts Navigator owner information to xxxx, and decided to just live with the communication break between Contacts Navigator and Navigator.  I then ran the initial startup for Navigator and this time it found all the voice files and the maps without a hitch. 

I started the install at around 10:00pm and finally had a working Navigator install at about 3:30am.  Definitely a record for me, especially concerning Palm apps.  I am a career network engineer, and have installed wide area networks from the workstation all the way up to the server and network hardware/wiring, including multiple network operating systems, protocols, etc.  Basically, I'm not exactly computer stupid, and I pity anyone buying this product who is less technical, because this install process is flat-out wacky. 

UPDATE!
TomTom finally responded to my technical support requests.  They informed me that I need to install the voice files to the SD card instead of to internal memory (where it defaults).  They did not mention anything about the 3rd-party launcher issue, but they did release the TomTom Navigator 5.12 update, which corrects this problem similarly to the way that I did by changing the creator information on the Contacts Navigator application (CN.prc).  Apparently, they account for the creator name change in the Navigator/Contacts Navigator programming though, because now the communication between the two applications is working.  Both Navigator and Contacts Navigator can now be installed in internal memory.

UPDATE!
TomTom has released two new versions since I first posted this review.  The v5.12 update corrected a lot of problems with the installation, as did the v5.201 update.  The installation is still a little quirky though, and still installs two copies of CN and START -- one in your Palm's memory and one on your memory card.  I simply deleted the duplicate that was installed on the memory card.  

The v5.201 update also brought reports of new problems from other TomTom users, specifically problems with DB Cache errors.  I did not encounter these errors on the Tungsten|C, but did encounter them from time to time on the T|X, which has significantly less cache than the T|C (for some reason -- not sure why Palm would do this).  A soft reset of the T|X would usually flush the cache and allow TomTom to run, so at least there was an obvious work-around to the problem.  Honestly, I blame Palm more than TomTom on this one, as it really does not make much sense to put out a newer Palm product that has lesser features/configuration.  

The interface is very different from Mapopolis and DeLorme.  It reminds me more of a built-in car navigation system, whereas the Mapopolis and DeLorme seem more like handheld/Palm apps.  You can do almost everything with your finger instead of a stylus, something that makes it much more realistic to use it in the car while driving.  The maps are very nice, and after browsing around my home town map, they appear to be very accurate and have the most recent data out of the three apps.  There are more features and unique options in TomTom than even in DeLorme, which was in turn heads and shoulders above Mapopolis.  

I was and still am confused as to why the only access you have to your Palm Contacts database is via the separate application, Contacts Manager.  There is no method embedded into the main Navigator application that allows you to access your Palm Contacts.  Mapopolis offers this, and even DeLorme offers a method of importing your Contacts database permanently into the DeLorme Palm application.  

The road test was very surprising because of the way the TomTom handles scrolling and rotating the maps compared to Mapopolis and DeLorme.  Whereas the other two apps provide jerking/quirky map scrolling/rotation, TomTom is very smooth -- basically like a movie or a video game.

TomTom also does something that I've found unique among the three navigation apps -- it seems to "snap to" the nearest road.  For example, if there's new construction where they move an entire road section over 500 feet from its previous location, even though your GPS coordinates would show that you are off of the road in Mapopolis or DeLorme, TomTom will initially and briefly show you as being offroad, but then will move you over to the old road on the map.  This may have a drawback in denser areas with a lot of roads close together.  I could see the TomTom app getting confused on which road to snap to.  However, after driving long stretches of new highway where I appear to be driving on the side of the road in Mapopolis, this TomTom snap to feature is a welcome one in my book.

The voice prompts were very accurate and clear, and seemed to provide more information than the the other two applications.  The choice of voices (accents, languages, etc.) is very nice.  I also liked the way the navigation/voice system seemed to take it just that much further than the other two applications by a "reassurance" type feature.  TomTom would actually reassure me that I was still on the right track by stating, "Continue straight" or "Right turn ahead," when I would come to a major intersection on my route.  Not a big thing, really, but another nice touch by TomTom that makes it seem like more of a professional system.

Everything was very accurate in my road testing, and the user interface was much easier to navigate in TomTom versus the other two when on the road.  I simply cannot emphasize enough that the new TomTom version could easily replace a factory in-car navigation system.  

UPDATED!  
The road test with TomTom Nav 5 on a Palm T|X was even better than on the T|C.  Depending on the mounting bracket you're using, you can easily rotate the TomTom display in the TomTom config and then physically rotate your Palm to be landscape.  This makes your Palm based GPS even more like the factory in-car navigation systems.  On a personal note, it was also nice that my mount is black, the T|X is black, and even my Holux GM210 is mostly black -- made for a very slick, nice looking setup.  As for display orientation, I like the taller display (portrait), as when you are driving down the highway at 70mph you probably will not care as much about what is on either side of you as much as what is in front of you and behind you.

Voice prompts were very clear on the T|X, as the T|X offers a very nice speaker.  I did not like that the T|X does not have a charge light on it because it made it difficult to tell if the charging cable was working properly.  

Note:  Please see update above.  TomTom Support finally did respond to trouble ticket, but there was a significant delay in the response.  

UPDATE!
Since my initial trouble ticket delay, I have communicated numerous times with TomTom via their website.  All responses have been much faster than my initial trouble ticket, and they were even very cooperative during the dreaded 3x license switch that I did:

1. Original T|C
2. Palm T|X
3. Second T|C

That put the license one reset beyond what I could do by myself.  TomTom support actually telephoned *ME*, and gave me a new registration number right over the phone.  You cannot beat that kind of support, and this significantly improves over my original rating of their support.

THE GOOD:

• Map quality
• Nice new (for Palm version) user interface
• 3-D display mode
• Extended routing features such as Via's, alternate routes, detours, etc.
• Smooth scrolling/rotation
• $25 Cheaper than its closest real competition
• UPDATE!  Support moves to "Good"!

THE BAD:

• UPDATE! Installation (see update above for improved installation) is still not the greatest.
• Cannot route across map regions (no coast-to-coast routing)
• Cannot use coordinates as a destination in routing or search for a location.
• Contacts Manager - access to Palm contacts should be embedded in main program

AND THE UGLY:

• UPDATE!  Installation used to be in the UGLY category.  It has gotten better, but it is still BAD.