TomTom GO 920T Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator With Traffic Receiver

Posted In: Assist To Sell

Stacy Friddle says...

I have used several different GPS systems over the years and I knew what I was looking for. Something easy to setup, easy to navigate and easy to see.

The Tom Tom 920T does all that and more. Right out of the box and a couple of touches on the screen and away you go.

The update process is easy as well. It comes with a docking station to hook to your computer and updates are done...

After looking at all the others, this is the best that I could find. I would suggest purchasing this to anyone looking for a good system.

Posted on December 23, 2010

Salvatore Qazi says...

This is my first TomTom and but not my first GPS units.



I asked for and received this as a Christmas present but I found many things I didn't like about it in the first few days and have since returned the unit for the following reason.



1) I really wanted the remote control that came with this unit. I have one on my old Garmin 2610 and use it all the time. The TomTom 920T remote will not allow you to pan the map. It's very limited in what it can do.

2) I wanted voice control but this unit still requires you to hit buttons after giving a voice command.

3) I wanted to try real traffic updates but the traffic recieve antenna is a 5 foot long black wire that I would have had to drape across my dash.

4) The POI features are both limited and just plain wrong in many case. If I search for a beach I got towns with the word beach in their names and I couldn't even search for restaurant by type of food like I could with my old Garmin.

5) For three days I was unable to access TomTom support either by phone or the automated web support. (I know it was just after Christmas but Garmins support site was running fine)

6) My last big issue is that it can just route poor. I tried all the settings and it still sent me the wrong way (and no it's not just my opinion, some, not all, routes were stupid). I had no confidence in the unit to send somewhere when I didn't know where I was going.



The unit did look good and was very "customizable". It could get you where you are going but not the always by the best route. I was hoping that I could download TomToms latest software at the TomTom site but after three days of their support site being down I choose to return the system.

Posted on December 23, 2010

Cherry Gilchrest says...

Comparing this to a top of the line installed Alpine unit I have had in my SUV for 4 years.....The TomTom takes non direct routing on a number of my favorite destinations compared to my Alpine. Deleting the route at end of travel is klutzy by having to go through multiple screens, this feature should be available on the 'quick menu'. Graphicsand audio are good. Don't need the bluetooth phone or music capability/features that this unit and many others tout. C'mon guys, provide more/better features as a GPS unit! Most of us already have music players (Ipod/Zunes are already great!)and the newer cars (like Ford's Sync which is fantastic) take care of playing music and syncing blue tooth phones in the car's audio system. I think the way this unit is sold by touting 'real-time' traffic is misleading since you have to have an expensive monthly data plan on a cell phone. I'm not even sure the TMC traffic system really works...I've been driving with this unit for a month and have yet to see a warning about traffic tieups on my usual routes yet they still are happening....Have tried manually tuning different TMC stations locally but all with same lackluster results. The unit did a great job on a long distance trip from St. Louis to Las Vegas, very accurate on timing, etc. and very accurate maps. The TomTom is a lot of unit for the money compared to the competition's same style models.

Posted on December 24, 2010

Jessenia Kljucaric says...

Where to begin on this thing?

Basics probably ... the windshield mount will not stick to the windshield :O !

Clean with alcohol, both windshield and cup and change in temperature the thing will come crashing down.. STRIKE ONE!

I figured that if the unit was as good as the TOMTOM site makes it look I could get a better mount, but as everything else the devil is in the details so this detail shouldve told me I was in for trouble.

But, what is it you want from a GPS? Get from me here to there efficiently and if something comes up , give me some alternatives.

Well this is just the biggest piece of wasted technology I have ever seen in my life. First the user interface is DISMAL. To achieve some function you must navigate through up to 6 screens (there is a forward arrow but you can not go back) NICE engineering!

Now to the basics .. I entred my home address as HOME and my work address as a favorite. (that was the best I could say about the unit .. it found both addresses to the t in record time.

Now comes the troubles : I set a route from my home (in Queens NY) to work In Woodbury LI.

First trouble it insits in asking me that there is an HOV line on this trip! Well knowing the shortest route from a built in Pioneer I have in another car I know there is not an HOV on this trip! But I skip ahead and accept this as an idiosyncratic thing. One nice feature you can see a line by line text detail of the trip, and here comes the surprise.

This thing is sending me through a maze of a combination expressways and side streets, that not in zillion years Iwould even considered. (As I read on another comment this unit seems to have something going with the Whitestone Bridge!)well This not being my fave route. I press 4 keys to go back ask for another route. nothing, things get worse . the fastest and shortest trip is never displayedso I give up on HOME to WORK.

Now I try WORK to HOME to see how this does. Guess what? it is even worse.! It sends me all the way through I495 towards Manhattan, gets me on the VanWyck Expressway , gets me into Kennedy airport , gets me out of Kennedy airport , makes me exit to a side street about 10 miles from my house and then back into the Belt Parkway , where it makes me exit 2 exits before I should've exit (17W) . I went through this time after time and not once did it even get close to giving me the shortest or fastest trips .Since I am setting this inside the garage with 5 satellites shooting down I took a chance and accepted one of the wacky trips, the moment I headed to the car and before I even connected the unit , it started giving me turn instructions !!!!!and once the instruction is give, this thing thinks you are where it thinks you should be.

All in all a very nice web site with lots ofgoodies to spend you time and a lot of social networking but as a NAVIGATOR this thing is just horrendous and I have not even mentioned the 3D graphics .. awful! The "extra graphics are as if drawn by a 5 year old with a crayola (just try t change the icon for your car!



How TOMTOM has developed such a loyal following is beyond comprehension. I can see people who are not technically oriented being frustrated, but I actually design electronic gear for a living and I was totally baffled as to WHO would release this product to the market.



Oh , for those who may volunteer I had a defective unit .. I did not I tried 3!

As an aside I stopped at Staples and tried a Magellan (just for kicks since I haven't read anything good about it) and this thing picked the right routes both to and from work on first choice.Go figure.

So if you buy into the cool commercials and all the "MAPUPDATE" online sell pitch beware, the hyperboleis a lot better than the product.

Posted on December 25, 2010

Rory Kaczynski says...

I purchased this over two weeks ago at Best Buy, here in Los Angeles for $599.99! Yes folks, thanks to Best Buy's notorious price difference on the web and in their infamous intranet, I made them honor what I saw at home on my computer! And yes, this was for the TomTom 920T!



It is slimmer, lighter, nicer and loaded with more features than any other portable GPS device in the market! Functions within the TomTom 920T are very similar to other models. I upgraded from the 910 and did notice some very good changes in its software, and in its ability to do a bit more configuration than on the TomTom 910.



One of the things that I like the most, aside from its new redesigned shape was its ability to search for different POI's (Points Of Interest) with better matching results while at the same time providing you a lot of additional information, such as distance, physical address, map overview, phone number (if available) and yes, the ability to dial it directly.



By the way, this is something that Garmin GPS devices have always been able to do, including searching restaurants by food type, e.g. Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc. With the exception of this last search feature, I do believe that the new TomTom takes it one step further, which is good.



This upgraded feature is very important, because as most TomTom users know, previous versions of TomTom POI search, would just result in a long list of POI's matching what ever you input and nothing more. For example, if you typed Best Buy, you would get a list of all Best Buy stores in the county, but without any distance information, map preview, address or phone number!



This would obviously force you to route each resulting POI one by one, until you finally obtained the one that you really wanted, which was a waste of time! Well, not any more and I am very glad that TomTom made this very necessary upgrade!



Here is a list of things that I noticed:



The light sensor gone from the top and now sitting very discreetly in the front.



The remote control has been improved and is now Bluetooth.



It seems to me that it is somewhat faster in performing any commands faster than its predecessor.



Accepting spoken directions is a plus and has worked well for me so far, no complaints.



The screen is huge and seems to have been improved, because I now can see everything much better than on the previous model in bright sunny days.



The speaker sounds fragile with the default voice, compared to the 910, but sounds much better with a human voice and the music sounds great!



You can now hear all instructions through your car speakers by tuning it to an empty radio station. I tried it, but did not like it at all, too much static and sound is extremely low, could be because I live in downtown Los Angeles.



The included RF transmitter is a winner, it is very accurate in obtaining traffic data and I notice that it does so upon turning it on and it updates itself periodically as I am driving. However, it would have been better if they would have built it into the unit in order to avoid another wire from hanging from the unit.



Phone integration is great and fast, the sound quality is very good and I have been told by people who I call that it sounds very good. I make and receive between 200 to 300 calls a day, so this is a plus! Unfortunately, it does not sync well with my Palm Treo 750, so I miss out on many other TomTom extra features that requre my cell phone in order to be able to obtain data, such as weather information, map downloads, gas prices, etc.



I also do notice that its ability not to lose signal is improved, which is good, since as I have already mentioned, I live in downtown LA.



The included software is also great and much better than previous versions of TomTom Home.



What's in the box? The TomTom 910, the RF transmitter, car charger, windshield cradle, desktop cradle, remote control, software and manuals.



All in all it is a great GPS unit, very nicely and intelligently designed and the only reason I do not give it a 5 is because of the use of an external RF transmitter, instead of a built in one and lack of important travelling tools, such as those found in several of the Garmin units.



I feel that TomTom, given their current market share and being so strong in Europe should include different measurement and currency conversion tools, as well as a different language translator and a virtual tour guide program similar to those found in several of the Garmin units.



This thing fits in the pocket of your shirt! If I were sightseeing in France, I would want to have access to these types of tools!



However, to be fair, the new TomTom 920T does include a several great features not found in other units, specifically the Help Me feature which, will assist you in many emergencies such as in letting you know where you are, instruct you where to walk to your closest emergency assistance point or even guide you in applying first aid!



I highly recommended to anyone and I do hope that TomTom will improve their already magnificent product with the suggestions that I have made, maybe one day TomTom will team up with Google and provide similar information as MSN does for the Garmin NUVI.

Posted on December 25, 2010

Joel Weisenstein says...

I had researched for a long time before I choose to go with the TomTom 920T.I wanted it because it had all the extras that I like and might use.Sure Garmin had some extras but for the money I thought this was the best.

Now after having it for awhile I am pleased to say that it is a great GPS.It has some features that were never mentioned that I was worried it wouldn't have like the ability to save your current GPS position so you can come back to it later.Also it has the ability to enter in actual coordinates incase you ever want to go Geo caching. I love the Traffic feature although in a lot of cases traffic is unavoidable but at least this way you know what to expect.

Two things it lacks that are small that I wish it had.In order to cancel a route I think it is lame that you have to move through a couple screens just to cancel your route you would think it would be up in the front of the controls.And I wish it had a base that was mounted in your car that it clipped into rather than pulling the wires off each and every time you take it in and out of the car.Why not leave them hooked to a base that the GPS plugs into like Magellan.

The traffic antenna sticks to the windshield I thought it would be more annoying but it isn't bad if you have the TMC.

For the most part I love it.I love how you can record you own voices which I did of my kids and their cute voices give me seamless directions to where ever I want.You can download a lot of voices off the internet for free at some sites.The GPS connection is amazing I can even track them in my house as long as I am in site of a window no matter if I can see the sky or not.

I love the voice ability to speak the address you are going to.However if you're going to make a GPS were you can speak the address make is so I can say ok or route at the end rather than tap the ok button.I mean why go through that whole process and make me hit one button at the end.Other than that it picks up my voice and is more accurate than I ever would have expected.

It has a thousand more features that I was not expecting that are pluses that I never thought it would have but the list is too long to name.

Ifyou have the means I would pick one up.

Posted on December 26, 2010

Detra Weiskopf says...

I did my research on a new GPS after my Navigon 5000 died in less than 6 months from purchase.My requirements were simple;



1. A good GPS unit.

2. User friendly interface with aesthetically pleasing design, maps and interface.

3. US and Europe maps because I am in the Air Force stationed in Germany and travel frequently back to the states.

4. TMC-RDS traffic capability which is free and robust throughout Europe

5. European speed camera POI database



Homework.My research to include user ratings narrowed my choice down to two units; the TomTom GO 920T and the Garmin Nuvi 660.The main reason I went with the TomTom GO 920T besides getting it on sale for over $200 off tomtom's MSRP were its features and design that met more of my requirements.I have had my TomTom GO 920T for 2 days now and am overall very happy with my purchase but I wanted provide some good-bad data points for you to consider prior to purchasing yours.



Good.The TomTom GO 920T is an awesome looking unit that is well constructed.The window mount (compared to my Navigon 5000) is very simple, sturdy, stylish, and small, it secures the GPS unit with very well and with ease.The software provided, exceeded my expectations (again in comparison to my Navigon), it allows you to update your maps, POI database, software, download voices and choose your GPS user preferences like your home location, but it's operation is somewhat glitchy (see bad in the next para.).The desktop cradle is very good quality and allows easing charging/syncing with my computer and the internet.The TMC-RDS is awesome here in Europe and a must have once you get the right antenna (see bad para.)The GPS sync took about 3 minutes the first time turned it on but only takes 30-45 seconds on average for subsequent startups.The user preference menu is awesome and very extensive allowing you to set up the quick reference menu and bottom menu bar how you want them to look and feel.When you press the GPS strength bar it displays the battery meter, number and strength of satellites signals receiving and lat/long coordinates that you can display in mins/secs and decimal format.The "help me" icon is truly amazing, it displays verbatim "I am on xxxxx street between xxxxx street and xxxxx boulevard"; awesome when you might be in shock from an accident and need to phone this info in.It also offers a few other sub-menu icons like walk to or drive to the closest hospital, public tranpo, police station, auto repair, gas station, vet, etc.The enhanced positioning Technology is awesome,this allows your GPS unit to keep your position moving down the road and voice upcoming turns even when you don't have a GPS signal, like in a tunnel.You normally only find this feature in GPS units that are built into the car.



Bad.When I put the TomTom GO 920T to the test for the first time, everything worked great except the TMC-RDS feature.I plugged in the antennal that came in the box and a message came up on the GPS screen stating "the TMC antenna was not compatible with the map selected".Like I stated earlier, I am stationed in Germany so the Europe map was being displayed.So I called the TomTom 1-866 number and explained the problem.They said that because I purchased the unit from a US vendor, the system comes with a US TMC antenna that works on a different frequency than the one in Europe.They said that if I wanted TMC-RDS traffic updates in Europe, I would have to purchase a European capable antenna.So for an additional $60, I now have both antennas.Buyers Beware - there are 2 separate antennas and you will have to purchase the other one you don't have if you travel between continents.The European antenna costs about half the price of the US one.So if you want both, I would recommend buying the 920T US version.I highlighted to TomTom customer support that I felt this was misleading and false advertising because nowhere is it stated anywhere on the TomTom website, the box or literature provided with the unit does it state that there is a US frequency antenna and a Europe frequency antenna.They didn't seem to really care and said I could purchase the European antenna if I wanted TMC-RDS in Germany.Bad customer relations if you ask me.

Like I stated in the good paragraph, the software that I loaded on my computer had quite a few glitches the first time I used it.When syncing it with my TomTom, I received multiple error codes but most were actually solved by selecting the back key and letting the software restart.Somewhat annoying considering the price of this unit but still workable.Other bads; no case, I purchased a third party case, a Covertec Universal GPS Nylon and Neoprene case for GPS with 4.3" LCD - Size 3" for $19.99, it's a great, high quality case that doesn't appear to have the same "zipper problems" user reviews highlighted a flaw in the TomTom case.



Other/Summary.There a lot of gadgets on this device that I will probably never use, like the remote (I mean come on people the thing is within arm reach), picture viewer, MP3 player.I will probably try out the FM transmitter and Bluetooth phone sync eventually but it's not why I bought this GPS.I bought it because it is truly the best GPS device that had all the features I wanted and then some.So in conclusion, I highly recommend the TomTom GO 920T, I am more than satisfied and my wife loves its ease of use.

Posted on December 27, 2010

Alene Morgado says...

PRO: The unit navigates well and find the satellites quicker then competition.

smoother refresh then competition and I like the graphics.

The unit feels well built

CONS: I purchased my unit from the US but TOMTOM is misleading on there advertisements that do not disclose everything. I assumed my unit will work in Europe just as in the US. Well that is not the case.

1) Voice address input: If you purchased your unit in the US, the voice input only works in the North America maps. Your unit will not have the voice address input capabilities for the Europe map. I contacted support and they said that I need to delete the North America map voice address input files and install the Europe voice input files. I asked why not both are on there? Well I came to find out that the internal 4Gig flash card is not enough to hold both. So you have to do this fix manually each time you change maps between Europe or North America. Delete a set of files and replace with the other set and vice-versa each time you travel between Europe or North America.

2) Since my unit is purchased in the US, the Traffic cable (RDS-TMC) only works in the US and not in Europe. I have to purchase another Traffic cable (RDS-RMC) for Europe.

None of this is disclosed and I believe these are a combination of false advertisement on the box for item 1 and 2...and a design software flaw for item 1 above.

3) Competition build-in speaker sound quality is much better then the 920T

In the US, this opens the company to potential lawsuits. Hopefully TOMTOM will do the right thing to correct the information on the boxes and website and offer the current owners some kind of compensation since the unit does not do everything it says it does.

Posted on December 29, 2010

Maryanne Brownfield says...

Luckily I saw a video review of all the top navigation systems and it was a toss up.So I went with the TomTom GO 920T.What a sweet little device.I love that I don't have to reach for it do anything.It has a remote for that.This allowed me to mount it way down at the bottom of the windshield where it only blocks a small view of your hood.And the fact that you can give verbal queues to select a destination is great.You can also record your own voice for the common verbal command that it gives you for following a route.

My biggest surprise was when the iPhone on my hip rang, I picked up the remote and pressed the button to answer, and I was talking hands free through the GPS to my iPhone.For short trips, I don't even have to plug it in thanks to the built in battery.And features galore!If you are looking for a really great GPS with all the bells and whistles, this is it.You will absolutely love it.

Posted on December 29, 2010

Tonisha Blauman says...

EDIT #2:



I won't alter the original review below. But I want to put a final summary at the beginning:



Get a Garmin and save yourself a lot of headache and frustration and awful user interface. Get a Garmin if you like knowing which side of the road your destination is, and getting really good POIs, and better customer service, better everything really.



I will never get another TomTom again. I can't change the number of stars now, If I could, I'd give this a 1 now. I've never reset anything so many times to get it working.





ORIGINAL REVIEW:



I used to have a Garmin Nuvi 350 (older and cheaper) which got lost so I bought this figuring both TomToms and Garmins would be good choices and this was a good chance to try the other company! (I can't help compare this to my old Garmin because that was my first GPS unit and I liked it).



Observations in no particular order:

-You can only save 48 favorite locations (I have no idea why). If you have too many favorites, you can save them as POIs but then when you want to navigate to these points, you have to pick the state and city first and then the POI instead of just a favorite. (You can create your own POI category and call it "friends" and put favorites in it but it's more work)

-I really like that I can set it to ask me if I want to take the fastest or shortest route every time I put a route in. This is really nice if something is near and you don't want it to tell you to go to major roads to get there. This option was buried in the Garmin and was aa pain to get to every time.

-I really like the avoid the toll roads feature

-The Mac support isn't as good. I have a Mac and the software is up to version 1.6 on the Mac and 2.1 on Windows. I had to find a Windows machine to be able to set a password on it. I realize the Mac version is on it's way but it's just unprofessional of them to say it works with Mac when it's not as good.

-I like the Garmin better for finding gas stations while you're on the road. The Garmin would show you the list and point an arrow which direction it's at and how far. The TomTom is a bit strange.

-It finds satellites really, really fast, and if they are lost it estimates where you are based on your speed.

-The POIs are also strange. I won't say which is better but both units found POIs the other didn't. The Garmin was better organized.

-It works well with my phone and iPod and FM transmits to my car all at the same time.

-It has light and sound sensors and adjusts itself accordingly.

-The SD card slot is sealed up with a "No SD required" sticker.

-The display is very nice.

-Maps update incrementally when you connect it to a computer.

-If you use the provided antenna for traffic, it's free (I'm not sure if that's true with Garmins, I really don't know for sure, I just got that impression from the Garmin specs).

-It feels well built.

-It doesn't have an accessory that just sits on the dashboard, all the mounts are suction or adhesive.

-Garmin's user interface is better. This isn't bad though.

-Having to reroute because of an obstacle or finding alternat routes is better on the TomTom though.



THE REMOTE: I did a number on the remote trying to open it to put the batteries in. Push the little tab FORWARD (toward the front), then INWARD (toward the face of the remote). The tab is part of the face of the remote so pushing it in will push out the faceplate. Because of the lack of careful instructions and my anger and frustration I really marred the tab.



This would be perfect if it had WiFi buit in so it didn't depend on a specific computer platform or having data plans with cell phone providers to update maps. Or if it could pair with a computer via bluetooth since it's in there already. With such a big price tag they should have either had more than 4 GB of memory that's already almost full out of the box or kept the SD card slot for more memory (as the other reviewer was saying about voice recognition in different areas).



I like it, and I'm glad I got it, but if I had to buy another GPS (which I hope isn't anytime soon!) I would get a Garmin instead.



EDIT:

I had to go to go to Chicago and downtown Detroit (I've never been to either city before).

-I'm convinced it tried to kill me in Detroit. I'd get on a freeway from the left and immediately it wanted me to take the exit on the right 3 lanes across...

-It doesn't tell you whether you destination is on the left or right. So I'm in the middle of the city and it tells me I've arrived and I have no idea which lane I should have been in or which way I should go. I really missed my old Garmin in this regard.

-Avoiding Toll roads worked like a charm.

-The same port is used for the iPod and the traffic antenna. I couldn't use both at the same time.

-The iPod volume is a lot lower than the instructions to the point where if I want to listen the iPod at a hearing level, I get blasted with instructions because it's SO much louder. I can't seem to control it.

-There is no way to get the destination address from the unit. I had my friend's address in there as a favorite. It told me I was there but it wasn't exactly right (which is ok, no GPS is exactly right) but I didn't have the address handy and it wouldn't show me the address. So I was parked on the street trying to find my friend's address on my laptop instead. (Again Garmins do better in this regard).



The new mac software (v2) has been released but it still would not back up the unit because of some error so I manually copied the content to my computer (I hope this is a good way to be able to restore it if something happens). I still can't operate it from the mac to change the password for example.



I have since learned that password protecting the unit is useless since a thief can just replace the files on it and doesn't need to know the password.



I hope this is helpful to you.

Posted on January 1, 2011