TomTom GO 930T 43Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator With Traffic Receiver

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Clemencia Fanning says...

I purchased the Tomtom 930 unit about 2 weeks ago and really like it. I have owned and used a Magellan 6000 GPS unit but decided to give the Tomtom a try after my friends told me how well it worked for them.



Likes:

Voices are good

Routing is execellent, much better then my magellan unit

Ability to reroute around 1 road is awesome

Reroute is fast

Much better software than other GPS providers.



Dislikes:

Screen washes out in sunlight

Posted on February 23, 2011

Jaime Buddie says...

Pros:

Much improved trip time estimates

Better routing choices than previous TomTom models

Interface customization options



Cons:

Hard to see screen in bright light

No route optimization

TeleAtlas map accuracy (at least in Florida)

Inability to route to off-road locations

Operating System stability



I've had the 930 since the end of April, running it side by side with a Garmin 760. Overall, it's been a fine performer. But it's also pretty much a 920 with only one real updated feature. . . IQRoutes. TomTom added (via navcore8) historical speed data to the TeleAtlas mapset, greatly improving not only it's estimated trip times but it's routing decisions. Whereas TomTom devices have been among the poorest in drivetime estimates, the 930 is now pretty much dead on for most trips. In fact, my Garmin, which has always had excellent drive time accuracy, now is matched and even sometimes bettered by the 930, depending on time of day. Both units can be trusted in this regard. Routing is also improved. During rush hour, if the TomTom 930 recommends a different route than my nuvi, I tend to go with the TomTom. In the evenings, or at light traffic times, the 760 may be a bit better, tho not always. In fact the 930 and Garmin 760 will now frequently recommend nearly the same route. This is really the only step up feature from the 920 for all practical purposes. The other two touted features, Active Lane Guidance and Static Interchange Images, will rarely, if ever, be seen by most users. In 6 weeks of driving in Central Florida I've seen ALG perhaps three times and Static images never. Not even once. The only users who seem to ever see them are in the countries densest metro areas: San Francisco, Chicago, New York, etc, and no frequency even there. So if these are the features that interest you, buy a TomTom 920 instead (or better yet a Navigon). The hardware, features and performance of the 920 and 930 are otherwise identical. For the current price difference between the 920 and 930, my recommendation is the 920. Just not yet enough difference to justify the extra $150-$200 price premium for the 930. Until IQRoutes takes time of day into consideration in it's route computions, the usefulness is still somewhat limited. Currently the options are three: Mon through Fri / Saturday / Sunday. No time of day or weekday option.



A couple of issues I have with this TomTom are system stability and the TeleAtlas maps. In Florida, at least, the TA map, while very detailed, is much more error-prone than the Navteq maps (used by several others, including Garmin, Google and Magellan). There are a lot of "imaginary" roads, some highways misdrawn, and others no longer existing or misnamed. The maps do appear to reflect many new road additions, but are slow to show corrections to existing roads. This level of error is not seen in my Navteq map, tho it too is far from perfect or all-inclusive.



My 930 has rebooted for no obvious reason on several occasions and required one system reset so far. In contrast I've never had to reset my 760 in nearly 8 months of use and can remember only one spontaneous reboot. The TomTom OS is suspect with regard to stability in my opinion. Speed limits data is seldom seen, unlike my 760 and Navteq's extensive speed limit displays. Map updates have also been somewhat problematic. The only other issues of note are listed at the top of the review, with the screen being the most apparent problem for most users. The Garmin 760 display is very bright with vivid colors and clean text, easily seen in my truck with the brightest sunshine. The TomTom 930 screen is sometimes nearly unreadable under the same conditions. Moving it off the windshield, using an optional vent mount for example, improves the viewing quite a lot.



Voices are very good, not quite the quality of the Garmin voices, but usually a little louder. Some limitations on enunciation , but not enough to cause an issue for most users. The included remote is more of a novelty than truly useful, IMO, as I can touch enter addresses faster than I can with voice entry and with less aggravation. It should be noted tho that the only way to move backwards in the menus is with the remote.



Overall, the 930 is a very good automotive gps, better than my 760 at some things, worse in others, but worthy of consideration, tho the 920 (or nuvi 7x0's) is a better value for the features.

Posted on February 24, 2011

Shira Santoni says...

I am a real estate appraiser in Central California and a long-time Garmin GPS user. After reading an article about the new TomTom 930, I thought I would give it a try as my Garmin was past its prime (its maps were outdated and it took forever to pick up a satellite signal).



I was very excited when my new TomTom 930 arrived a couple of weeks ago. I loved the look and feel of the unit as it appeared to be well made and from quality materials. I quickly downloaded all the most recent firmware/software updates as recommended by other reviewers. I was even more excited when it picked up a satellite signal within seconds of being turned on. The graphics were great and appeared to be more detailed than my old Garmin. However, my initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment when the unit was unable to accurately detect my home location. It had me out in the middle of a field a quarter of a mile away even though my house and street are over 10 years old and are located in an established area. It also had the spelling of my street incorrect and had "circle" instead of "court." This was a sign of things to come.



Although disappointed, I was willing to give the unit a try because everything else seemed OK. Being a residential appraiser and driving to many different addresses in different cities throughout the day, mapping accuracy is a must as you can imagine. I decided to test it by driving to a location that I was familiar with. I knew the optimum route would take only a maximum of 30 minutes. The TomTom routed me the long way which actually took over 45 minutes. The unit seems to have a penchant for highways when many times back roads and side streets are actually much quicker. At least it got me to the right location this time. My next stop, however, was off by three or four city blocks and on the opposite side of a highway. What should have been a 10 minute drive from my previous location actually took over 20 minutes by the time I figured out how to get back across the highway. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the rule and not the exception for the TomTom 930.



Compared to my old Garmin, the accuracy of the TomTom maps and directions are horrible! More often than not, this unit was off by more that a full block which is unacceptable for my profession. And, the routes chosen by the TomTom were consistently longer and more troublesome than one would expect from a highly touted GPS device. Frequently, the unit had no mapping information for residential subdivisions that have been around for 3 or more years. The TomTom 930 has "Map Share" which lets the user update and correct maps and mapping errors among other things. The fact that the TomTom even has this feature says a lot about the accuracy of its maps. Furthermore, why should I have to take the time to make these corrections? This shouldn't be necessary for a $450 "high-end" GPS unit IMO.



As noted in other reviews, the display, which looks great inside, is almost impossible to see in the daylight even when the unit is in the shade. The estimated time of arrival was useless in most cases due the inaccuracy of the TomTom's maps. The remote control is another useless feature unless you are driving from the backseat (think limo). The "points of interest" feature is great but seemed to be dated for the TomTom. For example, a local Home Depot had moved more than two years ago, but the TomTom still had it listed at its old location. I was also very eager to use the voice feature which supposedly allows the user to speak the address instead of physically typing it into the unit. This was unbelievably inaccurate. The only thing it ever got right was the state. Never once did it understand the city or street correctly and this was from the quiet of my living room. I can't imagine how bad it would be from a moving vehicle traveling 70 mph on a highway. Forget about it! I even had my wife try to get it to work but she had no luck either with this worthless feature.



To recap: The TomTom 930 is an attractive well made GPS device with lightening quick satellite reception. But that's it. This unit failed in every other respect according to this reviewer's experience. All the bells and whistles sound great, but if the TomTom 930 can't get you from point A to point B in an accurate and timely manner, what's the point?Needless to say, I sent this TomTom back to Amazon and ordered a Garmin 760 which is about $100 less but has worked flawlessly in the week or so that I have owned it.

Posted on February 25, 2011

Willie Sanosyan says...

I purchased this product for the following reasons.Both North American and European maps included for a reasonable price.The ability to route by shortest distance, lease use and most use of freeways, pedestrian routes and the sleek design.

I unpacked the unit and was happy with the overall interface of the unit and the ability to customize the details that would display on the screen.After that is when it all fell apart.Within a few days I logged on to the Tom-tom web site and began to down load the updates,they included a system update, North American and European map updates.What I quickly discovered was there was not enough room to install the base maps that came with the system on the unit.I called tech support they told me I must be mistaken and the unit must be defective, I should return it for repair.Instead I returned it to Amazon and purchased a replacement.The new unit had the same exact problem, I pushed tech support for a better answer and after a few days I finally got the answer that the updated maps would not fit on the unit as designed.In fact I was told they installed an older version on the units on purpose because they required more than the 4GB worth of memory on the unit.Now even if the last statement is not accurate the fact is, the current maps which were available shortly after release of the unit will not fit.You have to purchase a minimum of a 4 GB SD memory card to install them.Now this in itself is not so awful, even if it is misleading when you purchase the unit. A 4 GB memory card is less than $50.00 but the problem is when you log on to the system you are forced to decide where in memory you want to install map updates or software updates. This is a selection you must make when you first connect to the unit. If you have multiple updates you need to continue to disconnect and reconnect. Then you have to know where you need to apply the changes you want to make.What made this even worse, I removed the 4GB memory card after I applied the European maps and when I reinstalled the card the 930 could not find the maps anymore.By this time I had spent so many hours with tech support getting inconsistent answers I just gave up. Now I think Tom-Tom could easily fix this problem by allowing me to install just the European maps I wanted.They can be purchased as regions if you did not get them with the unit, this would have been an acceptable option since I was not planning on going toRussia or several other countries that were on the base map.I have other suggestions but that would make this review really drag on.

There were a few other problems and limitations that disappointed me as well.I personally think one of the greatest enhancements to come to GPS in the last few years is not the ability to look at your pictures, or play MP3 files.But the ability to have text to speech read you the road and or street names while you are driving.This allows you to keep your eyes on the road and be told the name of the street you need to turn on.The novelty voices do not have text to speech and when you purchase them and load them there is no warning that you will not have this features. In fact at the directions of tech support to increase available memory I mistakenly removed the text to speech voice and could never return it to the unit.

After being frustrated with the unit I went out and purchased a Garmin 880 unit and actually drove with a Garmin 880, Tom-tom 930 and a Magellan 4250 in my windshield.The Magellan does not have European maps available ( or at least that I couldfind).My findings with this were interesting,I learned something that makes the Garmin the best choice of all the GPS units, but what I also discovered is the Tom-Tom had the worst display and the worst information for letting you know the next turn that you had to make in advance.The Magellan was probably the best with advance notice but the Garmin had the best display and road details.The one killer feature that the Garmin has that none of the others on this list have is real time updates of points of interest.What I mean by this is , let's say you are driving down route 95 and you know you will be traveling on this road for the nextseveral miles.You are looking for a restaurant or a hotel.You can choose your options from points of interest and the Garmin will continue to update showing you the direction and distance of all the valid choices.The restaurant or hotel names and distances will continue to change as you drive. Both the Tom-Tom and the Magellan will only show you the current results and you need to start the search over again if you want updated information.This feature alone makes the Garmin the top choice in any GPS unit, imagine you are driving down the road and need the nearest gas station, you search on the Tom-Tom and all the nearest stations are the wrong direction. If you want to keep checking you need to begin the search again.If you have a Garmin you put your search in and as you drive your choices will update.In the end I retuned the Tom-Tom and kept the Garmin 880 which I think was too expensive but I like it and you can get otherGarmin models with similar features for much less.Now all we need is for Garmin to add the two way feature that Dash has to their unit for the perfect GPS.

Posted on February 26, 2011

Tabetha Jennett says...

I bought this about a month ago as my first ever GPS. The mounting and operation are easy, the image crisp, and the voice-overs prompt.



Some things, however, have bugged me:

1) A recently opened section of I-40 in Greensboro, NC, simply does not exist on the latest map I downloaded. I can (somewhat) overlook small road omissions, but a transcontinental interstate?

2) When starting in my garage (where the unit obviously cannot get a satellite signal) it often takes several minutes of driving around to finally pick up a signal, then occasionally loses the newly found signal for some time. This doesn't happen all of the time, and never lasts, but still frustrating.

3) Battery life is very short. Basically, keep it plugged in whenever you're driving around.

4) More of a personal gripe: Your speed is highlighted in red when you're speeding for a little while, even if only by 3 mph. I'm always speeding somewhat, yet always matching the device's estimated arrival; it shouldn't condone my speeding with it's arrival times while condemning it with it's Scarlet MPH.



All in all, however, my first month has been quite a pleasure. The points of interest are great, and I actually find the voice recognition to be moderately accurate.



As far as seeing the screen in daylight, I've not had the same problems as other reviewers. It could be the mounting location--mine is fairly high on the windshield to keep it closer to me; I think that I'm inadvertently allowing less sunlight to hit it as a result. Fortunately, the mount is simply a suction cup that can be remounted again and again.



By far the most impressive feature is the calculation of travel times. I often finish 1-3 hour drives within 2 minutes of the device's estimated arrival.

Posted on February 26, 2011

Elli Demonte says...

[Introduction] I bought this product after much frustration with Garmin Nuvi 370 and could not be happier.Of course 370 is about 100 dollars cheaper (street price wise, although the official price is a lot higher -- I wonder why) and people might say they should not be directly compared.However, functionwise the only difference between the two are (1) screen size and (2) voice input feature availability and since these two add at least 100 dollars value in today's navigation market and since the fundamentals are not affected, I think this head-to-head comparison is fair.As far as I know these two are the only models that come with European maps pre-installed.Below is the review that I put under Garmin Nuvi 370.I simply paste it here for the benefit of full, detailed comparison.If you don't need the review on 370 and simply want a review on 930, I suggest you skip the first half.



Garmin Nuvi 370



There are 3 fatal flows with this product: (1) announcing too late and (2) giving confusing directions at complicated lane guidence situation and (3) taking too long to find satellite initially. I have been testing this product for a month in San Francisco and the Bay area.



(1) announcing too late



When your car is about to pass the intersection at which it is supposed to make a turn, then and only then it announces you to prepare for a turn. I missed so many turns because of the late announcements. It is also incredbly dangerous as you are tempted to attempt last-moment lane changes in order to make the turn. Also the distance to the turn is not that accurate -- when you are almost already at the intersection it shows you are 200 meters away (I changed the measurement setup to meters). SUGGESTION: Certain navigations have a bar-graph showing countdowns to the intersection, and perhaps that's what this navigation must have as well. Also certain navigations ask you to prepare well ahead. Make a customizable setting how long before to make the pre-announcement.



(2) giving confusing directions at complicated lane guidence situation



Time and time again, I missed the right exit on the highway. The map is absolutely no help. The multiple lanes look all overlapped!!! Red lines are cofusing as hell. Annoucement is in this fashion: "Keep to right and then keep to left." What is that supposed to mean and which lane are you supposed to be in? In a fast highway situation, this is incredibly dangerous. I almost got into accidents at many interchanges as I was trying to look both the road signs and my navigation and could not make any sense. SUGGESTION: the map needs major improvement on interchanges -- show us the way!!! Also get rid of "keep to right and then keep to left" style BS for a clearer direction.



(3) taking too long to find satellite initially



If you park your car outside, that would be fine but if you park it in a garage, woe to you. It will take at least 20 blocks to find the satellite and you will be either parking your car on the roadside waiting for godot or meandering down the street without knowing where you are going for very very long time. This is not acceptable. I used other product (magellan) before, and it found the satellite so much quicker. SUGGESTION: technological improvement or better processor.



TomTom 930



[ADDED TO THIS AFTER I BOUGHT TOMTOM GO930 AND TESTING IT FOR A WEEK]



After my much frustration with Garmin NUVI 370, I purchased a Tomtom GO930 from local Best Buy. (The price of TomTom 930 at Best Buy was the same as the price at Amazon at USD 450, although I had to pay the tax.)



Wow, what a difference. That's all I can say. TomTom 930 is a bit more expensive than the street price of Garmin NUVI 370, but is so much better that the price difference is immaterial.



(1) prepare... prepare...



TomTom announces well before each turn and actually tells you on which side of the lane you should be in for the next turn. Incredibly friendly announcements. The arrow direction on the map display shows whether you should be making left or right turn as well. I never missed a single turn thanks to the ample announcements.



(2) guiding complicated lane situation with ease



the roads never appear overlapped like the NUVI 370. If there are five diverging roads, all are clearly shown, with the clear indication where you are and where you should go. Mind you, I haven't seen that many Advanced Lane Guidance screen yet as TomTom advertised (I hear that they don't have this on every intersection yet) but even without this, lane guidance is incredibly clear and easy (they show both on the map and on the status bar with muted arrows and one clear arrow). What a refreshing change from Garmin NUVI 370. The voice direction is a lot more clear and easier to understand as well -- it is as if somebody is actually speaking fine English to me. I never missed the right exit.



(3) lightening fast in finding satellites



It actually finds satellites when I am in my room with 4-5 bars. Need I say more?



(4) extras... extras...



TomTom has voice address input feature that is very useful. There are many situations that you hate to put in long characters (In California there are so many cities starting with San...). Simply pronounce it and the machine finds it for you, including the streets. I find this to be working well about 95% of the time. Also it gives you a few choices so that what you pronounced is almost always among the choices. SUGGESTION: This voice feature is not available for Place Name under Point of Interst (available only for the actual address).



Point of Interest feature in TomTom is incredibly extensive. I tested many restaurants listed in Zagat survey and found out that almost all (even obscure ones under "Best Value") restaurants have been registered in TomTom by names and phone numbers. I did not find that to be the case with Garmin NUVI 370 (I actually had to type in the exact address under my favorites). This makes inputing job so much easier. I typed in "Marshalls" under Point of Interest in Sunnyvale, and TomTom returned 7 results, some of them are as far away as San Jose, Mipitas, etc. Again, not so with Garmin.



Downloading updates and changes through computer seems painless and efficient as well. Works perfectly and took about 3 minutes to get the latest updates. Again, Garmin NUVI 370 does not have this feature. I don't know how actually useful the updates would be, but it is assuring that I am using the latest whatever.



Time estimation in TomTom is so much more accurate than Garmin. I found Garmin to be always a bit on the optimistic side (ie I never actually arrived as Garmin estimated especially in a city traffic). I don't know if it is because of the IQ Routes feature of TomTom but the timing estimate seems to be right on and there is little need for any traffic subscription service.



CONCLUSION: I will be updating this review to find any shortcoming of TomTom 930 (and I am sure there will be many) but so far it seems that TomTom is a very clear winner and fully justifies the extra USD 100. If you are looking for a navigation that includes both American and European maps, I guess your choices will be cleary limited: you would have to go for either the Garmin NUVI 370 or the TomTom GO 930, and my recommendation would be the latter -- not for the extra features but mainly for the basic abilities that I listed earlier in this review.



ADDED Later: I have been using TomTom for some time now, and again the fundamental qualities are excellent. In addition to reliable guidance, I find the voice address input feature truly useful and accurate. I use it all the time.



Another incredibly useful feature is the initial preview of the whole route (Garmin Nuvi 370 does not do this).When I used Garmin 370, I did not even know highway 280 existed since it almost always guided me through 101!However, with TomTom 930, at the outset I have the chance to view the entire route, pick and choose any alternative routes from it. This is just so convenient.280 may be a tad bit longer route, but it has much less traffic than 101, with much better road conditions and scenic views, and just whole a lot better than 101 -- I can't believe Garmin simply never showed it to me!



However, here are a few suggestions to make TomTom better: (1) "Clear Address" is not immediate. If you want to clear the previous address input, you have to touch the screen a few times. This is not convenient. There must be an instant way to clear address. (2) Occasionally (bur very rarely) it misses U-turns. (3) When you turn off the ignition, it does not automatically turn off (unlike Garmin). You must push the button on top. This is not very convenient.

Posted on February 26, 2011

Denise Drumheiser says...

I purchased TomTom 930 today, and I am writing this review after driving about 60 miles with it. I also went to a local BestBuy and compared the interface with a Garmin.



TomTom 930's software has a few revolutionary features which makes it superior to any Garmin:

* MapShare let's you correct the map, and share the corrections with many other TomTom users. This makes TomTom superior to Garmin, given that many people in your neighborhood use TomTom. Unfortunately, it seems that not that many people use TomTom in the US, as the map still has many errors.

* IQ Routes is also revolutionary. TomTom automatically collects information from all drivers on the average speed at different times of day on any road, and uses this database to determine the best route to take. This is really high-tech software, not matched by any Garmin.

* Every time you connect to the PC, TomTom downloads the positions of the satellites in your area. This allows finding satellites much faster than Garmin.

* TomTom has many bells and whistles that make Garmin devices seem dumb. It's software is quite intelligent and well packaged, and very dependable and useful.



Everything good so far, but TomTom fails in 2 major areas:



The USA map supplied by Teleatlas is less accurate than Garmin's Navteq. This can be quite an annoyance, because it results in inaccurate routing. For example, TomTom did not know that I can make a U-turn on El Camino Real, Mountain View, California, thus it came up with a routing that lead me through an intersection very far from my destination, to avoid U-turns. Also, TomTom can be a few blocks away from your destination, since it may not have the correct house numbers on the street you are going to. I found the navigation to be quite good until you actually get close to destination, where it can lead you in circles because it misses features of the local neighborhood.



On the other hand, TomTom is much better than Garmin on the European maps. There is really no contest here: TomTom wins hands down for Europe, and if you are planning to get one for your next trip to Europe (like I do), get one!



The other way in which TomTom falls short compared to Garmin is the display. Garmin's is a pleasure to look at, being much much brighter, with antialiased roads, and a good color scheme. TomTom looks dull in comparison, and the road edges are pixelated and jagged. Unfortunately, this may be a deal breaker for many, as Garmin's screen does make people fall in love with it.

Posted on March 1, 2011

Ja Tricomi says...

I've owned Garmin's for more than 5 years and I currently own a NUVI 760. I've heard the great news about the TOMTOM 930 with IQROUTES, lane guidance, and the HOME feature so I decided to buy the 930 so I can give it a spin and compare it to the NUVI 760 with MSN DIRECT.



TOMTOM Pluses:

Arrival time -

The arrival time with IQROUTES are MORE accurate than Garmin's. The NUVI keeps updating the arrival time during the trip. I compared the arrival time from the start and the TOMTOM was more accurate. TOMTOM is constantly collecting the travel times and updating their database. When you sign in to the HOME program the IQroutes from your trips are uploaded to the TOMTOM server.



Routes:

If anyone writes a review about a GPS and states that routes are 100% accurate then they are lieing, I have not found the perfect GPS with perfect routes.

The routes on both the 930 and the NUVI 760 have been identical. With the 930 I see minutes left on the trip, time left, and arrival time. I can even tell the 930 what time I would like to arrive at my destination.I can AVOID any of the roads on my trip. You CANNOT avoid roads on the NUVI 760.



TRAFFIC:



I'm using traffic on the 930 through my ATT Tilt phone and it seems to work and it is accurate. It uses my Tilt to access the traffic on the TOMTOM server through the Internet. If you have cell coverage you should have traffic data.

MSN Traffic on the 760 is not accurate and the avoidance feature does not work that well. The bad thing about the MSN Direct feature is that it does not have good range. I live in Chicago and the service does not work in many of the outlying suburbs.



PLUSES:

Iqroutes are more accurate than the NUVI.

Lane guidance works in my area.

Avoiding roads on your trip.

Being able to correct street names, closed streets, one ways, and many other errors is a big plus.

Traffic works well.

The GPS chip has not lost reception. I've lost the signal numerous times on the NUVI.

More information on the 930 screen than on the 760.



TOMTOM minuses:

The screen is hard to see in sunlight.

The maps are not bad since I loaded the Garmin map look on the 930. I even have the magenta route line on my 930.

The battery does not last more than 1 hour.

The Text to speech does not work all the time. The street names are not pronounced as good as the NUVI.

You don't get the constant reminders that the NUVI 760 provides. Sometimes I don't think that I drive the 930 with my eyes close. With the 760 you can close your eyes and not miss a turn.

I cannot locate an address by ANY city like the NUVI. Sometimes the 930 cannot locate an address if it thinks it's in a different city. You have to input the surrounding city names to get the correct address and route.

Posted on March 4, 2011

Fern Kealohanui says...

I've owned the 930T for about a month. First, I was totally impressed with Crutchfield and Amazon's delivery. I had the 930T in my hands the day after my estimated ship date, wow. The box had everything I needed, as advertised - car power adapter, traffic antennae, windshield mount, PC cradle and USB connector, remote, and the 930T. The unit seems well constructed, solid, but not heavy. The screen coating is anti-glare, and fingerprints wipe off easily from the screen and the whole device using amicrofiber cloth (not included). The windshield mount is high quality, suction is great (and removes easily) and the square head snaps into the 930T quickly. The remote feels comfortable in my hand and works well once you play around with it a while.

I live in PA and travel to NYC and surrounding CT area regularly, so the traffic antennae is very important to me. The map data (I've had one free update already, no issues with the download) seems to be good. I've only had two occasions where there was supposed to be a street, but the street was no longer there. Both times I kept driving and the 930T quickly gave me corrections to go around and find another route. One other time it took me to an address in a business park that was off by about 1/4 mile...I found my way with little effort since I was close. Other than these three events, the map data has been spot on. The GPS acquisition is very fast, within seconds of turning it on, I have 8-10 satellites and no noticeable drift. The traffic data is really amazing, quick updates, shows how far away the congestion is from you, how long the delay is, and asks if you want to avoid each delay. It has saved me several major headaches with the traffic I experience in the Northeast. I have not really tested the battery for more than 1 hour as I typically have it plugged-in. Visibility - no issues, the brightness is manually adjustable or automatic. Sound - no issues, loud enough even with the sunroof open, and the FM transmitter works as advertised. Voice address input is nifty, but I don't use it much as I typically plan my routes the day before. I love the ability to find a place in Google Maps, then send it to the 930T when it is connected to your PC. It pops into your Favorites without typing any address info, very cool and a real time saver. Also while connected to your PC you can manage your Favorites (rename/delete) and type other addresses into it, download POI's, share map data, update maps, change preferences, and basically operate the 930T using your PC keyboard and mouse.

So what's the downside? My only slight problem is with the bluetooth. I can't get it to sync with my Blackberry 8703. Since my car has bluetooth also, that's not a real problem most of the time. However, my wife's car does not have bluetooth, so I would like to get the 930T bluetooth working for that reason. I know the 930T bluetooth does work though, as it will sync with my wife's Treo.

By comparison, I used the Garmin 770 for two weeks of travel in Europe, but thought it had enough flaws to keep me from buying it. Overall, I really like the TomTom 930T and in my opinion, is the best GPS on the market today. By other comparisons though, it seems some people have had issues with it. Like all technology, satisfaction can be subjective, and one bad experience can ruin the whole outlook on a product. For me, the 930T serves my needs very well, and if you choose it also, I hope your experience is just as positive. Happy motoring...and stay out of the left lane unless you're passing (my friendly European-inspired driving tip).

Posted on March 6, 2011

Jackelyn Wickliffe says...

Hello,

I have recently moved in USA and it is a big challenge to drive in USA w/out efficient and reliable GPS. As soon as I landed, I bought Tomtom 930 because Tomtom is very famous in Europe. Just recently, I have bought Garmin 680 for my wife and I have been using for for 3 days and can make proper evaluation despite time is short to make an accurate evaluation:

PROS and CONS of Tomtom 930 & Garmin 680

1. Tomtom is a lot more user friendly with remote control.

2. You can find the locations with Zip Codes (I have not seen such spec in Garmin yet at least)

3. Tomtom's guidance is a lot better in complex areas (And with Lane help, it is even better).

4. Tomtom's map is not as good as Garmin's at least for USA. Garmin can find more destinations and more side streets. Tomtom is great only if you don't need every single street in each and every city.

5. Garmin has a lot better view on the screen when compared to Tomtom. It is more clearer and tells you on the screen the next street you must take and the distance left. I may feel it complicated on Tomtom's screen because I am color blind. So, suggest you do not rely on this evaluation too much.

6. EPT is a great feature for Tomtom which guides you even there is no satellite reception. However, this feature sometimes crashes and turns the device off.

7. Tomtom follows different ways for the same origin and destinations. It is so strange but I do not really know the reason.



Last but not least, Tomtom is a great product with great features when compared to Garmin 680. However, if your occupation is sales like me, you need Garmin to find where you need to go in all details. But, Garmin's features are a lot less than Tomtom's. I wish there was a GPS which compiles all pros together in one device. You should also compare the price difference between two devices I own.

Posted on March 6, 2011