TomTom 1M00.981 GO 920T Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator with Traffic Receiver

I purchased this product because I wanted to try the new "traffic reporting" feature. I never got there!

Twice the Tom Tom told me to go in the wrong direction off the highway. I was testing it in familiar territory. If I had not known where I was, it would have told me "off route" and I would not have known why I was turning around.

The system defaulted to MUTE and each time I turned off the car it went silent. I had to go into the system tools, a cumbersome task, and turn on the speech each time.

I returned this product and bought another Garmin with which I am very happy.

I am really impressed with this GPS. I've used my Dell Axim in the past with Mapopolis. They went out of business so I needed something new. After a friend of mine bought a cheaper Tom Tom, I looked at what was out there, and I wanted the voice commands after I saw it. It is a little quirky at first, but I wouldn't trade it now. I also love the remote control.

The only things that I wish worked better were:

1. The FM transmitter - in a vehicle with the antenna in the front of the car works well, but if it's in the back of the car you can forget it.

2. It doesn't recognize my Motorola i880 (Nextel) It will make calls from the phone, but will not update traffic with it or import the phonebook.

Overall, I love it.

we have used this tomtom on several trips already and are quite happy with the unit. It is easy to use and clear in giving directions. We much prefer our tomtom over the gps in our car.

Very powerful, an excellent choice with good navigation. Only one thing missed : Mexico maps.

I'got previously a Viamichelin (many mistakes and long time to acquire gps) and now Viamichelin has left the gps market (no more support, no new maps). I tried Mio (no comment, forget it, you will never be able to read the screen on sunny days). I finally go to Tomtom in order to get North American and Europe maps. Good product, very short waiting time for gps acquisition, accurate and precise. I've bought the 920. Important things to mention :

- after updating a 920 with v8 maps, you have got a 930 !

- if you buy the T version (with TMC) in US, your antenna won't work in Europe and vice versa. If you want to use TMC on both sides, you need 2 antennas (which are physically identical, so don't mix them or it will be a mess !).

- I travel a lot. I can use it in Singapore, Hong-Kong, Australia etc. but you don't have maps of Mexico and Malaysia (that Garmin has). It's a pity.

- remote control is a gadget except if you have a very big car...

- no home charger, no case provided. It's a pity.

- software is very simple to use. You will never be lost !

- some map mistakes, but very good improvements with map share. These improvements are depending on the size of the community : in Europe, maps are perfect due to the large number of users (TT is #1). In US, maps are perfectible and it will take some time which could be short if their products are well sold. No need to buy an updated map, sounds good !

- bluetooth hands free works very well.

- voice recognition exists but forget it (gadget which doesn't work while driving).

Conclusion : quite perfect, reliable, always working (no bugs)... Only one improvement for future : Mr Tomtom, provide more maps, please !

I'm generally happy with this product, except that the restaurants are not categorised. For example, I cannot ask TOMTOM to "Show me only Japanese restaurants around me."

I travel all over the US and Canada delivering vehicles to many addresses and a GPS takes all the stress out of the job.

I've got to admit, the main reason I bought this was the remote. I'd have likely purchased a Garmin had they not stopped including remotes. I've had a Garmin 2610 for over 3 years and loved it, but the touch screen went on mine and I had to have another GPS.

When I first got the TomTom I didn't think I would like it. The interface is not as easy or intuitive as the Garmins, the remote is not as functional. Then after using it for about 6 months it's sort of grown on me. You tend to learn how to work it.

I've been able to switch the menus around so that they're handier by using a program available on the web. The bluetooth remote is great as you don't have to point it. It lets you concentrate a lot more. I like being able to play the books and music through the radio with either bluetooth or FM. The hands free is a bit useless in loud trucks, but not too bad in a quieter car.

I like that you can add second party applications to it and I've added a Calculator and a Mileage program that I found on the net. Also, as I mentioned above I was able to program it so that I have the menu items I want in the places I want. TomTom didn't do too much thinking when they arranged them.

I can't believe how sensitive the antenna is on this unit. I can be sitting in the middle of a restaurant and it will pick up satellites. Somehow sees them through the windows. My Garmin would never do that and I often had to use an outside antenna for it with trucks that had a flat windshield. Not the TomTom. It picks up signals in all the vehicles I've tried it in. I think the newer Garmins have this technology too though. My Garmin is quite old.

The poorest thing about the unit is the POI database. I've found that a lot of them are up to a quarter mile off, and it pales when you compare it to Garmin's. It has no where near the amount of POI's that Garmin has, and the interface won't let you search for them the way Garmin's does either. You can get a lot of POIs online to improve it, but I'm going to get my Garmin fixed up just to have thier database with me.

The traffic seems to work sometimes. I'm sure it's only as good as the information it gets from the stations it picks it up from. I don't depend on it much as I'm in Canada and the only place it's good for is Toronto and Montreal and for the bigger cities in the Eastern USA. I turn it on when I'm there, but I've only had it re-route me once. Got to admit it was pretty snazzy when it did. I drove over top the usual route and saw the traffic at a standstill. It doesn't seem to work all the time though. I don't think the data updates fast enough. Probably not the TomTom's fault.

The maps are a bit bad in Canada, but Garmin's are about the same. The Trans-Canada is off quite a bit in a lot of places with either machine. I noticed the streets were off a block in some small towns in Canada, but only twice. Don't know why that would be. Mostly accurate in the US. You have to watch it sometimes in town as it will take you out of the way sometimes. Garmin was the same. You just have to watch and it's not very often.

Sometimes the touch screen seems a bit over sensitive when you are panning the map in the 'Browse Route' mode. Seems to do some funny things. Doesn't seem to be so bad in the 'Browse Map' mode. Hoping my screen protector will deaden it a bit.

Anyway, I think I'll keep it. I think that the Garmin units are probably pretty fine and I sure liked mine, but the remote on the TomTom has me sold. I'm in a truck for 10 hours a day and the remote makes checking and changing a whole lot easier and safer than getting your face in the unit.

Expectations were high after replacing my older 910 with the new 920T (old one got stolen). Despite the compacter design and some added features, I am very disappointed in my new TomTom. The mounting bracket keeps dropping from the windshield (the old one had a locking feature); the remote control has to reconnect almost every time the unit is switched on (looses connection when you accidently hit a button when TomTom is not started up yet); worst of all: battery life is 30 minutes to one hour (I always have to use that long/clumsy cable), there is no way the unit is reaching the 4~5 hours quoted by TomTom (it appears that TomTom has used a new type, more compact battery); no carrying case included (can't believe that you pay $450 for a device and there is no $10 carrying case included!?). This was my last TomTom.

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.

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 displayed so 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 of goodies 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.

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.