TomTom GO 740 Live 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable Live Internet Connected GPS Navigator
by TomTom
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Category: GPS or Navigation System
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: TomTomBrand: TomTom
Edition: Electronics
Format: CD
Model: 1CF7.052.00
Publisher: TomTom
Studio: TomTom
Music Label: TomTom
Product features:
- Get the ultimate driving experience
- GO LIVE automatically accesses traffic
- IQ Routes Technology gives you the fastest route every time by using actual average speeds
- You can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds, and turn restrictions on your own device
- Makes driving even safer with Bluetooth hands-free calling (compatible mobile phone required) and added safety features
- TomTom Additional Windshield Mount and Car Charger for 720, 920, 630, 730, 930 GPS Navigators
- Monster MC CLNKIT GPS Monster Screenclean for GPS Systems
- TomTom 2009 U.S. and Canada Map Update for GO, XL, and ONE GPS Navigators
- TomTom Go Live 9UCE.052.00 USB Connect Cable
- Monster Clean Cloth Pack
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of TomTom GO 740 Live 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable Live Internet Connected GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Really good. Maybe not the best bargain
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I recently received the TomTom Go 740 Live and was really excited about trying out this state-of-the-art GPS compared to my Magellan RoadMate that is now a couple of years old. While there are a couple of things I really like about the TomTom, there are also a couple of things that I don't particularly like.
I got the TomTom out of the box and found out that it can be set up through your home computer. Nice! The instructions didn't say what the requirements are for the home computer. Being a Mac guy, I assumed since it didn't say Macintosh, it probably wouldn't work. I searched the manual and the box and never did find that the TomTom Home Software would run on a Mac. But, being a daredevil, I decided to try it. It does run. However, the instructions assume the software will autoinstall and that does not work on the Mac. You'll also find though that when you hook up the GPS through the supplied cradle, you will have the option of downloading the latest version of the software. I eventually figured out how to get the software on my Mac. The 740 connected to it just great. The cradle makes it easy to connect the device to your computer. And an added benefit is that the device actually charges through the USB cradle. This is a big advantage over my Magellan which came with a USB cable. But, since it doesn't charge from the USB cable, I had to buy a separate adapter to charge the device at home. My Magellan also does not charge in the car (if it's turned on). So, it almost never has any battery power. It's nice to be able to take the GPS with you if you want to just walk around with it or are traveling in someone else's car. Or you just don't feel like plugging it in. This is a big advantage of the TomTom- easy to charge.
I had heard about TomTom having different voices you can download to the device and the TomTom Home software makes this fun and easy. I was looking forward to having crazy voices talking to me while I'm driving. I mean Homer Simpson? How cool would that be? You can even use your OWN voice (TomTom says it takes about 15 minutes to set up). What I hadn't really thought about was the way the human voices work. They severely limit what the GPS can say to you. Using the human voices, it cannot read street names to you. Using a human voice also disables voice control (not sure why). Maybe there's a work-around. But, as I've been able to determine, you lose the ability to have street names read to you and to use voice control. Voice control was something I really wanted to try with the TomTom and reading street names has become basic functionality in a GPS. It's not absolutely necessary. But, it makes me feel more confident when the GPS announces turn left at Dimmick Road rather than simply turn left. So, I am not using the human voices. Unfortunately, I learned this after getting in the car to make my first journey with the TomTom and wondering why this super-expensive state-of-the-art GPS wasn't reading the street names to me. This brings me to another little annoyance not just with this GPS but with most electronics. That is that the User Guide that comes with it is extremely thin, just giving you the basics to get started. Had I realized that downloading and choosing the human voices would disable this most basic functionality, I wouldn't have bothered. The manual itself (available in PDF form on the Home software) is actually pretty good, once I found it. I highly recommend perusing the manual before you judge the GPS. After I got back home from my first trip, I flipped through the manual with GPS in hand and changed some settings that greatly enhanced my experience with it. I would have NEVER known those options were available had I not gone through the manual.
The visual interface for the GPS will take some getting used to. The map that shows while you are driving is OK. You can opt which information to show on it, including your current speed and a lot of other bits of information. There is nothing unavailable that I think should be available. But, there is a signal strength for the satellite signal that takes up valuable real estate and is unnecessary on the main screen. A minor annoyance. But, I seem to be able to opt out of every bit of information except that one. I like the way the GPS announces the turns well in advance often telling you to "take a right at the end of the street, then take a left". When I got on the expressway this morning, it announced it would be 3.1 miles to my exit, as I got on. I like that. The voice command does speed up data entry a little when you're putting in address. But, it's not like you can just say "123 Main Street Anytown, NY 11234". It still takes a while to step through getting the address in and confirming everything. I haven't used it much for actually command the GPS. The GPS comes with a card that says it understand over 130 commands and has some commands listed on it. But, it only lists 33 commands on the card. I wonder what the other 100 commands are.
A MAJOR annoyance of the device and a major distraction is that, while I am driving, the map view keeps going away. It goes into what looks to me like a "demo mode" and will start flashing advertisements for their Live Services and all the other stuff the TomTom will do. I don't need this while I am driving. And, worse, I find it distracting. In this mode it even shows Live screens which, at first, made me think I had somehow gone into some mode I didn't want to be in and I started fiddling with the GPS. I HAVE to find a way to turn this off. But, I've been through the manual and can't figure it out. This is one of the questions I submitted to TomTom via email.
I haven't quite figured out if it's as hard to reroute on this device as the way I've figured out how to do it. On my Magellan, I just touch the arrow for the next instruction and it gives me the coming instructions in list form. It's easy from there to remove an instruction and reroute around a particular area. The TomTom has several ways of rerouting and of looking at your route. But, when I'm actually on the road, I don't want to have to go back to the main menu to either look at the full route or to change the route. I haven't yet figured out an easy way to do this with the TomTom.
Another thing I've noticed is the maps in a few places have been off by 20, 50 or 100 yards. Not a big deal when you're navigating back home and I'm not going to say are the fault of the device. Maybe it was just bad luck. But, in my second day of using the GPS I was going to a business located on a road where the street numbers were impossible to track as I was driving along at 45 MPH. The TomTom told me that I had arrived about 100 yards AFTER I passed the location. Also, it did not tell me whether to expect it on the left or the right. So, I didn't know which lane to be in.
I currently have a couple of questions submitted to TomTom Support. I was not overly impressed with their support services. I first tried to find the manual on their website. If it's there, it's not as easy to find as it should be. Their FAQ database only answers the most basic of questions (nothing there that helped me). There is no on-line chat. And, since I got the device out of the box on Saturday, the first day I had available to call for support was Monday and I saw a warning on their site that Mondays and Tuesdays are especially busy. I opted to send an email. The auto-response I got said to expect a reply within 2 business days. Too long, IMO.
I haven't played around with the TomTom Live services yet. A lot of them don't seem all that worthwhile to me. I don't think the Intelligent Routing (based on expected traffic patterns and time of day) is dependent on subscribing to the live services and that's the one I would find the most useful. Others look somewhat interesting. But, the price $9.95 a month is outrageous, IMO. Unless you really, really want the Live services, you could probably buy a GPS that is just as good for a lot less. I have the impression they are charging a premium price for the capabilities that a frugal person just isn't going to use.
A couple of other things about the GPS hardware. I LOVE the mounting stand that came with it. It beats my Magellan by a mile. The suction cups sticks easily and goes on with a twist. The stand itself quickly adjusts with a ball joint to any angle you'll need whether sticking on the windshield or putting on the dashboard. The unit feels well constructed. One little oddity though is you cannot plug either cable (USB or the one for your car charger) directly into the GPS. So, if you just want to grab it and go in the car you either need enough power to get you through the trip or you need to grab the windshield mount.
There are so many features I haven't nearly covered them all. Another major one is probably the ability to hook it up to your phone and make hands free calls. I don't know if I'll use that one or not.
Pros:
* Too many advanced features to review here. Some highlights- Live Traffic, Voice Control, Blue Tooth Control (for cell phones and speakers), human voices instead of computer generated make listening to the driving directions fun.
* Best dashboard mount I've seen. Easy to use and really sticks. The swivel makes it easy to adjust to any angle with one hand
* Comes with USB cradle. Can charge from your computer without buying additional AC adapter.
* TomTom Home software makes managing and updating from your computer a snap
* No easy way once you are en route to get back to the screen to see detailed turns coming up. Too many steps if you want to get back to the list and, for example, skip a street or just know what's coming up.
Cons:
* Annoying screen pops up while you're driving. I find it distracting. I'd like to just keep my driving instruction screen up (haven't found work around for this yet). see the p.s. below. I later found out this is "demo mode".
* Some address locations seem to be off by a a significant number of yards that I overshot a destination. I'm sure this is the fault of the map, not the GPS
* Using human voices disables a very basic function (announcing street names) and a nice advanced function (voice control of the GPS)
* Support is not as good as I would expect from a premier manufacturer. Two day turnaround is the target for email response. No live chat. Warning that Monday and Tuesdays have very long delays for phone support.
* Documentation is sparse, especially for Mac users. Definitely read the PDF manual that comes on the included CD. The User Guide is really just a Quick Start Guide.
* Some of the best features are the Live Services. After paying a premium for the GPS, you're expected to shell out $120/year for Live Services. Unless you plan to use Live Services, you might be better off buying a less expensive GPS.
Overall, I think the GPS is a good one and I'm looking forward to seeing how to work around some of the little idiosyncracies with the GPS. But, before you buy it, make sure you think it's worth $120 a year for Live services and all of the other bells and whistles you might or might not use. When it comes to a GPS, I pretty much want it to do one thing. Get me from point A to point B. You could probably save some significant dollars by buying a less expensive TomTom.
p.s.- 4 days later TomTom got back to me on my support email. The "demo mode" I described was not supposed to be turned on on the device by default. The email describing how to get it out of demo mode missed a step. So, I had to call support. By this time it was Friday. I was on hold for about 10 minutes. The customer service rep walked me through taking it out of demo mode. But, it didn't work! Now, I have to connect it to my computer and delete a file on the device. Not a big deal. But, I don't know how it got into demo mode in the first place (I didn't do it) and why they would make it a hidden feature to turn it off is beyond my comprehension.
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Description of TomTom GO 740 Live 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable Live Internet Connected GPS Navigator
TomTom GO 740 LIVE is navigation and the Real-time information saves time, money, and stress. GO LIVE automatically accesses traffic feeds, updated fuel prices, Local Search powered by Google, Weather, and Buddies. Real-time services work right out of the box via a built-in wireless data connection.Amazon.com Product DescriptionTomTom GO 740 LIVE is navigation and so much more. Real-time information saves you time, money, and stress. GO LIVE automatically accesses traffic feeds, updated fuel prices, Local Search powered by Google, Weather, and Buddies--so you can stay in the know on the go. Real-time services work right out of the box via a built-in wireless data connection.* Three months of service included.
 Navigation and so much more. Click to enlarge. |
 GO LIVE automatically accesses traffic feeds, updated fuel prices, Local Search powered by Google, Weather, and Buddies--so you can stay in the know on the go. Click to enlarge. |
TomTom's award-winning software means the ultimate driving experience. Switch on and go right out of the box. Just enter your destination address with voice recognition or on the touchscreen and start driving anywhere in the US and Canada. TomTom GO 740 LIVE guides you door to door with turn-by-turn spoken instructions, including street names.
The GO 740 LIVE features IQ Routes Technology, which gives you the fastest route every time by using actual average speeds of travel on your route to calculate your trip time rather than posted speed limits. You'll always travel the smartest route.
TomTom has the most accurate maps, and with TomTom Map Share technology, you instantly can modify street names, street direction, POIs, and more on your own device.
The TomTom GO 740 LIVE is the ultimate connected car navigator.
*Services available in the United States only.
GO 740 LIVE Features
- LIVE Services
- TomTom Traffic
- Fuel Prices
- Local Search powered by Google
- Weather and more
- Maps of United States and Canada with TomTom Map Share
- IQ Routes Technology
- Voice Recognition
- Advanced Lane Guidance
- Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling
- Spoken Street Names
All TomToms Feature
Plug & Go--Works right out of the box.
Preloaded Points of Interest--Easily find millions of gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and more on your route.
30-Day Latest Map Guarantee--Up to date, off the shelf.
TomTom Map Share--Modify your own map and benefit from others' verified changes with TomTom Map Share.
Help Me! Emergency Menu--Easily access local emergency providers, such as police, fire stations, and hospitals.
TomTom HOME--Always up to date.
Traffic Ready--Optional RDS-TMC traffic receiver accessory keeps you up-to-date on traffic events to minimize potential delays.
Fuel Price Service (optional)--Know more, pay less.
Why TomTom?
TomTom believes that personal navigation should be as easy and safe as possible. TomTom develops smart technology that gives you straightforward solutions, innovations to make life easy.
Easy to Use
- Award-winning navigation software
- Plug & go
Best Maps
- 30-Day Latest Map Guarantee
- Modify your own map and benefit from others' verified changes with TomTom Map Share
Best Routing
- QuickGPSfix
- Traffic ready
Leader in Safety
- Help Me! emergency resources menu
- Safety preferences menu
What's in the Box
GO 740 Live device, windshield mount, USB cable, adhesive disk, car charger, and user guideAbout TomTom
Founded in Amsterdam in 1991, TomTom has established itself as a global leader in navigation by being an innovative company with a strong brand, clear customer focus, and high-quality products and services.TomTom is a leading navigation solutions provider with navigation products sold in 30 countries and in over 20 languages. To further its commitment to car navigation, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas maps in 2008 so that the company can continually provide the most up-to-date maps and intelligent routing.
TomTom has its own mapping company!
Did you know that every year, roads change by up to 40% in high-growth areas? Tele Atlas manages this by using the world's most comprehensive systems to identify and incorporate these changes into our maps with unprecedented levels of speed and accuracy. All TomTom devices benefit from the Tele Atlas advantage--more coverage, more points of interest, and more freshness and accuracy.
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