5 comments about TomTom ONE 130S 3.5-Inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator.

1. This is one of the best products and/or gadgets I've ever had the pleasure of using. From the day it arrived I turned it on (it was fully charged), and noticed how easy and intuitive it was to use and play around with. I thought maybe there was a problem with the contents when there were no user's manual that fell out when I opened the package. It didn't matter -- it was very easy to use. I knew that I could download the manual from the TomTom website.
   
   I bought this GPS for planning our trip up to New York City. I did some searching and reading about a few different GPS's, and eventually ended up getting a low-priced but a newer model from TomTom. What finally helped me decide was:
   
   1)portability (fits in shirt pocket).
   2)support available on the Net.
   3)simplicity of use.
   
   First use:
   Going to checkout the local parks near our home became so simple and nice, that otherwise would have been a difficult and time consuming task, with the unfolding and folding of maps, looking out for street names, or printing them out from Google Maps.
   
   Extensive use:
   Before the trip I entered all the restaurants and places we would like to visit as "Favorites". This is a trip from Virginia Beach to NYC (Manhattan). Never been there before, but with this gadget we weren't afraid to go just about anywhere we pleased. We followed the GPS to Delaware, caught the ferry to New Jersey, and reached our hotel with ease. This route was modified. The original route was given by TomTom to use the I-95 area, but we modified it to go our way which was very easy to do using the "Find alternative" icon.
   
   Basically, we stayed in New Jersey going to Manhattan via the Staten Island Ferry (which is FREE), and back to our hotel in New Jersey. And we did this for a few days with the help of this GPS. We didn't bother driving in Manhattan, looking for parking, etc.
   
   The hardest part about this whole trip was figuring out how to use the subway system. We even used our GPS to help us find out which way to go from time to time while on foot (thus the small size and portability). And it's great for a map reference. But I have to mention here that picking up the GPS signal while being surrounded by tall buildings out on the side walk is a little difficult. And I have to guess that it'll probably have the same effect while driving here.
   
   Next, there seems to be some concern with the volume problem that I kept reading about. Ours was o.k. This GPS is very loud at its default of 70%! And clear! We had to turn down the volume while driving on the freeway -- it has a "Link volume to car speed" feature, which I think is ingenious, so it was louder on the freeway, then it gets down to its lower volume at lower speeds. The suction cup is nicely designed, and it's simple to take the whole assy. on and off to put away from vandalism.
   
   There were fancier ones that mention the street names aloud, and ones that give you traffic information, and other things. But all I wanted was something simple and straight forward (turn left, turn right, stay on the left lane, etc. -- TomTom ONE 130 is perfect). Also I thought about getting the bigger 4.3" wide screen, but after using this it's not necessary.
   
   Minor complaint:
   One minor complaint is that when naming your "Favorites" it doesn't let you tap the cursor to any of its area, instead you have to erase the whole thing that has been highlighted or put the cursor at its very end. And when you want to give it a name and the address together, the number portion automatically gets inserted at the beginning which is annoying.
   My solution: enter the name, and when entering the number portion, precede it with a special character like an asterisk then the number, then follow it by another asterisk, then the street name but without any space before it. Also I found it convenient to include the phone number on this whole line.



2. I drive all over the place because I work in promotions, and getting this GPS was the best decision I've ever made. It has vastly increased my productivity when it comes to errands and easily directs me around Boston, a city in which I used to hate driving with a strong passion. The text to voice is a very important feature, especially at intersections with a few roads coming in and I highly encourage getting a GPS with this feature. I've noticed that sometimes it has trouble connecting to satellites, but plugging it in to charge usually corrects that problem immediately. The volume gets very loud and though it's difficult to adjust sometimes, that small problem doesn't reduce my wholehearted recommendation of the 130S!



3. i am sure TOmTom will upgrade its website to have us all the updated maps as early as 2008..well it doesnt have the MP3 play back option in the unit .. i find many pros while 2 cons.. it doesnt support a SD card slot and its mem is 1gb..however it should have street spelling option instead of calling the turns..well its the price that makes it worth..



4. I wouldn't bet my life on it but it works pretty well. My guess is any GPS would have some drawbacks.
   
   My main gripe is the route planning. After you select a destination, you can pick from several options normally fastest way or shortest way. My complaint is you can modify the route but it will not save it. The next time you enter the destination is calculates the route all over again. I finally ended up entering multiple destinations as favorites and then routing to the first one, then after reaching it I entered the second favorite as a destination.
   
   The maps can be a little lacking. For example, if you want to enter a destination on a freeway you cannot enter a number because it says there are no numbers. Your only option is a cross street which is great unless you are trying to find out where something is.



5. I did weeks of research on GPS systems and even saw many complaints about the volume of this product. But other reviews said it was totally fine. Well, I got a dud. The volume was so low I didn't even know if it was talking at all with the windows down. Luckily, I called Tom Tom customer service, and they had me ship it to them (which cost me about $11) and they replaced it with a new one that does, thankfully, have adequate volume. Would recommend the product overall but beware that there is the potential to get a dud.

1 comments about 3 Pack Premium Ultra Clear Reusable 4.3" / 4.-Inch GPS LCD Screen Protector with Lint Cleaning Cloth for Garmin Nuvi 200W, 205W, 250W, 260W, 600, 610, 650, 660, 670, 680, 710, 750, 760, 770, 780, 850, 860, 880, TomTom ONE XL XL-S TomTom Go 720, TomTom XL 330S, TomTom GO 730T.

1. These protectors are of excellent quality and it is good that they are sold in this three pack. I used these for my Garmin Nuvi 660 and they fit perfect. The best way to get these is to buy them when you buy the GPS so that you can take off the Garmin protector and then put these on in place. I did not do this so even though I cleaned it, I had to waste one before I got a decent fit. At least you have three shots at getting it right if you are trying to put a protector on your GPS that you have been using.

No comments about TomTom ONE XL-S 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished).

5 comments about TomTom GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator.

1. TomTom melted in car after 11 months of use. Went on TomTom website and read the following under care of TomTom: Do not expose your TomTom to high or low temperatures, which can cause permanent damage. For example, don't leave it in the car on hot summer days or during cold winter nights.
   What do they expect me to do? Remove the TomTom from the car everytime I stop at a store, etc? Should have a warning: Do not use in Hawaii or summer and winter in other states!



2. Alot of in-depth review but some reviewers missed alot of key things. The Tom Tom 720 is a much better device than you would think.
   
   Things I want to add.
   1. The menu layout is completely user changeable so you don't have a cluttering of numbers and information on the bar. The reviewer doesn't mention that although he criticizes the 720 for having a cluttered info bar. That is simply a factory default setting that anyone can change.
   2. The map layout, colors and ease-of-use is much much much better than both Garmin's and Magellan. The company I work for allows us to have private car service home when working late and I've seen and studied just about every brand of GPS in the various Town cars during my 1 hours commute home from NYC to Westchester. So I've gotten a sense of how cities and suburbs/rural areas are displayed on all these GPS units and the Tom Tom brand has the best, cleanest graphics. The reviewer fails to mention that when said and done, quickly understanding the screen graphics during a quick look up from the road during your journey is just as important as anything else.
   3. The 720 also allows you to pick alternate routes based on how and when you want to get to your destination. The factory default settings on the 720 will obviously be way off and will have you driving around alot more than you would want to. Which is why I suspect the reviewer detracted from the 720 mapping intelligence when paired alongside the Garmin's Nuvi and Magellan's GPS units. I'm 100% sure he was routing under the factory settings so the 720 gave him longer and incorrect routes. Simple adjustments to your 720 factory settings will allow the unit to pick the best routes based on where you live and drive(whether in a city, near highways, or rural areas)
   4. Outside of GPS function the 720 has a myriad of feautures that are on par if not better that Garmin's pricier Nuvi 700 line. In his Nuvi review he praises the Nuvi for having the "Where Am I" feature as if it is a rare and super cool thing. Whiles the 720 has the same features and he fails to praise the 720 for the same proficiencies.
   
   5. The 720 does fail big time in the Battery Life department. I previously owned a Tom Tom 300 and once did a round trip from NY to DC (6-8 hrs of driving) on one charge before the unit's battery died. So I expected similar results from the 720 even though the Tom Tom 720's box advertises 4-5 hours.
   needless to say, after a full over night charge I only got about 1 hour use before the battery died my first time out with it. After lowering the brightness to 50% I got about 2 hrs max.
   I don't like wires across my dash so this was important to me; having the unit work only off its battery for the duration of my round trip commute of 3 to 4 hours max. I soon found out at a few GPS forums that to get about 4 hrs from the 720 you need to lower the brightness to 0% (and even at 0 it is still pretty bright), completely turn off the FM and BlueTooth features, take out any SD Card and turn down the volume and refrain from playing MP3s. Which worked to get me 3 to 4 hrs of battery life but totally elimated all the cool features that made me want to get the 720. At any rate, I went to a local car stereo shop and got a power lead installed behind my dash that goes up thru the windshield area and plugs into the 720 whiles it is mounted on the windshield. This is the best deal since the wire is pretty much hidden and not in front of my dash. I now not only get unlimited battery life whiles driving, but I can have the screen at 100% brightness, Bluetooth, FM and everything else that made me buy the 720 on and working whiles I'm on the road.
   
   When said and done, the Tom Tom 720 is a stellar device!



3. We returned this product after two days because it did not announce streets by name. It will simply say something like "turn right" in so many feet but it does not audibly announce or confirm the name of the street. Our original GPS system was a Garmin which does do this so we were surprised to find that this particular Tom Tom model did not. We ended up buying another Garmin because we found the interface easier to use and it does announce the streets by name. This is a very useful feature and when shopping for a GPS it is probably the most important question to ask.



4. TomTom GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
   
   The main reason for me in buying the TomTom over other units was that it had Thai language available.
   
   My wife has recently immigrated to the US from Thailand. So I thought a GPS would be a good thing to help her find her way around when I was not with her. But I also realized that trying to drive on what to her is the wrong side of the road, remember new laws, find her way around a major US city while trying to translate computer spoken English into Thai may be over whelming for her. To make her a little safer on the road I started searching for a GPS with Thai.
   
   TomToms and a single Garmin unit (the Nuvi 350 Asian) seemed to be my only choices. As the Garmin retails at $520 and seemed impossible to locate I went with the TomTom, and I am glad I did.
   
   It is remarkably easy to set up and operate. My wife could figure out most of the functions with only a slight glance at the manual. Which can be downloaded in 22 different languages here:
   http://www.tomtom.com/lib/doc/device/manual.htm
   
   We have only had it a short time but have found the 720 to work much better than we expected. It locks on quick, the voice is very understandable and even better when sent through the cars FM radio system.
   
   So if you or a love one is not native English speaker and your mother tongue is not one of the other 2 or 3 languages you generally find in on electronic devices (I.E. Spanish, French, or Japanese.) then this is an answer to your prayers.



5. hi i bought this excellent peice of GPS after reading many reviews in Cnet and other related websites..after very careful reviewing i bought it from amazon for an amazing price and still the GPS is the excellent peice i have bought so far..my previous one being the magellan.. i am sure TOmTom will upgrade its website to have us all the updated maps as early as 2008..well it doesnt have the MP3 play back option in the unit .. i find many pros while 2 cons.. it doesnt support a SD card slot and its mem is 1gb..however it should have street spelling option instead of calling the turns..well its the price that makes it worth..

5 comments about TomTom GO 920 Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator.

1. Compared to Broadwayphoto.com & CameraAddict.com, Amazon is a little more expensice, but it's fully loaded and no trick. You'll be asked to pay additional $40 by the previous two sites to buy USA maps. They claimed their lower price is for European maps ONLY, which is not true from their web sites. How ridiculous a GPS for sale in US has no US map loaded!
   Therefore, Amazon.com is a honest and good choice for purchasing TomTom GPS!



2. Got it at a good price ($315) so decided to try it out. Although it has some really cool features, overall I was dissapointed. It felt like I was beta testing a GPS unit. Like it just wasn't really ready for prime time yet. And no, it wasn't because I couldn't figure it out. I am an uber-nerd and gadget junkie. I did finally get the bluetooth syncing to work (despite the lack of help from TomTom) where I could access the internet through my blackberry, but it would only synch the gas prices when it was docked, which was pretty useless. The suction cup mount that comes with the unit is worthless. There were a lot of things that just didn't work, or didn't work they way you would expect them to, so in the end, I returned it for a refund. I'm still going to give it 3 stars though, because it's a nice unit, but I don't think it's quite ready yet.



3. Product worked very well and delivered more than expected.
   product support also good. Easy to use.



4. I saw some reviews that described difficulties in some of the Garmin and TomTom line in acquiring signal and location. I purchased the 920 because it appeared to have all the maps preloaded for the US and Europe but I was skeptical and a little confused by the tape covering the SD card slot with a note printed on it to the effect that no extra memory was required. But I should not have been skeptical. The unit worked wonderfully in several European countries in small towns and cities alike. Very effective navigation directions, always clear and with signal acquisition in well under 60 seconds. The updates over the Internet worked flawlessly using the included software (but I had to use a Windows emulator on my Mac because there was no Mac version). It also works flawlessly in the US. The one nit; it does not seem to last more than 2 hours without a charge so I drive with it plugged into the vehicle's DC outlet.



5. We have just moved to CT where it is very hilly and the roads have no logic. The Tom Tom has helped us find our way from point A to B. It quickly recalulates new directions when we take a wrong turn. Have not lost the signal unless we venture into NY and go underground for a while. My only complaint is there is no standby button to push when you are at your destination and are going somewhere you know how to get to. The only way to shut off the computer is to turn it off or turn the volume down. I would definately recomend the Tom Tom.

5 comments about Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator.

1. Ok, so I am a little technologically challenged - but my StreetPilot is soooooo easy to use! It is great for long trips, but also invaluable for local travels such as finding a Drs. Office in the city, etc. Most of all I LOVE to use it for finding addresses to garage sales! It works great and does everything I need it to at a reasonable price.



2. This is a great inexpensive GPS. The touch screen is clear even in daytime. The interface is great and very easy to use. Wife, who hates reading manuals is very happy with it. During the night, it automatically switch to nightmode which is very important so as not to distract you while you drive. Nightmode is less bright by turning the color to a dark background. Audio is very easy to understand. It tells you in advance when you are about to turn. At the top, it tells you the street you are in and the next street you will need to turn. Once you start the car, sattelite connection speed is pretty decent. The screen is large enough for visual. There is a built-in rechargeable battery with the unit which last for several hours. But ideally, the unit should be used plugged-in with the included cigarette lighter adapter. This senses when you start the car and automatically turns on the GPS which at the same time starts charging the internal battery. The GPS can also be charged through the included UBS cable through a computer.
   
   We own this for a couple of years now. It was purchase at that time for 299$. Purchased a 2nd one, a refurbished unit for 199$. Both are still working.
   
   Rooms for Improvement:
   -There is a small round plastic with adhesive at the bottom to stick to the dashboard where you press the suction cup; or you can stick the suction cup directly to the windshield. Either way, the suction cup will fail and the GPS might fall or slide off your dashboard. Could be dangerous when it happens when you are driving.
   It is much better to get the accessory where you put the GPS on top of the dashboard instead of using the suction cup that comes with the unit. This accessory is not cheap though - around 39$ at the of this review.
   -Can be made smaller in size



3. I PURCHASED THIS PRODUCT A YEAR AGO. I AM THRILLED WITH THE WAY AND THE EASE OF USING IT. I HAVE LOANED IT TO SEVERAL FRIENDS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS IMPRESSED. NOW I JUST PURCHASED 2 MORE OF THEM. ONE FOR A FRIEND AND THE OTHER FOR MY 79 YEAR OLD DAD. MY DAD IS NOT VERY ELECTRONIC MINDED AND HE LOVES THIS THING. HE COULDNT BELIEVE HOW SIMPLE IT IS TO OPERATE RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. GREAT PRODUCT



4. A friend of mine has a low end Cobra and I was impressed with its performance, even though its reviews were terrible. I bought a Garmin 340C after reading the rave reviews. My Garmin arrived in its factory box with all the papers and supposedly the latest map updates.
   
   I suspected something was amiss when it indicated my home address was at the other end of the block. I solved this by having it regester "home" as my driveway rather than my street address. I used it on a 200 mile trip to Dallas after inputting my destination as the address of a friend whom I always stay with when I go to Dallas. The Garmin took me to a house in another block on the correct street across a major boulevard. The street address didn't match.
   
   My bigest gripe, however is the display, which is impossible to see clearly on a sunlit day, even with the brightness turned to the maximum. I also thought the female voice sounded more monotone like a robot, and was not as natural and understandible as the female voice of the Cobra.
   
   Lastly, the Cobra had every tiny dirt country driveway in its memory, but the Garmin totally missed several paved side streets that had been there for years. I was not impressed but will likely keep the Garmin because I don't need the hassle of repairs or returns.
   
   I will likely replace the Garmin with a midrange Cobra. I don't mean to offend any happy Garmin owners. I'm just relating the experiences I've had with mine.



5. We were looking for a basic functionality GPS system that offers reliable satelite connection, text-to-voice speech, and a bright screen (enough to shine thru the brightness of the mid day sun). To our delight, this Garmin offers just that. It offers a reliable and quick sat. uplink when you are outdoors, while indoors it may easily loose connection.
   
   The screen is a good size and the on screen navigation is user friendly. The maps that come on this unit are out-dated, however work efficiently in our Greater Chicagoland area. If you contact Garmin Customer Support, they will more than likely offer a 50% off for a map upgrade.
   
   Battery power is decent. PC connectivity is great; for those people who like to upgrade the GPS voice system to something like Celebrity Voices, you will be out of luck since I have found no one to support this unit for such upgrades. Even tho customization is very limited, you CAN upload your own start-up screen with Garmin's propietary software available for free off of their websites.
   
   A great purchase for someone that wants a solid GPS unit without the fluff.

5 comments about Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator.

1. This is my first GPS unit so I cannot compare it with other brands like Garmin or Tom Tom. I got the Navigon 2100 for $100 from staples a few months ago and have not been disappointed. I was a bit hesitant after the mixed reviews here on amazon but for $100 I knew that it was not a big risk so I decided to go for it. The things that I like about it are:
   
   1. Its looks. It is a sleek GPS with nice round edges and a compact size.
   2. The voice guidance is a pleasant surprise for a unit that costs $100!
   3. The reality view is just awesome! It makes sure that you take the right exit when you are on a highway.
   4. The mount is pretty good for me although you have to make sure that you're using it correctly or the unit will fall off the windshield.
   5. Re-routing is pretty quick!
   6. The option to avoid highways came in handy on my way from Richmond/VA to Chicago when I got stuck in a traffic jam. Once I reach an exit, I took it an used that option which took me through some inner city streets. I then turned the "avoid highways" option off and it led me back to the highway after skipping the traffic jam. This was especially useful since I don't have traffic assistance.
   
   Now for the things that I dislike:
   1. There are a good number of POIs but as some reviewers mentioned, it finds some small local businesses but doesn't show Walmart for example!
   2. It doesn't let me search for POIs by name (it lets you search by category). Maybe this feature is there but I honestly haven't spent much time learning about all the options in the unit.
   
   Overall, this is a great GPS for the price. I am sure that it has room for improvement but for the price, I have no complaints.



2. I've been using navigation systems since I started driving 13 years ago... I've always loved them until I got my hands on this one.
   
   Freezes constantly even after doing the available updates.
   
   I'll be driving along and then realize I was supposed to turn 5 miles back when it had froze up on me.
   
   I'm not sure of the newer bigger models, but I would never suggest this one.



3. I bought my Navagon 2100 from Radio Shack for $139.00, and at first I thought it was a good deal. Then I started having problems. A few times I got the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" a classic trademark of anything that Microsoft touches! I was only able to get the BSOD to go away by using the hard reset button. I really hate that fact that the power cord plugs into the bottom of the device, as it makes the unit sit too high on the dashboard, and isn't very good for the power cord, or usb/power connector.
   The biggest disappointment, however was the highly touted "Speed Warn" feature. The device can only warn you about exceeding the speed limit if it "KNOWS" the speed limit for the road you are driving on! Sadly where I live in Tempe, AZ it only knew the speed limit on two major freeways, and none of the surface streets. Since I use my cruise control on the freeway anyway, it serves no purpose to warn me of my speed on the freeway, since my cruise control protects me anyway. Where I really need warnings is on the surface streets. The touch screen isn't very good either. I have to push my finger on what I think is the button two or three times to get it to activate. I don't know what is wrong with their touch screen button sensing algorithm, but it made using the device very frustrating. Also if you ever want to use the device for GPS treasure hunting, it has no way of entering a set of GPS treasure coordinates. So all you can do is try to see if the GPS numbers are getting closer or farther away from your treasure map number. I was so disappointed with my Navagon 2100, that I took advantage of Radio Shack's 2-week money-back guarantee, and returned it for a refund.



4. Pro: Pretty decent for the price. The best feature is the arrows for which lane to be in nothing else even comes close.
   Con: It has locked up on me once and I had to use the soft reset on the device.
   
   I've used TomTom and Garmin GPS before this does as well navigating but is slower. The maps are as good as my updated TomTom 300 but lack points of interest. Icons for POI show up as Mobil or Burger King on the TomTom I see a gas pump or fork and spoon. The symbols are nice to tell what type of restaruant you are approaching.
   
   Overall its a good deal at $99.00



5. After four months of using my Navigon 2100 I can only report good experiences. It has a good POI database, the route calculation has yet to fail me, and it doesn't try to be anything but a GPS navigator. That's right- this GPS receiver is ONLY a GPS receiver. It doesn't try to be a music/video player, PDA, address book, calculator, or milking machine; it's just a GPS receiver and a good one. There are several handy features, the best of which is the quick "Take Me Home" option.
   
   I'm also pleased with the range of maps available. The unit I bought came with the 48 states only; however, you can find maps for all of North America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe on the navigon.co.uk site for £55.00 and up. Brave Types can find them elsewhere, however, I can't speak for the legality, accuracy, or advisability of doing so.

5 comments about TomTom ONE 130 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator.

1. This is one of the best products and/or gadgets I've ever had the pleasure of using. From the day it arrived I turned it on (it was fully charged), and noticed how easy and intuitive it was to use and play around with. I thought maybe there was a problem with the contents when there were no user's manual that fell out when I opened the package. It didn't matter -- it was very easy to use. I knew that I could download the manual from the TomTom website.
   
   I bought this GPS for planning our trip up to New York City. I did some searching and reading about a few different GPS's, and eventually ended up getting a low-priced but a newer model from TomTom. What finally helped me decide was:
   
   1)portability (fits in shirt pocket).
   2)support available on the Net.
   3)simplicity of use.
   
   First use:
   Going to checkout the local parks near our home became so simple and nice, that otherwise would have been a difficult and time consuming task, with the unfolding and folding of maps, looking out for street names, or printing them out from Google Maps.
   
   Extensive use:
   Before the trip I entered all the restaurants and places we would like to visit as "Favorites". This is a trip from Virginia Beach to NYC (Manhattan). Never been there before, but with this gadget we weren't afraid to go just about anywhere we pleased. We followed the GPS to Delaware, caught the ferry to New Jersey, and reached our hotel with ease. This route was modified. The original route was given by TomTom to use the I-95 area, but we modified it to go our way which was very easy to do using the "Find alternative" icon.
   
   Basically, we stayed in New Jersey going to Manhattan via the Staten Island Ferry (which is FREE), and back to our hotel in New Jersey. And we did this for a few days with the help of this GPS. We didn't bother driving in Manhattan, looking for parking, etc.
   
   The hardest part about this whole trip was figuring out how to use the subway system. We even used our GPS to help us find out which way to go from time to time while on foot (thus the small size and portability). And it's great for a map reference. But I have to mention here that picking up the GPS signal while being surrounded by tall buildings out on the side walk is a little difficult. And I have to guess that it'll probably have the same effect while driving here.
   
   Next, there seems to be some concern with the volume problem that I kept reading about. Ours was o.k. This GPS is very loud at its default of 70%! And clear! We had to turn down the volume while driving on the freeway -- it has a "Link volume to car speed" feature, which I think is ingenious, so it was louder on the freeway, then it gets down to its lower volume at lower speeds. The suction cup is nicely designed, and it's simple to take the whole assy. on and off to put away from vandalism.
   
   There were fancier ones that mention the street names aloud, and ones that give you traffic information, and other things. But all I wanted was something simple and straight forward (turn left, turn right, stay on the left lane, etc. -- TomTom ONE 130 is perfect). Also I thought about getting the bigger 4.3" wide screen, but after using this it's not necessary.
   
   Minor complaint:
   One minor complaint is that when naming your "Favorites" it doesn't let you tap the cursor to any of its area, instead you have to erase the whole thing that has been highlighted or put the cursor at its very end. And when you want to give it a name and the address together, the number portion automatically gets inserted at the beginning which is annoying.
   My solution: enter the name, and when entering the number portion, precede it with a special character like an asterisk then the number, then follow it by another asterisk, then the street name but without any space before it. Also I found it convenient to include the phone number on this whole line.



2. I drive all over the place because I work in promotions, and getting this GPS was the best decision I've ever made. It has vastly increased my productivity when it comes to errands and easily directs me around Boston, a city in which I used to hate driving with a strong passion. The text to voice is a very important feature, especially at intersections with a few roads coming in and I highly encourage getting a GPS with this feature. I've noticed that sometimes it has trouble connecting to satellites, but plugging it in to charge usually corrects that problem immediately. The volume gets very loud and though it's difficult to adjust sometimes, that small problem doesn't reduce my wholehearted recommendation of the 130S!



3. i am sure TOmTom will upgrade its website to have us all the updated maps as early as 2008..well it doesnt have the MP3 play back option in the unit .. i find many pros while 2 cons.. it doesnt support a SD card slot and its mem is 1gb..however it should have street spelling option instead of calling the turns..well its the price that makes it worth..



4. I wouldn't bet my life on it but it works pretty well. My guess is any GPS would have some drawbacks.
   
   My main gripe is the route planning. After you select a destination, you can pick from several options normally fastest way or shortest way. My complaint is you can modify the route but it will not save it. The next time you enter the destination is calculates the route all over again. I finally ended up entering multiple destinations as favorites and then routing to the first one, then after reaching it I entered the second favorite as a destination.
   
   The maps can be a little lacking. For example, if you want to enter a destination on a freeway you cannot enter a number because it says there are no numbers. Your only option is a cross street which is great unless you are trying to find out where something is.



5. I did weeks of research on GPS systems and even saw many complaints about the volume of this product. But other reviews said it was totally fine. Well, I got a dud. The volume was so low I didn't even know if it was talking at all with the windows down. Luckily, I called Tom Tom customer service, and they had me ship it to them (which cost me about $11) and they replaced it with a new one that does, thankfully, have adequate volume. Would recommend the product overall but beware that there is the potential to get a dud.

5 comments about Tom Tom ONE XL Add'l Mount w/Car Charger.

1. This product need to engineered. It's functionality is poor and inconvenient and also many time advertised as an add on also Tom Tom supply it when you buy there GPS navigator.



2. Excellent. Screen large enough to drive and navigate. Excellent choice. Would buy again.



3. this windshield option is far superior to the one that is included with the Tom Tom One. It is more solid and fastens more securely, yet the placement & removal are quick. This mount is more versatile than the OEM Tom Tom.



4. This is a very compatable mount and it arrived in a very short period of time!



5. 
   The TomTom holder arrived on time and was just as I had hoped for now I can move the Tom TOM from car to car withput changing holders great thing.

5 comments about TomTom GO 930 4.3-Inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator.

1. Pros:
   
   * Ability to enter address using voice command
   * Advanced lane assistance
   * 3D renderings of complex intersections
   * Ability to use historical traffic data to optimize route
   * Keyboard option for left-handed users
   
   Cons:
   
   * Voice command feature not as accurate and sensitive as could be
   * No dashboard mounting disc included in box
   * Lane guidance feature not available for all roads
   * To change preferences, need to navigate through several sub-menus
   
   My favorite feature is the IQ route. No I don't want a route based on what the speed limit is supposed to be but on what it actually is.
   For a more thorough review please check out http://gpselector.com/TomTom/tomtom-go-930



2. [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.



3. Purchased this unit as my first TomTom unit, after using several different GPSs over the previous years.
   
   It works, but there's nothing special about the TomTom. Several months ago, this unit had unique features. However, there are now common from many different makers ... which are either the same cost or better.
   
   When I received this, the RDS antenna was the wrong one. I had to send it back *AT MY OWN COST* so they could send me the proper one after two weeks.
   
   If you talk to TomTom Support (East Coast Business Hours Only) be prepared to send proof that you purchased this unit from an Authorized Vendor only - otherwise you will NOT be supported.
   
   All the connectors for this unit are on the bottom. This may not be an issue unless you want to use a dash mount (required for California). About the dash mount - you're going to have to buy one from a 3rd party - TomTom doesn't sell one (at least I couldn't find one on their site).
   
   After about 2 months of use the unit stopped working. Actually worse - it began acting erratically.
   
   Unit would turn itself on at random (draining the battery)
   
   The battery charge indicator was a joke. Even after charging overnight and verifying the charge was 100%. Attempting to use it an hour later would show a dead battery.
   
   When it did turn on, it would constantly reboot itself.
   
   Had to RMA this unit (after providing proof-of-purchase). Note had to send it via UPS/FedEx/etc... They DO NOT accept USPS for RMA. Seems the mailclerk who receives USPS is somehow unable to take packages back to the dock where UPS/FedEX delivers.
   
   The TomTomHome s/w. What a joke.
   
   Graphical & Slow.
   
   Expectation seems to be that you will only ever have ONE TomTom Unit at any time in your life. After I received my RMA GO930, I had to DOWNLOAD all the maps again to the new unit via TTH. Note - I already had the maps for the unit I returned.
   
   Somehow the maps are locked to an individual unit when they are downloaded! SO be prepared to have a high-speed line and wait as maps are downloaded while your TOmTOm is docked and otherwise useless.
   
   This was suppose to be a top line GPS from TomTom when I bought it 3 months ago. It was NOT ready for use.
   
   It shipped with incorrect parts, which made it non-functional and which *I* had to pay to receive the correct parts.
   
   The TTH software is NOT user friendly, nor is it fast for any activity which it does try to perform.
   
   The GUI on the GPS is nothing to speak of. It's there, but lacking in thought. Once you get to the configuration menu, any change you make will automatically take you back to the main screen. This means you have to constantly walk the menu trees to make another change. In fact this happens at most of the menus ... make a change/selection and get dropped back at the main screen.
   
   Bottom Line... But ANYBODY ELSE but TomTom. You'll probably pay less, and get an equal of not better product and support.



4. Am enjoying using this product and it continues to amaze me with what it can do



5. I've been using this device for over 2 months and have tested it in NYC and the Tri-State area, Houston-Texas and while on vacation in Hawaii (3 different islands).
   
   I pay close attention to what other Amazon consumers say about there purchases. When I choose to buy the 930 I read almost all the reviews available on Amazon and other sites.
   
   Overall I am happy with my purchase but I think that is because I have come to expect the TomTom product has flaws. I previously had a 2006 version installed on my PDA device and after using that for 2 years I learned there were certain shortcomings with TomTom in general. I have never used another GPS device but from what I've read, TomTom seems to lack updated USA maps compared to others.
   
   The 930 device works really well but if you are looking and more importantly depending on getting to an exact address as your destination, I would guess you will be disappointed at least 40% of the time.
   
   While on vacation in Hawaii, the 930 got us close to our destinations but in some cases was a block or two short. In Texas, we experienced similar results and in some cases we were on the wrong side of the road. In the NYC area I find it to be really accurate.
   
   The 930 has tons of cool features that makes me happy with the purchase. Once TomTom as a whole gets it's act together with updated maps the device will be well worth the money. Like many other TomTom owners, it can be very frustrating when you are trying to get somewhere and you don't arrive at your exact location. But I like my device and I would recommend you buying the product with the understanding the USA maps needs work.
   
   Sam