TomTom’s new look flagship GO X30 series includes the TomTom GO 930 and GO 730. The specifications for the two models are identical apart from the GO 930 including;

• a larger 4 GB of internal flash memory compared to 2 GB for the GO 730,
• Enhanced Positioning Technology which uses a combination of movement and gravity sensors to determine position when a GPS signals are not available such as in tunnels or driving in an urban canyon between buildings
• maps of Europe as well as the maps of the United States and Canada on the GO 730

All the GO X30 models have 4.3 inch, WQVGA (480 x 272 pixels) LCD widescreens. GPS navigation is powered by a high sensitivity GPS receiver making for better GPS signal reception in low signal strength areas such as in urban canyons. There is an SD slot for loading digital data such as maps or music. The units are light enough (7.7 ounces) and of small enough form factor of 4.6 x 3.2 x 1 inches (118 x 83 x 24 mm) to be considered portable. The estimated 5 hours of operation from the lithium-polymer battery is a useful time period.
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The TomTom ONE 130 and TomTom ONE 130S are TomTom’s new entry level portable GPS navigators to replace the TomTom ONE. The compact size of the previous model has been retained despite a new windshield mount which can be left on the device and a new, larger, more powerful speaker. The LCD touchscreen remains at 3.5 inches.

As mentioned, the new EasyPort mount can be folded flat on the 130 or 130S for easy transport or moving between cars. It will fit in a shirt pocket. Attaching the EasyPort mount to the windscreen (dashboard mounting disc also included) is a simple sequence of pushing it against the windscreen, sliding it to the right position (if necessary) and twisting the lock nut. An opposite twist removes it. As well as being convenient, the built-in mount ensures you keep the mount and display together for their next use. The video below shows how simple mounting the unit with the mechanical locking system is.
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The new TomTom ONE XL.S has the same specification as the popular 4.3 inch wide screen TomTom ONE XL with the addition of text-to-speech technology allowing street names to be announced as part of turn-by-turn navigation directions. A large screen provides a larger, easier to see navigation interface for drivers. The navigator itself is slim and lightweight for easy transfer between cars. The Lithium-Ion battery will only last a couple of hours but, this shouldn’t be a problem as it is not intended as a portable device.

Both the TomTom ONE XL.S and XL have a built-in Bluetooth connection for optional real-time traffic, weather updates, voice downloads and other services. There is an SD Card Slot for extra maps and storage and a mini-USB connection for linking up to a PC. The TomTom XL models are navigation devices only and do not come with multimedia features like a photo player or mp3 player.
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After sales support should be an important consideration for consumers especially in purchasing electronic devices such as GPS navigators. The problem is assessing what the service might be like before purchase. TomTom obviously understand this and have recently achieved recognition for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program. As the first portable navigation device manufacturer to achieve certification, TomTom is clearly committed to providing their customers with a positive call center experience, according to Jonathan Brookner the call center certification program director at J.D. Power and Associates.
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TomTom ONE 3rd Edition is TomTom’s entry level auto navigation device. It has a 3.5 inch (320 x 240 pixel resolution) color TFT screen, 2D / 3D navigation map display and turn-by-turn navigation instructions, 1 Gb internal memory and a sensitive and accurate GPS receiver chipset. The unit does not have Bluetooth or text-to-speech.

The third edition is similar to the first with notable additions being:

• TomTom’s Map Share Technology brings the power of community input to correct and improve available maps. Using Map Share users can; 1) modify street names and direction 2) add, remove or rename POIs and 3) (un)block streets on their own device. Users can share their map improvements and benefit from all other users improvements easily via TomTom’s free desktop application, HOME. TomTom has a user community some 10 million in size to provide plenty of leverage;
• TMC traffic is available as an option;
• The Help Me! menu allows direct access to emergency numbers and directions to nearest assistance (road assistance / police station / hospital);
• The Safety menu is fully customizable allowing users to set warnings for speed, traffic, restricted zones, schools, and more;
• The navigation software is NavCore 7 Lite missing some some items from NavCore 7.

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The TomTom GO 920 and GO 920T are promoted as premium featured Car GPS Navigation devices and from the extensive list of features and some of the shiny new technologies introduced they deserve such praise.

A headline feature would have to be the inclusion of the timesaving and convenient Voice Prompted Address Entry allowing a destination address to be entered vocally. TomTom have based the GO 920 twins on SiRFs new SiRFDiRect Technology which adds Dead Reckoning capability to the already highly sensitive and reliable SiRF GPS receiver chip architecture.
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Technorati Tags: TomTom GO 920, GO 920T, Car GPS Navigation, Voice Prompted Address Entry, SiRFDiRect Technology, Dead Reckoning

Barely released, the new slim design Tom Tom GO 720 has picked up a PC Pro Recommended Award and been placed on their A List. Citing genuinely brilliant innovations PC Pro nominated MapShare as the killer application. The TomTom GO 720 has a sibling model, the TomTom GO 520, which has exactly the same hardware specifications but, has pre-loaded maps covering Western European regions.

Some headline features (some new to GO range) for the TomTom GO 720 and GO 520 include:
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Technorati Tags: Tom Tom GO 720, TomTom GO 520

Engadget recently held its 2006 Engadget Awards. The winner for the GPS Device on the Year Award for both the Readers Choice and Editors Choice went to TomTom’s GP910. The TomTom GP910 is the premium model in TomTom’s automotive navigation range

The TomTom GO 700 is one of two models in TomTom’s car GPS navigation range to have a built-in HDD (hard disk drive) – the premium GO 900 model being the other. If you’ve looked at the entry level GO 900 and have wanted hands-free phone calls using a Bluetooth connection to your mobile (check TomTom website for compatibility) then this might be the model for you. Another standout feature of this model is the assisted Satellite Navigation (ASN) for uninterrupted GPS navigation in poor reception areas such as tunnels and urban canyons. For those who have problems operating gadgets the unit comes with TomToms easy to use, Linux based navigation software controlled with the touch screen. For GPS signal reception the GO 700 has a 12 channel integrated GPS receiver.

Operation

The GO 700 display is a 3.5 inch TFT with a of 320 x 240 pixels resolution. Unfortunately, the antiglare coating on the display does darken it making reading it in direct sunlight more difficult.

Maps of the USA and Canada (TeleAtlas map database) are pre-installed on the 2.5 Gb HDD so the unit is ready for use out of the box. TomTom recommends that owners create an account on the TomTom Web site so that they can be notified to download map updates.

The TomTom GO 700 makes maximum use of the touch screen interface with the only button being for power - all other functions controlled through the touch screen menus. A nice feature is the speed-linked volume which varies the output volume in relation to the vehicles speed.

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The TomTom GO 300 is the least sophisticated of “GO” range however, it exemplifies TomTom’s marketing of a GPS navigation device which is simple to install and operate – you simply turn it on and “GO”. The unit has TomToms easy to use, Linux based navigation software controlled with the touch screen. For GPS signal reception the GO 300 has a 12 channel integrated GPS receiver.

Operation

The GO 300 display is a 3.5 inch TFT with a of 320 x 240 pixels resolution. Unfortunately, the antiglare coating on the display does darken it making reading it in direct sunlight more difficult.

Maps of the USA and Canada pre-installed on the 1 Gb SD card so the unit is ready for use out of the box. TomTom recommends that owners create an account on the TomTom Web site so that they can be notified to download map updates.

The TomTom GO 300 makes maximum use of the touch screen interface with the only button being for power - all other functions controlled through the touch screen menus. A nice feature is the speed-linked volume which varies the output volume in relation to the vehicles speed.

(read more..)