TomTom GO 920T vs Garmin Nuvi 770
Published on September 16th, 2007 in garmin, gps navigation, reviews, tomtom
Today we’re comparing the newest high end GPS navigation systems from the most popular manufacturers. TomTom vs Garmin. Their newest models are the TomTom GO 920T and Garmin Nuvi 770.
| Feature | TomTom GO 920T | Garmin Nuvi 770 | winner |
| display size | 4.3" | 4.3" | tie |
| weight | 221g | 190g | nuvi 770 |
| dimensions | 4.6"x3.3"x0.9" | 4.8"x3.0"x0.8" | nuvi 770 |
| battery life | upto 5 hours | upto 5 hours | tie |
| maps | North America and Europe | North America and Europe | tie |
| FM Transmitter | yes | yes | tie |
| bluetooh | yes | yes | tie |
| voice address entry | yes | no | GO 920T |
| dead reckoning | yes | no | GO 920T |
| remote control | yes | no | GO 920T |
| FM traffic receiver | yes (1 year free) | yes (3 months free) | GO 920T |
| internal memory | 4GB | 2GB (not sure) | GO 920T |
| price | $700 | $1070 | GO 920T |
Well there you have it. Nuvi 770 only came ahead by a small margin in terms of weight and dimension - but the rest of the features TomTom GO 920T was the clear winner. And with the $370 you save you can buy some new gadgets…
UPDATE (September 18th 2007): A few readers have pointed out this comparison is ‘no good’ since we’re not considering map quality, routing engine, etc. We agree this is no way near a complete review but since neither of these devices are for sale just yet (pre-order only) the best we can do is compare easily identifiable features such as the ones listed above. Speaking of which we have a few to add:
| Feature | TomTom GO 920T | Garmin Nuvi 770 | winner |
| MSN Direct support | no | yes | nuvi 770 |
| locate car in parking lot | no | yes | nuvi 770 |
| correct/share maps | yes | no | GO 920T |
UPDATE (December 9th 2007): Prices have changed quite a bit. TomTom GO 920T is now $100 cheaper which brings the price to $600, and Garmin Nuvi 770 is about $300 cheaper than the suggested MSRP, now selling for $738.
Related:- cnet compares garmin and tomtom, ignores price
- TomTom and Garmin compete for attention at CeBIT
- TomTom GO 920
- tomtom 920t reviews
- garmin nuvi 550
September 16th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
That’s the crappiest comparison of GPS that I’ve ever seen. What about routing? map display? address entry? map quality? screen quality? gps fix? durability? windscreen mount? voice quality? ease of use? geez I could go on and on …
September 16th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
What about the fact that TomTom’s routing engine stinks compared to Garmin’s? Or that TomTom’s interface is harder to use than Garmin’s? Also, you didn’t mention Garmin’s neat new features on the nuvi 700’s, like remembering where you parked your car. I’ve tested the TomTom GO 720, and it was lousy at basic routing and navigation. Even the $200 Magellan Maestro 3100 is better.
September 16th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Fletch - thanks for your comments. I’m sure our readers will consider your thoughts.
Hugo - See how Fletch is contributing and you’re not?
September 17th, 2007 at 8:11 am
[...] interesante la comparativa que han publicado en Engadget enfrentando al TomTom GO 920T con el Garmin Nuvi [...]
September 17th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Admin you should be doing your job so I would not have to not contribute.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
I do not have both systems, you did. And I am genuinely interested in the points I raised and you did not even care.
Sorry to hurt your little fweelings.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I find this to be a very poor comparison. Most of the features listed are not as important as quality of the maps, quality of routing, user interface design, how well the device keeps track of the vehicle, support for simulation mode, or support for multiple waypoints. I even had to go look up the definition of “dead reckoning”.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
We now have a link to ‘dead reckoning’ from the comparison chart above. Thanks for pointing that out.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:18 am
I Garmin will also support MSN traffic, does the TomTom?
September 19th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
I love Garmin. I think tom tom sucks as a gps device!!!I have tried it and I couldn’t wait to sell it on e-bay and take my loss!!!!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:35 am
No review is perfect. This review was most helpful :)
September 30th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Comparison was incomplete and overly simplistic. What do you think we are? robots waiting for instructions?
October 4th, 2007 at 5:20 am
Very poor comparison.
770 can calculate altitude (in real time), 920 no
770 support text-to-speech for speaking street names, 920 no.
770 has more POI than 920.
In europe TMC has to be paid only in france, in Italy it’s free so the difference is null.
770 can store Waypoints, 920 no.
The 920’s dead reckoning is a very helpful function but with a vehicles speed sensor it should be better…
770 has a new function to locate autovelox (cyclops).
I don’t know which unit is better, depends from the use.
For me, 770 is a little more “professional” than 920, but tomtom now in italy is sold much more of the others, is much more “fashionable”.
(Sorry for my bad english)
October 4th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Hey Marco, 920T does text-to-speech as well. But maybe not in Italian.
Also all GPS systems are aware of your altitude. It is a matter of choosing to display that info on your screen or not.
If you have any sources for ‘your’ comparison please let us know - such as the number of POIs for example.
Thanks for your input.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:09 am
I’m sorry. 920T effectively does text-to-speech and maybe also in italian.
For the altitude I’ve asked directly to tomtom and their answer had been that in order to become simpler it does not display it.
Same question to Garmin and 7xx can display altitude (in a “subscreen”).
For other information (POI) I will investigate better.
I hope someone else could increase the terms of this helpful comparison.
Thanks You!
bad bad english :-(
October 19th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
why peopel say that garmin is better i pay 480 for nuvi360 and i cant sleep antil i sell how much i lost $80 one more thing kijiji thay have all garmin expensiv model people sell i did not see even on tomtom720. its not good prodect if i dont know how to spell city oh cryzy mrs.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
The biggest difference hasn’t even been mentioned - the Garmin can upload topographical maps. This is essential if you are off road, on the trail etc.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
This is the worst review I have ever seen. It is like compairing to speakers both the same size both and similar build and saying the one for 12 dollars is a much better deal than the one for 400.00 without ever listening to them.
If you are not going to try them out don’t pull one out of your hat and say it is the winner.
There is no compairison. Garmin is a clear winner and always will be. Until other companies can make a GPS that does not require you to know the Zip Code or City that the address is in Garmin is untouchable. I have yet to figure why the first thing all GPS devices ask for except Garmin is the City or Zip Code. I drive everyday with a GPS and I have people tell me the address is in Seattle when it is actually in Renton or other city along the edge of Seattle. Without this feature your GPS is a big paper weight and you might as well buy a Thomas Guide or other type of paper map.
For those of you that actually need to figure out where you need to go, Look at Garmin. I have owned both and like I said there is no compairison. The money you save between the two if you buy the TomTom will be spent on gas, stress and appologies for being late or in the wrong city 40 minutes from where you really need to be.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:53 am
I was having a look on the TomTom website and I can’t see the 920T but yet, there it is. TomTom is very popular, just as iPods are popular, but they are not necessarily the best.
Believe it or not, this is a great post. You started off doing your best putting a comparison together, then others have contributed adding more detailed information. Then when someone like me comes along ,looking for information, not only do I get your comparison, Admin, but the information contributed by others.
Great stuff. Keep it up.
October 31st, 2007 at 7:00 pm
I’ve had a couple of Tom Toms and have just ordered a 920T. I love the things. I visit 10 to 12 locations daily to do audits and it has reduced my preparation time by hours. Touch in address and 99% of the time just follow directions. I just hope I never have to choose between my Tom Tom and my wife because I don’t know where she’d go.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:25 am
Terrible Review,
Why even compare the two if you have not tested them in person?
Who packed your bowl?
November 8th, 2007 at 4:12 am
hi,
sorry, i see you comparing a device that exists vs an other one which still coming soon!!! the tomtom go 920T still not yet on sale. all you can do is just a preorder. so nobody tried it yet
November 8th, 2007 at 4:18 am
other thing, i have a tomtom and i like it when it shows on the map the way which every single one-way street goes…thats very helpful if you drive in a city like new york city…and i can set which POIs should be shown on screen…it shows also name of street you driving on…garmin does that but for a short time on top of screen
November 11th, 2007 at 9:13 am
I am about to purchase my first gps and I am torn between the tomtom 920 and the garmin nuvi 600 or 700 series. Many of the remarks are heavily biased one way or the other making my choice all the more difficult. I have three questions:-
1. Are the routeing engines between tomtom and garmin so vastly different?
2. Which company has the most uptodate maps?
3. Which of tomtom or garmin has shown to have the best proven reliability?
Rgds
“Confilicted” Richard
November 16th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I am about to purchase a gps for my 06 BMW 5 series. I am deciding between the 2 models listed. Can anyone give me advise on which one to buy? Thanks.
Rgds,
Ken
November 17th, 2007 at 5:20 am
hi,
i tried garmin nuvi 660 for more than a week, i did not like it so i returned it back and get my money back. few days… i bought tomtom go 920T…guess what? i liked it.
here are some differences:
- tomtom does show you which way goes a one-way street, garmin does not.
- tomtom gives you the option to set the choice to avoid toll routes for every trip, with garmin once you set that option it will be applied for all your trips.
- on tomtom the way the map is scrolled and the vehicle icon is moving while you drive are better than on garmin.
- tomtom shows on the status bar the street name you driving on, garmin does not.
- garmin shows on top of screen the name of the next street you will cross, tomtom does not.
- on tomtom you can select the POIs you like to be shown on screen, on garmin you can’t and they appear only on zoom-in mode.
i hope you will do the best choice…the importance of an option or an other depends of the user needs.
good luck
November 19th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Aside from the nastiness of remarks, I found the info to be helpful. I am in the process of buying one of these as a gift. Still a toss up. I guess whichever one I find first. I am leaning toward the 920T though. Thanks.
November 19th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Hey, Just got my TomTom 920T and its FANTASTIC.
I think that the Garmin is a nice unit as well but is not as feature rich and far more expensive. I have owned Garmin’s in the past and thought I would just make a change (Gave my 660 to my GF). I notice that many people say that the Garmin is easier to navigate, I think they are about the same. The display of the Garmin is nice but “cartoonish” looking. One of the most important features that I think makes the Tomtom a winner is that uses the TeleAtlas maps which in my experience seems better then Navteq (they will be different for everyone, depends on what map build and how updated it is). Everyone has their personal opinion but after playing with the 920T, I don’t think I could go back to the 660 and I wouldnt bother with the increased cost to a 770. I think the above review is good for a comparison before the units are released.
November 20th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Has anyone tried comparing the TomTom 720/920 and Garmin 760/770 to the Magellan 4250. Has good Voice POI and street reconition without screen touching 6 million POIs, (Just say Magellan and ie. get coffee, and it asks you to pick from the 4.3″ screen) AAA Travel information,(Doubles Gps warranty if you have AAA.) spell check, 3.25″x4.88″x0.7″, 6.87 oz. Doesn’t have Mp3. I tink it has world map coverage, but I’m not sure. $400-$500. Screen is good to view. I’m wavering on the Magellan and TomTom 920. (wish I could have Australia and New Zealand instead of Europe.) I thought I saw that TomTo had 5 million POIs
November 20th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
One thing about TomTom, is that the map is missing a lot of the Trilogy, Redmond WA streets which both Garmin and Magellan had. I had the Garmin 660 to and sold it as I am wavering between the TomTom 920 and Magellan 4250 Maestro. As I go to Australia often TomTom 920 might be my choice, even though I do like Magellan 4250s Voice Command and Control. They say the SiRFstarlll is the fastest GPS position acquisition in the industry. Magellan only has USA 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Good enough for those who will never go to Europe
November 21st, 2007 at 8:17 am
I’ve been using Navman for years (it’s a slip for an HP IPAQ) and updated iGuidance software (Navman’s software and support stink!) and am I’m finally looking to switch to a dedicated guidance system. I’ve compared the routing of iGuidance to my friend’s TomTom and they seem to be nearly equal and they’ve never missed the mark. The advertisement for the TomTom 920 traffic avoidance is what’s pushing me towards TomTom–if it really works. Garmin’s add on traffic receiver seems awfully expensive. Has anyone tried this TomTom feature in the NY/NJ/CT area? How does it work? I wish someday everyone’s GPS will transmit location and speed information to make such a feature completely accurate and comprehensive. Privacy I’m sure is an issue…but i digress.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:44 am
I am mostly interested in the following options for my next GPS.
1) Voice recognition-speak the address and it calculates the route
2) Speech to text - tells me the name of streets as needed
3) would like it to view street level on the screen
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:37 am
I’ve tried most every type of GPS available, and though the features on the the new Tom Tom sound impressive, when it comes to serious users, military, goverment, oil and exploration industries, they choose Garmin for a reason. Yes even for highway travel, the maps are up to date, supported by the most expeirenced and reliable mapper (NavTeq), that luxury car makers use in their on-board vehicles. Is the price difference worth it? thats up to you, however my choice is Garmin and I’ve ordered a 770 (travel often in europe and the ability to download other than road maps). As far as one way streets, on Garmin you can mark as one way, but it won’t guide you down the wrong way anyway so!? PS, as far as the Magellan, I wouldn’t bother, have had all kinds of issues. Thanks hope that helps
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:36 am
I really want to use a Garmin but I’m so tired of them dumbing down their GPSs and removing features. TomTom on the other hand is adding features and not taking them away. Garmin bad, TomTom good.
In my case one feature I’ve been looking for is a GPS that would route you using HOV lanes. Garmin and many others have “HOV avoid” settings but they still won’t take HOV lanes into account. TomTom is the first GPS manufacture that has adding what many have ask for, Routing using HOV lanes. Garmin bad, TomTom good.
TomTom updates will add new features to older GPSs but Garmin tells you to toss your perfectly good GPS to get a new feature. Garmin bad, TomTom good.
The reports I hearing it that with the latest firmware TomTom routing is right there with Garmin. I can live with minor differences.
Good for TomTom, they have it together and they listen, Garmin does not listen but just does what they THINK we want and not WHAT we want.
If having a few streets not listed, do you really thing that Navteq had nothing missing on their maps you deluding your self, I can live with that. TomTom’s map share will help take care of that in short order.
So for me, unless something really bad shows up my new GPS is going to be a TomTom 920(T).
Now if I can just find a cell phone that works with Verizon that will bluetooth connect to a GPS without locking out Phone book transfers and the like I’ll be happy. But that a totally different story.
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:12 pm
What’s up with the compression of TomTom’s map files? Why are the road lines not drawn fluidly? The road lines look like there are radio frequency distortions in the device (jagged). Does this annoy anyone else, or has TomTom fixed this in the new 920? I saw one at Best Buy and I still saw the jagged road lines.
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Hey Folks,
I was getting worried about initial negative comments from some here but glad to see that as the comments come in Tom Tom is coming out as the winner:-)!
Have been seaching for days now trying to decide between these two and was just so glad to see that at least navigadget bit the bullet and did a comparison…thanks “administrator” for sticking your neck out and rolling with the punches!
I must admit, I’m a neophyte who’s still using a Nokia 6600 cell from 4-5 years ago…am a single, baby boomer just trying to find my way around this planet with reasonable accuracy and some level of security in this high-tech industry that MDs products the day after you spend hundreds.
In my minds eye, Tom Tom has answered my Chrismas wishes: 1) “voice recognition” so I can “say” my destination…instead of having to find my reading glasses to see the screen and press through several screens to enter my destination. 2) “Mapshare” so if I do find a problem I can let TT and everyone else know…not to mention very cool software updating. 3) About twice the memory of any others on the market (4GB)! 4) Bluetooth to make calls 5) Traffic FM for one year! and 6) Great price!
Yes, it appears to me that Tom Tom is looking at users they way “Apple” (Mac, IPhone) has and does…ie., make it “state of the art, feature rich and NIFTY” yet, keep it simple and user friendly!…how novel!
Way to go TomTom…am going out to get the 920T! AND, with the extra $500…yes, found it cheaper than $700 online I’m going to find the perfect bluetooth cell phone to go with it!…anyone got any recommendations for one on 3G network?
November 24th, 2007 at 2:32 am
wow, I think there is some Garmin interests posting here. I’ve owned Garmin for sometime and they are a good company, but they are not perfect. I found plenty of missing and outdated map information. Their pricing does suggest that they are very proud of their devices and seem to be unaware that they have competition now. I’m giving the 920T a shot. The angry postings here are not changing my mind. I think the traffic update service is interesting and want to see how it works and I don’t think that Garmins extra pricing will get me anything.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:20 am
I’ve owned at least one product from every Garmin product line since the 2610 (2610, 2720, C340, C320, Nuvi 660, Nuvi 750). I just bought my first TomTom One. Here are some things I have noticed:
- TomTom’s menus are editable by editing an MNU file and placing it in the SdkRegistry folder. There is no way to do this on a Garmin.
- It is very simple to convert my Garmin POI files (GPX, CSV) to TomTom’s OV2 format.
- The TomTom has a compass and has a marker SHOWING YOU THE DIRECTION OF THE NEXT TURN. The last Garmin to do this was the StreetPilot 2610 from 2004 which had an editable interface. None of the C-series or Nuvis do this (to get the direction of the next turn you have to hit the bottom right of the screen)
- TomTom gives earlier notice of turns and 2 miles ahead of time and does not surprise you on the turns. The interface is much quicker and there is less lag than on the Nuvis
- The Globallocate Hammerhead chip in my TomTom One 3rd Edition picks up satellite far quicker than SiRFStar III in my Nuvi.
- The latest versions of the TeleAtlas maps seem to have finally caught up and perhaps surpassed NavTEQ in terms of details and quality. Several of the new roads and neighborhoods are missing in Garmin MapSource 2008 but are found in the TT1.
- Garmin’s GUI is very colorful, but the use of space is extremely poor. The widescreen 660 did not buy me much over the much smaller 350.
- The material on the TomTom feel like much higher grade plastic than the Nuvi.
- Garmin seems to have better mounting systems but the TomTom mount is much smaller and elegant. Only time will tell which one will fail first.
As a long time Garmin fan, I’m shocked at what I’ve been missing all these years by not trying out TomTom products. People have always said that TeleAtlas is less detailed than NavTEQ and that Garmin routing is better. I have found TomTom’s routing to be identical to the Garmin in every scenario I’ve driven in.
November 24th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Am happy to see Scott and Bill are converts!
Just an update to let everyone know that I was surfing to buy the 920T and found a purported “SCAM” site selling the unit for $476…BE CAREFUL! The site went up on 10/31/07 and after calling some of the “hacker safe” companies listed on their site, my son found out they were not signed up…he then reported them to BBB. Site name is: yourdigitalelectronics.com Go here for scam info:
http://forums.cnet.com/televisions/5208-7596_102-0.html?forumID=60&threadID=271835&messageID=2629689
Best place to buy right now is Amazon on pre-order for $529. Good luck to all.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:18 am
I am looking for my first GPS and cannot decide between the TomTom GO 920T, Garmin Nuvi 760, and Magellan Maestro 4250. I have created a comparison here (hope the url works):
http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/gps/p/522/compare/page_id=522/masterids%5B%5D=48018524
That comparison is very gross. I am tilted towards the 920T due to its map share capability, bigger memory, lower price and a few other usability advantages mentioned above by others. I would like to know whether the 920T has any of the following features:
1. 3D map view
2. Avoid area routing (avoid highways, tolls etc.)
3. Odometer
4. Picture viewer
5. Route planning with re-routing (fast off-route and detour re-calculation)
6. Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
7. Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route)
November 26th, 2007 at 11:24 am
I read somewhere that Garmin is the only GPS manufacturer that allows specification of address with an approximate city and no zip code. For example, 654 High St. is in Worthington, a small suburb of Columbus, OH. If I enter 654 High St., Columbus, OH as the address, according to the source (which I unfortunately couldn’t find again), only the Nuvi 600/700 can figure out the address without asking any more questions. The other GPS systems would ask for the zip code or the correct city name.
The other thing that I read again somewhere which I don’t remember is that the streets are drawn on the 920T screen in some regged fashion and not so smooth as the Nuvi 600/700. The reason for this was sited as the higher compression of the stored maps in 920T.
Since I have not used any of the GPS systems, I am not sure how true the above reports are. I would like to know from someone who has used both the Nuvi 600/700 and GO 920/920T systems.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Well all, I just bought the 920T today and lo and behold….Traffic Alerts ARE NOT available for the US! Why would you buy this then? To further my bait and switch frustration, I learned that the ‘free’ offer of maps for a year is no longer available!! But wait, there is more…when trying to download the .pdf manual from the CD it freezes the system and gives a download error. I am told this is a known ‘bug’ but now I am manual-less. As a Apple & Macintosh user for may years I have to say that this, my first experience with TomTom leaves something to be desired. I am returning the device tomorrow and waiting for good old Garmin’s new device. Don’t be fooled by the advertising if you are in the US!
November 26th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Did any of you take a look at the Mio DigiWalker C520 GPS? That looks like a good one with pretty good reviews. Some consider it better than the Nuvi 600 series.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Thanks for the heads up Mike. I was about to buy the 920t, I live in DC so the traffic feature is huge for me. I’ll call TomTom tomorrow to find out what their deal is.
Has anyone used the MSN Direct traffic feature on the Garmin, is it any gooD?
November 27th, 2007 at 10:04 am
I bought a NUVI and brought it back I have used the MSN direct for Gas prices, Movie Times, Traffic. The reception for the MSN Direct was very poor I only received a signal for a very short time when I was in a well built up Burb near Chicago (Schaumburg). The antenna is in the DC adaptor as well :( stupid idea I think. I drove from Elgin IL to Macon IL over the Weekend to visit family for the Holidays and did not get any reception for MSN Direct the whole time. So I purchased a TomTom 720 now and the Traffic, Weather is some what to be desired as well. I am attempting the dial in off my cell phone so you get it only while dialed in, WTF. Soulsea I would love to know if the Traffic not in the US is correct because I will not go with TomTom at all id that is the case. I also got an update for the Map of North America and guess what it was to large to install on the 720 with only 2 gig of internal memory again WOW. As far as getting from point A to B so far both are fine but the extras are to be desired on both. I did like the 4 gig of internal memory on the 920T but what about gas prices, traffic, weather, etc?
November 29th, 2007 at 11:27 am
TOMTOM Battery life is horrible lasts only about an hour, The device has shut down 5 times now indicating a low battery right after I charged it, the device keep popping off the Windows or dash because the Vehicle suction cup mount falls off, after using the phone to dial in for Weather the tomtom will not connect up to your phone via the Bluetooth connection you manually have to reattach it, I downloaded a new North America map and it will not fit onto the device without purchasing at least 2 gig of removable memory, When attempting to go to an address that has characters in the address other than 123 you were unable to enter them IE “1N141” Will not let you enter the “N”, To setup the dial in for the Cellular for weather and traffic neither the carrier nor tomtom support the config. WTF. It was like pulling teeth to get the proxy, username, password etc. The accuracy is a little off as well; you might be right on the corner before you get the warning to make that turn. I do like the display though and it is cool the way the fast food, gas stations show up on the screen when you are near them with their Corporate Logo. So in a nut shell I have ordered the Garmin and will be sticking with Garmin going forward unless they get cocky and stop building a quality product.
November 29th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
TReedy, I’m a little confused. On your Nov. 27th post you said you bought a NUVI but you brought it back and purchased a TomTom. But in you Nov. 29th post you say you are not happy with the TomTom and so have now ordered another Garmin. If I understand correctly what you say you were not happy with either traffic service. Can you clarify for me what unit is you favorite and why. Thanks.
December 1st, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Have had the 920T for a few weeks, love it. Used to use a TomTom 910 mostly, as well as Garmin, Earthmate, & built-in GPS in wifes Jeep Commandor. I drive an F250 Super Duty that has the inside noise level of a sherman tank, and the voice recognition works well, far better than I had hoped. I also use a Motorola I580 blue tooth phone and the 920T pairs with and works flawlessly. It wont tranfer my contact list from the phone to the GPS, but sound quality & ease of use is great. Battery life is far better than the TomTom 910, I have been getting over 4 hours per charge. http://www.arkon.com/ makes nice hard mounts for the TomTom 920T. I have never liked suction cup mounts. The maps are detailed, very accurate, & intuitive. If the TomTom 920 cant get you where your going, you probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Gunny, have you tried the traffic feature?
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:58 am
After using the Tomtom and the Garmin I do like the combo traffic, gas prices, and weather and movie time with MSN direct. Just make sure you are in a good coverage area.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
soulsea…Yes.. I have used the traffic feature (3) times now. I used the included antenna, I didn’t use the Plus feature. I drive between Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky. The coverage seems great. It locks onto an FM station in in less than 20 seconds. There is zero setup to use it, as soon as you plug in the antenna, it scans for an FM station that broadcasts the TMC signal. It showed road maintenance and expected belays, and they were very close to the time the TomTom reported. I have never used traffic features on a GPS and was skeptical, but it worked. I found a website that showed all the TMC coverage maps, if I can find it I will post a link.
December 5th, 2007 at 6:27 am
tomtom has a list of uk and europe speed camera and free updates to this. does garmin support this too? if not, i’m not interested.
December 5th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I can’t believe the luck I just had. Costco is selling the TomTom GO 920 for $399.00, and the nuvi 650 for $299.00. They sold out of the nuvi 680 but are suppose to get more. They have others as well but these were the two I was looking at and the price for the 920 is $200.00 less than I have found anywhere else. You can order on line also.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
I also saw the ad today for the TomTom Go 920 for $399 ($150 off base price) on Costco’s website. But the GO 920 is different than the GO 920T. Does anyone know the primary differences between the two?
Also, I have heard that the Garmin Nuvi 760/770 is the first GPS to offer TRUE route optimization. Other GPS units supposedly offer a “Route Sorting” that does not truly give you an efficient route with multiple waypoints. Does anyone have any experience with both of these units? If so, does the TomTom routing feature live up to the supposed superior routing feature of the Garmin Nuvi 760?
I have also heard that the TomTom will alert you if you are speeding… is this true? If so, can it be turned off?? I dont want my GPS unit yelling at me when I am cruising down the highway at 85mph in a 65mph zone…
I have heard that the Garmin unit shows a “choppy” animation of your vehicle going down the road and that other units, including the TomTom, show much smoother movements in your virtual vehicle along the street. Is this true?
Those with experience on both, how is the glare on each? I am assuming that glare really isnt an issue with most GPS units, but I figured I would ask anyway.
And I am still a little worried about the traffic features after some of the recent posts I read. According to Gunny’s post, the traffic feature on the TomTom apparantly works just fine. Anyone else with experience with this feature on either unit?
And on both units, do you have to pay to update the maps? I always thought map updates would be free on any GPS unit, but now I am hearing that both of these units potentially charge to update your maps?? I hope that isnt true…
I think I was pretty set on getting the Garmin Nuvi 760 (primarily because of its supposed superior route optimization feature) and because I have friends that sear by Garmin products. I have not really experienced either of these units myself, but it sounds like TomTom has really come out with a great product with this Go 920T. I am really torn between the two now and I guess I will wait for additional information and comments to surface.
Thanks all who posted!
December 6th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
I of course have a few additional comments to add to my last post. According to BB’s pricegrabber comparison link, the Go 920 has a 533mhz processor while the GO 920T has a 400mhz processor?? Can anyone confirm if this is true?
And the Costco ad for the GO 920 shows a picture of the GO 920T (black). I wonder if this is a typo on their website and it is actually the GO 920T that they are selling…
Overall, I think if TomTom’s routing feature (including rerouting for a missed destination or traffic) is equal to Garmin’s and TomTom’s traffic feature is equal to Garmin’s (assuming they both work well), I would go with the TomTom and buy a new mount from the website posted by Gunny.
Can anyone confirm the differences between the Go 920 and Go 920T, the differences between the routing features, and the comparison of traffic features??
Thanks!
December 6th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I figured I would answer my own question since I didnt post too long ago and no one has responded yet.
I found that the GO 920 and GO 920T are the same except for one thing: the GO 920T has the traffic receiver built in whereas you have to purchase a seperate receiver for the GO 920. I believe the receiver is over $100 and the price difference between these two units (except for the Costco sale price) is about $100 (check Amazon.com). So, barring the deal at Costco, it seems if you want the traffic receiver, you should buy the 920T and save yourself the hassle.
By the way, I called Costco and the unit they are selling is indeed the GO 920, not the GO 920T. So for $399, plus about $130 for the traffic receiver, you are talking about $530 total, which is lower than the average price of $599 for the GO 920T with the receiver built in. The Costco deal seems to be the best available at the moment.
Also, here is a link to the traffic coverage currently available on the TomTom here in the US:
http://www.tomtom.com/lib/images/milan/tmc_us/index.html
It seems to cover major highways in most major markets. And I just checked Garmins traffic coverage website, and although presented slightly differently, the individual market maps are exactly the same. This must be because both the Garmin and the TomTom use the FM-TMC traffic service so the coverage is equal. Here is Garmins FM TMC traffic coverage webpage:
https://shop.garmin.com/fmtraffic/select_service_plan.asp?L=EN&CR=1&PR=1
So as I have answered most of my own questions because my posts are so close together, I have just one remaining question. And that is:
Is the route optimization of the Garmin Nuvi 760 noticeably better than the TomTom GO 920T? And what about the rerouting feature if you get caught in traffic or miss a waypoint?
December 6th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
@James
Yes, the TomTom alerts you if you are speeding. Your actual speed and the speed limit are shown at the bottom right. If you go over by about 5% for longer than - dunno, ten seconds or so - the actual speed turns red and it bleeps at you. I haven’t yet looked to see if you can turn it off (I’ll be extremely surprised if you can’t).
December 6th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
@bb
>[Does the TomTom support]
>1. 3D map view
Yes.
> 2. Avoid area routing (avoid highways, tolls etc.)
Yes.
> 3. Odometer
Don’t know.
> 4. Picture viewer
Don’t know. Think so. Who cares :-)
> 5. Route planning with re-routing (fast off-route and detour re-calculation)
Yes.
> 6. Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
Yes.
> 7. Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route)
Don’t know.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
James,
Thanks for all your comments. It was very informative. I’m sure other readers will learn from them.
I don’t know much about the ‘route optimization’ on Garmin’s 700 series - but I know almost every GPS navigation system offer the ‘rerouting’ feature which is nothing but recalculating your route to your destination from your current location.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
@bb
TomTom *does* have a picture viewer.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
One comment on the voice-address input on the TomTom. I’ve just bought one and was using it in the US before coming over to Europe for a trip. Voice-address worked fine in the US, but not in Europe (i.e. it appears to be disabled when I switch to the Western Europe map). It may be a per-map setting though.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
On the “ragged” nature of the TomTom display:
Yes, if I take my eyes off the road long enough to analyze it (and thereby risk crashing), then OK, diagonal lines aren’t perfectly smooth. But I can say with certainty that it doesn’t in *any* way constitue a negative for the TomTom. I would discount it as a buying consideration.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I’ll add to the confusion. I know that I purchased a 920 and not a 920T from COSTCO as that is what I wanted. It hasn’t arrived yet. I called TomTom after reading the comments here and they advised that the only difference between the two is the inclusion of an external antenna which is included with the 902T along with a free one year subscription to TomTom Plus Traffic service. They also said that there were two types of traffic services for the 920 series. One that is unrelated to TomTom and is a yearly subscription, the other is a TomTom Plus service that constantly shows you how heavy the traffic is by the color of the road, red heavy etc. If you add the antenna later the cost runs anywhere between $115 and $135 along with the subscription fee for the service. So does anyone actually have a 920T, and if so did it come with an external antenna? I don’t understand the conflicting information.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Yes Joe… I have the 920T which came with the external antenna. I didn’t want to have to use to use the plus service that might not work with my blue tooth phone and also didn’t want to have another service to pay for. The TomTom itself is the same unit, mine says “Go920″ as the model number on the back, you just get the external antenna with the 920T. When you plug the antenna in, it finds an FM station broadcasting TMC and then on the right side of the screen displays delays on your current route. You can tap the right side of the screen and get info on the traffic delays/problems. It displays a solid green ball on the right if there are zero delays, or shows you how many miles to the next delay. My Motorola I580 phone works great with the blue tooth hands free calling over the TomTom, but I don’t have a data package that would use the plus service so I opted for the antenna and free TMC signal. Its an impressive GPS, you wont be disappointed.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I finally got the wireless data from my Nextel phone to work with the TT920. I had the wrong dial out number for Nextel data. There is something to note about the Traffic feature if it hasn’t been posted. The Traffic feature used thru the Plus services is not available yet in the USA, so if your in the US, the antenna is the only option, unless I am missing something. I was able to check weather, update the sat positions, and other things thru the plus services, so the basic services work.
December 7th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Thanks Gunny, that information reassured me. A few friends of mine went to the Costco site this evening and they are sold out. This is the second time they have sold out, so it’s possible that they may get more in.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:25 am
You have been very helpful to us all. I’m leaning toward the TT 920T vs Nuvi 760, but TT’s bluetooth compatibiltiy site is pretty lame - they don’t even list Verizon compatible phones, the largest carrier!
Does anyone have any knowledge of, or experience with trying to pair a Verizon Motorola E815 w/a 920T? How about the new G’z One Type S?
Also, can one subscribe to MSN on a 920T? Thanks! Great site.
December 8th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Many here forget to highlight the most important advantage of the 920 over the Garmin 6 series!!! Transcontinental mapping. For business travellers and other frequent pond-hoppers, the 680/660/650/750/760 just do not cut it!
Now, if you were talking about the 670 or 770, then the advantage would be negated, however, the price of those Garmins are EVEN higher and makes the TomTom look like an even greater bargain!! The TT has at least a $400 discount to the 770.
So, from where I sit, I see the TomTom with dual continental mapping, a richer feature set, cheaper price, slim transportable profile, and latest version 7.10maps…that is a formidable value package that blows away the Garmin even with its solid performance and deserved reputation.
TomTom is simply going to dominate the segment of the market that NEEDS EU/NA mapping.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Their blue tooth compatibility list is small. I don’t really think that many phones won’t be compatible, you will just have to manually setup your wireless data settings. My phone paired perfectly, it just couldn’t identify my phone model. Its very simple, the link is to a site for setting up a PDA, but towards the bottom are the settings for Nextel, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile / other GSM/GPRS phones that you will enter when setting up your TomTom manually. http://scoutpal.com/db/btmodem.htm
December 9th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
The Screen is far more beautiful / superior on the Garmin 770 vs the Tomtom 920T.
other than this, i love my TomTom - cheaper and comes speach recognition and remote.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Thanks Gunny! I decided to go to a big box store last night with my E815 in hand. It paired perfectly, and to my surprise they had the 920T on sale for $100 off. So…I pulled the trigger.
So far, so good, but it doesn’t recognize the Rite-Aid or Hess stations in our hometown!
How come??!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Mark…. Not sure why they aren’t showing up. Were they built just recently? Did you try to go to the TomTom home software on your PC and go to “Add maps. traffic, voices, etc” and go to Points of interest and see if there are any POI’s that it might try and update?
December 11th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Does anyone know if the bluetooth on the 920T pairs with a Blackberry (Pearl)?
December 11th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Gunny…Thanks. Tech support says I will need to add these manually. She walked me through the first one, but I’m so new at this that I’ve forgotten the procedure now, and the CD manual doesn’t seem to be very clear and user friendly. It seems like it leaves out crucial steps…very frustrated at this point!!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I’m also having trouble w/my battery. Is anyone else?? Today I only got about 2 hours out of it. Does it draw more if one’s talking on the cellphone through it’s bluetooth connection (as I was today)?
Can anybody shed any light??
December 12th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Mark,
Yes it does.
Also, maybe you can drive up to the gas stations and mark them as favourites when you are there??
December 12th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Thanks Infama. I’ll give your suggestion a try. Is it easy to do? I’m hanging in!
December 13th, 2007 at 8:24 am
A lot of good info here, but I still am not sure which to buy for my first one. Too many people are too familiar with details about GPS, and I’m not clear on which ones are critically important. One thing is that a lot of the discussion is focused on urban and interurban driving, and traffic downloads. I am interested in the driving GPS, but also want to be able to dowload topo maps for hiking, etc; this is the big reason to get a small unit.
Way back on October 28, jerseydevil posted the following:
“The biggest difference hasn’t even been mentioned - the Garmin can upload topographical maps. This is essential if you are off road, on the trail etc.” No one has bothered to address that since, so I assume it is true (which it might be but no other feature has garned 100% agreement!), or no one else cares.
Is this true? If so, my decision is made.
December 13th, 2007 at 8:56 am
JoshKC,
It is probably true that TomTom does not offer topo maps for the 920T or for any other model. We’ll add this to the main article as an update if everybody agrees.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I heard the maps were not as good as the Naveteq maps in the Garmin units for areas of Canada. Can anyone confirm/dismiss?
Thanks
December 13th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
FYI, more TT920 on costco website dor $ 399 = $10 shipping and taxes. Santa heard me. Hurry up
December 14th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Fred,
I have read just the opposite!!! And from more than one poster too.
Josh, check out gpsreview.net for answers to your complex question.
Tim will hook you up.
December 15th, 2007 at 1:43 am
Like many comments before me, helpful comments…and yet confusing. I thought I had it nailed down to TomTom GO 920T, but if traffic reports are not available in US, what’s the point if its the primary country for use for that feature? Would then go with TT920 vs. Garmin 770, but no one answered Bruce from Nov. 20th on camparison of TomTom 920, Garmin 660/770 and Magellan 4250 Maestro. I found the Magellan 4250 at Costco…looking to buy for my dad as gift. Can anyone shed some additional light on Magellan 4250 as a choice in comparison?
December 15th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Lynn,
Better to address such questions at a dedicated forum for such questions like the one I mentioned in my last post.
Traffic reports ARE available in the US for the TT 920T, both TMC and via the data download PLUS service. Problem with the latter is that many phones are not data compatible with the 920T, even if calls work fine.
December 17th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Costco sells TomTom G0 920 for $399, so with the sparate purchase of TMC Traffic receiver for $129 you can have 920T for as low as $529, and with $100 mail-in rebate the net cost for the 920T is actually $429 vs. $700-750 for Nuvi 770.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
There was a review in Personal Computer World Magazine (February 2008 edition - I know, future date as always) -this is a UK publication. They compared the TomTom 720 to the Garmin 660 - TomTom won - pushed into the lead because of better value for money. Of interest, all the other GPS devices used NavTeq whereas only TomTom used TeleAtlas (and they recently bought the company).
I have seen both units in action - the Garmin is better (smaller, lighter, easier to hold) if you are using it outside the car (e.g. walking, on a train). The “navigation” experience of the TomTom is better (more notice of when to turn, visual map experience etc.)
I can’t compare the accuracy of the mapping though, with the TomTom you can update the map. MapShare from TomTom has two modes of operation - the Wikipedia mode (take risks with the content but get it early) or the validated user content mode. In Europe the MSN service is not available so of little benefit.
This is an excellent thread, I hope these comments are of use.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Kakes,
In Ped mode, the 660 has to have the antenna flap up, so negating any size advantage.
The 920 is a bit better than the 720 as well. Both are drop dead gorgeous.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Infama,
I agree, I should have been more explicit about portability. The Garmin fits more easily into a large jacket/coat pocket than the TomTom but in use a small antenna is required to be raised.
That said, I just (2 hours ago) went and ordered a 920T from amazon.co.uk for £354.30 (read $700 US - $200 more than in the USA and TomTom are a European company !). However, having used both I really preferred the TomTom, so I should declare an interest in this post. 99% of the time I will use it in my car.
I am waiting to see how good the gyroscope is for “dead reckoning” (or, as TomTom call it - “Enhanced Positioning Technology”) - I doubt it will work but I’d like to see how it deals with the London Underground !
December 19th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Lev Berkovich,
The price of the TomOm 920 on Cosco.com ($399) is after the $100 rebate. Do check the details of the mail in rebate on the TomTom web site.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Can anyone loan me his/her costco membership # since I don’t have one? I’d like to purchase a tomtom 920 for my upcoming trip. My email address is wan_13th@yahoo.com.
Cheers.
December 20th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Kakes,
PocketGPSworld.com just did a quick test on EPT aroound paris and gave it a thmbs up!
GPSreview.net did one a wek weeks back and found that it worked OK…far better than nothing.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:45 am
The garmin nuvi 760 is a much better unit then the tomtom go 920t first of all it’s very simple to use secondly very reliable unit when used out in the country ie cottage thirdly if the aircraft,and military use GARMIN trust me garmin is the way to go,and who cares if the unit has all those extra bells and whistles why not keep life simple.Further more the more features the unit has the more likely it will fail beleive it.the tomtom go 920t has voice input good luck if you have a sore throat etc.
Thanx Peter
December 20th, 2007 at 11:02 am
>>tomtom go 920t has voice input good luck if you have a sore throat
good luck if you have sore throat? Thanks Peter. That was funny :)
December 20th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Please ignore my earlier posting, I have applied a Costco card and bought a TomTom Go 920. I feel it’s very funny, because those guys are still bidding hard on ebay for the same product but much higher price. :) So, if you want to make money, why don’t you buy from Costco and sell on ebay? drop ship, haha!
December 20th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Peter,
If you really want to keep it simple, be a luddite and go back to paper maps. LoL
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 am
I am going to get a GARMIN 650. I was hoping to see some comments on that particular model but I could’nt.
Right now, I am going to buy GARMIN just ‘cuz I like the catchy song in their ad
“Where’s shopping mall,
Where’s chinese food,
Ding Dong Ding Dong
Give a Garmin, Give a Garmin,
Give a Garmin, Give a Garmin,
”
You can watch the advertisement embellishing the holiday spirit at…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-47QHEeFOH8
December 22nd, 2007 at 8:28 am
Josh, you might as well get a 700 series Garmin instead of the 650. The improvements are worth paying a little bit more money for.
f1
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I agree with F1.
The 760 can be had for $580 at gpsdiscount.com
I still prefer the 920 though. Hehehehe
December 22nd, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Tomtom Mapshare adverts:
http://www.tomtom.com/news/media.php?media=43&Lid=1
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Just bought a TomTom 920 T.
I didn’t read through all the replies… But in case it was missed, the software CD has Mac OS x software! I was surprised.
December 23rd, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Well, the moderator censored my first post here. In that post where links to two of the most thorough reviews you can find on Garmin 760 and TT Go 720.
Try again…search for your GPS unit of choice at gpsmagazinedotcom.
In short, Garmin beats out the TT…
December 24th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I was wondering how’s everyone’s experience with the FM transmitter for hands free operation? And also MP3 streaming, good? bad? statics? (I’m leaning more towards the 920, but I’d like to hear from both users on this feature).
thanks in advance…
Ken
December 25th, 2007 at 1:26 am
Does anyone know how to take the windshield holder off TT920? I have spent over an hour but still can’t figure out the right way to do it.
Cheers
Joe
December 25th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Joe,
Just pull on the tab and it comes right off. You will smack your forehead when you see how easy it is. LoL
December 25th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Fearless1,
Just go to page 18 of the TT 720 review (comments section) and see a poster (Will) rip the review apart, point by point. Beautifully done.
GPSmag is a Garmin shill. Biased to the core.
Indeed, here is the URL below:
http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2007/09/tomtom_go_720_review.php?page=18
Replace the “dot” with a real “.”
UPDATE: admin put in the real dot for you.
December 25th, 2007 at 8:27 am
By Will:
Will:
I’ve had this 720 for almost 2 weeks now. I bought it towards the end of October, and it’s a real nifty device. I bought the magellan 4020 and returned it the next day for the GO 720 (mainly because it took too long to receive a satellite signal).
But I just had to comment on this review. There were a number of glaring omissions and the reviewer’s obvious endorsement of all things Garmin interfered with providing a fair and impartial review.
The first thing that caught my attention… well actually if you read the garmin 760 review he touts himself, “Already a Garmin nuvi fan, it was with great anticipation…”
But whatever we all have our favorite products, that’s cool. (I’m assuming he’s the same author because he uses the same ‘routing engine’ comparisons).
But it was the following comment that first caught my attention, “TomTom provides a dizzying array of speech options, allowing you to customize exactly how much or little you want to hear announced.”
Dizzying? Almost has a negative ring to it, no? Like having lots of options to choose from is a bad thing or something. But whatever. Just an adjective. Moving on.
“One minor TomTom annoyance: when set to Miles, the GO 720 reports smaller distances in yards instead of feet. Makes sense for Canada, but feet would be better here in the US.”
Americans are pretty big on football, and they might relate better to yards. However, aside from that my 720 DOES report
smaller distances in feet…
“TomTom provides four different day color schemes to choose from.”
There are actually 7 to choose from. And you can download lots more from the web… And there are actually 3 night colors installed to choose from (not 4), again, lot more to download from the web.
“It would be nice if the power cable connected to the windshield mount rather than the GPS, since you could then leave the car all wired up and ready to dock the GPS without having to fumble around with the cable and plug in the USB/Power cord (such as Garmin’s nuvi mounts).”
I couldn’t agree more. Maybe a little “garmin” leaning, but he’s right…
“Compared to other GPS devices, the GO 720’s map screen seems cluttered.”
Tomtom gives you the choice to have that info displayed vertically or horizontally. It looks much better vertically, with all the data laid out in a list, it looks MUCH better. Also, tomtom gives you the choice on which data to include on the screen. Reviewer should have pointed this out.
“The two different mapping providers probably accounts for the difference in the size of the water and distance between streets displayed on the Garmin and TomTom.”
Ok, so it’s not garmin’s fault that tomtom’s map is more detailed…
“Garmin’s map consistently displayed more surrounding detail than TomTom’s. Notice how the Garmin displays nearby roads and water bodies, while the TomTom makes it look like we’re driving on the only road for miles.”
Wow. This is blatantly misleading. If you look at the two images you’ll see that the tomtom is more zoomed in than the garmin. Look at the pics with the railroad track, you can tell that the tomtom is a lot more zoomed in than the garmin. so obviously it won’t pick up surrounding water bodies and roads because its outside the field of view.
“Garmin’s 3D angle is also easier to read than TomTom’s, as the angle is less severe and you can see more of a bird’s eye view on the Garmin.”
To each his own i guess. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with this, because if you just zoom out a bit, you’ll get more coverage. Also with the tomtom it shows the horizon, which is more realistic than what the garmin shows… I actually prefer 2d mode with direction up.
“A more detailed look at the reception screen reveals that the TomTom GO 720 is tracking fewer satellites than the Garmin nuvi, despite the fact that both units are using the same high-performance SiRF receiver.”
8 satellites instead of 9. This kind of sets up the 720 as being faulty. Satellite receptions fluctuate a bit. Depending on my position I typically get between 7 and 11 satellites… But another thing the reviewer doesn’t point out. The GO 720 picks up a signal in under 30 seconds once its powered up. I’m not sure the same can be said with the garmin, i hear it typically takes longer to hone in on a signal. But that’s based on garmin forums, not from personal experience.
“Another problem I noticed on the GO 720 is one of the worst cases of “GPS Drift” I’ve ever experienced. GPS drift is an issue where the GPS will show your position slowly “drifting” back and forth on the map, even if you are standing still in the same position… In its current form this problem is significant and very annoying.”
In two weeks of daily use, i have yet to experience “GPS drift.” With the latest firmware this problem does not exist.
“Map tracking, or the GPS’ ability to match the position information to the map, was also poor on the GO 720. Sometimes the 720 would display my car driving sideways, as shown above, or completely off road, as shown below.”
This is something I have not experienced with my 720. By the way, you said you had the magellan on this joy ride as well. Where are those images?
“The GO 720 also exhibited problems handling missed turns, and route re-calculation. When I missed a turn, sometimes the GO 720 would show me driving off into the wilderness for as long as 30 seconds.”
I couldn’t disagree more. This is actually the area I have been most impressed with the tomtom. As soon as it realizes you’re off track, it recalculates the route very quickly. Never slow. The 30 seconds the reviewer describes… I have yet to experience.
“Well, this looks promising! According to this message, the pairing process was a success, and I’ll now have access to hands-free calling and TomTom’s PLUS services. Right? Not so fast… Despite the previous message telling me that the wireless data was configured, the GO 720 displays a message saying I’ll need to configure the data service before making use of TomTom’s PLUS services.”
It now seems like you’re out to get tomtom. What is wrong with you? The previous message clearly states, “the following features were FOUND:”
It doesn’t say that the wireless data was CONFIGURED. Why are you so misleading? Does anyone notice how he describes this as some flaw with the tomtom feature? When in actuality you’re just going through the setup screen one by one. Why are you so annoying?
“Bummer - In the end I’m unable to pair my Blackberry 8800 or 8700 to the GO 720, either manually or using any of the pre-configured phones listed on the GPS.”
I’m left wondering if you actually tried connecting with all the listed options to choose from. It wasn’t until my third attempt (ATT Data) that I got it configured
(i kept choosing the wrong item). Though I do hear lots of people complaining about their phones not working. I agree it prolly does have something to do with tomtom’s european roots, since my phone is sony-ericsson. And I’m not willing to pay for the services anyway. If you didn’t already have a data plan, you’d have to pay extra for that too.
Additionally there’s a receiver you can get that provides traffic data. It’s the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver. It’s available for the tomtom, but it’s another feature our reviewer fails to mention.
“Overall TomTom’s cell phone integration is a mixed bag. Once paired with a phone, the features work well and are relatively intuitive to use (although I did notice that the GO 720 was sometimes slow to hang up, and would wait as much as 5 seconds before actually disconnecting the call).”
Another thing I have yet to experience. I’ve never had a lag time hanging up the phone. When tapping the end call icon from the Tomtom, the line drops immediately.
Mr. reviewer, stop misleading your readers… or maybe to your credit, at least pick up a new unit with the latest version. and give us a new review.
“QuickGpsFix downloads current satellite location information to the GO 720 for faster GPS reception (if you haven’t used the GPS in more than 24 hours, the GPS satellites will have changed position enough that the GPS needs to re-calculate its current location by tracking each satellite until it has enough to locate, or “fix”, its position on the map. This is why the GPS sometimes takes longer to figure out where you are if it’s been a while since you last used the GPS. QuickGpsGFix uses the PLUS service to download satellite position information more quickly).”
It would be handy to mention for those not willing to pay extra for the wireless data connection, that the quick fix is free downloadable from the software that comes with tomtom. Plug into your computer and you’re good.
“One minor complaint regarding TomTom’s MapShare: when enabled, there’s no way to see which specific updates were applied. Each time you dock the GO 720 and synchronize via TomTom’s HOME application, you re notified when updates have been downloaded and applied, but you cannot see the specific changes that were made.”
One minor complaint? Where is your enthusiasm for such a feature? “Probably the most touted feature of the GO 720 is the ability to make and share map corrections.” Passive endorsement, at best. I’m sure you’re not the one touting this feature.
This is by far the coolest feature with the most promising potential, but all you can do is focus on what it doesn’t do. I bet if Garmin was doing this, you’d be writing about it in all caps.
Let me switch gears and compare this review to the garmin 760 for a second: “One of the benefits of being a large company like Garmin, is that the company does a much better job releasing updated maps annually than most other vendors. For example, Magellan hasn’t released updated maps for most of their GPS models in years, and TomTom has only released one update in the past 2.5 years.
He doesn’t even mention that with Tomtom’s mapshare, you actually update your map when you connect it to your computer. How often does it update? After two weeks it’s been updated twice. But I don’t plug it to my computer every day. It’ll also update the POI database almost every time you connect it to the computer. Not actually sure if that’s a glitch or not… ?
he goes on:
“Unfortunately, Garmin’s map updates aren’t free, and typically cost around $65 for updated North American maps. Still, at least the updated maps are available on a regular basis - a claim no other GPS manufacturer can currently make.”
Yes, no one except Tomom with their mapshare. Does anyone else see how one sided he is against the tomtom?
“By now you’re probably asking how wise an idea it really is to download map corrections from total strangers via TomTom’s Map Share service. Thankfully, TomTom allows you to specify how much or little you trust your fellow mankind, and by default will only download map corrections that have been verified by TomTom.”
Yes, those unwise people behind the tomtom veil got lucky. They included these trustworthy options. I’m sure the folks at Garmin pointed it out to them.
“I’d also like to see a feature added to MapShare that notifies users of changes made to your local area. If a map update is applied via TomTom’s service that impacts my local driving radius, I’d probably like to review it and make sure it is correct.”
Word. But only if you’re getting unverified updates.
“Home v2.0 is much less cluttered than the previous version, and makes it much easier to see what the program has to offer.”
That’s it?? That’s all you got for the home software? I mean, this is the one major vulnerable spot you could have really honed in on… Let me give you a hand.
This software is the buggiest piece of cr*p i think I have on my mac. Maybe I’m speaking from my first few days in trying to get it to work. And maybe it’s because it’s not optimized for the mac. The current version is 2.1 but for the mac it’s 1.6. the software definitely leaves you wanting more. It took me a while but i finally got it to work with my tomtom. And it’s currently batting .800 to .900. but at least it’s working now. not a total deal breaker.
“TomTom’s GO 720 faired the worst in this test, routing us in such a way that the destination address is actually on the left side of the street.”
These are interesting test results. I’d love to have a bigger sampling of routing data between the various devices.
So it puts you on the left side of the street. You’ll find that you don’t always need to arrive with the address on your right hand side.
“We would then either have to make an illegal U-turn or go around the block to arrive at 135 Central Park West on our right.”
if you get a tomtom, you’ll get pulled over by the police. If you look at the data that mr reviewer provides, the tomtom and magellan come in pretty close to tieing with each other, one minute difference. yet he points out “GO 720 faired the worst…” technically accurate, but again misleading.
Routes are one thing, but driving is believing. Do you have experience driving these routes? I recently followed tomtom’s route around town (LA) to the burbank airport, instead of going how i usually go. I was surprised to find a quicker route than how i’ve always been going for years… and let’s be honest, the routing is kind of a mixed bag for all gps devices, i hear lots of garmin people complaining about less than ideal routes. There is no perfect gps device. There are some things the garmin does better than the tomtom and vice versa.
“Google Maps also chooses the same route as the Garmin nuvi.”
Are you sure about that? because google maps comes in last at 80 miles and 1hr 33min driving time. Go ahead, check it out for yourself.
“So far Garmin’s nuvi is in the lead in our routing battle. However, sometimes a GPS that routes perfectly well in one area can perform terribly in another region. Our first test used a trip that was approximately 80 miles in length and took us from Connecticut to New York City.”
Are you relying on the distance and estimated traveling times reported by the device to decide the winner? Or are you familiar with this trip?
“Again Garmin chooses the best route, Magellan chooses the second best route, and TomTom’s GO 720 chooses the worst route. While Magellan and Garmin both route us along the 101 highway from San Jose to San Francisco, TomTom’s GO 720 instead chooses highway 880 North to 80 West — an odd choice that adds around 4 miles (6 minutes) to the journey. Even worse, TomTom again has us arriving on the wrong side of the street, with our destination address on the left.”
First of all tomtom puts us at our destination on the RIGHT side of the street not the left, as you say.
Secondly, with bay area traffic, you’re screwed either way. heading into the city from the San Jose fry’s, i wouldn’t know which way to go. And it doesn’t add 4 miles to the journey, it adds 2. Even your data points this out. Using google maps also shows a 2 mile difference.
What’s wrong with you? You’d be much better off taking the 280 west of the 101, the bay area’s best kept secret. No GPS device would suggest that. But it’s easy to re-route it on the tomtom using that freeway.
I don’t know, i feel a little suspicious with these routes you choose. Maybe garmin does have the best routing engine, but you’re recycling the same results for the nuvi 760 review. I hate to doubt your findings but it’s pretty clear where your loyalties are. How do we know you’re not cherry picking these results?
“Garmin’s maneuvering instructions are also by far the most detailed. It’s not shown in the table above, but the angle of Garmin’s turn icons actually vary to indicate the upcoming turn’s actual angle, a feature not found on either the Maestro or the TomTom GO 720. Garmin wins routing test #2.”
Again, ANOTHER fabrication.
Did you even test this in the field?? My tomtom has accurately described the angle of turn every step of the way. I can’t say for sure all of the time, because i’m not paying attention totally to the direction arrows on the 720. However, on a roundabout even, it gave the correct direction heading arrow including the circle around the bout. Turns that are more or less than 90 degrees? Yes, tomtom gives those accurately as well.
“Garmin wins routing test #2.”
uh huh…
“Garmin edged out Magellan in all three tests, choosing slightly more efficient routes with more detailed turn instructions and shorter drive times.”
when you say “more detailed turn instructions” what exactly do you mean? How MORE turn instructions does the garmin give than the tomtom? She tells me to stay in the left lane and then bear right at the next turn. She’s very good at pointing out which lanes i need to be in and when
I’m approaching a turn and so forth… Stop making me so defensive. we know you love the garmin, just try to be fair with this review.
“In all three tests TomTom’s ONE XL faired the worst.”
Is this a slip? Did you mean 720? Or did you test these out with the ONE XL? I think you would have meant the 720 because that fits your narrative of the deeply flawed GO 720. Pardon my defensiveness.
“TomTom’s FM transmitter is much better than Garmin’s transmitter (nuvi 660 / nuvi 680), which is barely to transmit a clean FM signal even when there’s no interference. I’ve read some other reviews that state the GO 720’s transmitter is soft, and that’s likely due to the volume being set low on the GPS itself.”
Nice. Something positive when pitted up against the garmin.
“In a misguided attempt to simplify TomTom’s cluttered interface, the GO 720 ships with many critical functions hidden, including the ability to cancel a route.”
That was shortlasted. I don’t recall any functions being hidden when i got my tomtom. but even if they were so what? Yes, the hide menu button is kind of a stupid option. Just keep it at show all.
“TomTom’s idea of hiding infrequently used features isn’t a bad one per se, but they have removed essential features needed for basic operation, and should seriously re-think which icons are displayed by default.”
I agree with this. But are you ever going to mention how the garmin doesn’t even have such customizable features? Because i know that’s a pretty big complaint in the garmin forums…
“For some odd reason, TomTom ships the GO 720 with the “Show music button in Driving View” option un-checked. If you plan on listening to music while driving, you’ll want to check both “Show music button in Driving View” as well as “Automatically switch to Driving View”.
You are talking about default settings, that are easily changed. Why are you so annoying? Maybe they’d want to keep your map view as clean as possible when you first break it out. But really, they’re strange peeps at tomtom with no sense of logic,
who even give you an option to do with it how you’d like.
Ok, now we’re at the pros and cons section of the review. At first glance you’ll notice that there are many more cons
than there are pros… Let’s have a look at some of the cons…
“Manual makes reference to features that the GO 720 doesn’t actually have, such as voice recognition (European version has this feature, US version does not (but the manual doesn’t explain that))”
really? A con? I’d call it a mistake. But not a con.
“Cluttered user interface”
do you mean, navigation display? Cause you didn’t even show the folks how much better it looks with all the information neatly listed. You can also choose
which and how many items you’d like on the display. Did you ever mention that?
“Slow to accept missed turns: the GO 720 either insisted I make a u-turn, or went nuts and showed me driving off road”
again, this is just wrong. Misleading. I have yet to encounter an experience like this.
“Important functions are hidden by default, and must be manually enabled (for example, the ability to cancel a route)”
why are you listing this under con? A con should be something that you cannot change. all you gotta do is hit the button and all your menu items are there.
Mine shipped with all my menu items visible, as far as i can remember.
“Major GPS Drift when stationary (GPS position “drifts” around in circles)”
NOT true. Don’t listen to him.
“Poor GPS signal reception (as of this writing, using version 7.0.0) compared to other SiRF enabled GPS units”
I’m using 7.020. And the signal reception is very good. Never had a problem yet. Even when going through tunnels, it approximates my position…
You know it’s funny. Reading the whole review, with all its “faults” Discussing the GPS reception is the ONLY time that you mention which firmware you’re using.
I find that a little suspicious. It wouldn’t surprise me if you you knew about a newer version that fixed the problem, but decided to report on it anyway
and cover yourself by mentioning which firmware you noticed the problem on. or am i just being paranoid? Stop making me suspicious of your claims…
“Night” mode only changes the color scheme on the map, not the other menu screens”
Why is this a con, exactly? Would it be to have more cons than pros for the lowly tomtom? I would think that changing the map color scheme would be listed under PROS, no?
This is a very cool customizable feature. You can download and make your own color schemes for maps. Something not even mentioned in the review. I downloaded a map color scheme someone made to look like google maps.
“Multi-destination (itinerary) route planning is cumbersome”
cumbersome? have you actually used it? It’s definitely much more useful than “cumbersome.”
“Automatic screen dimming feature is too sensitive. When enabled, the GPS switches in and out of night mode constantly if you drive anything other than a convertible in the California sun”
you have a choice to turn the automatic night mode feature on and off, so when there’s dimming it doesn’t automatically switch you into night mode.
You gotta put all this in the proper perspective. Also, you can choose to have it dim automatically or not.
“Routing engine not as good as Garmin or Magellan”
On paper this may appear to be correct. But did you do any real world testing? Are you just going with the times that the devices list? Again we need more
and objective data sampling.
“MapShare doesn’t let you see which specific roads were updated — it just tells you that “updates were applied”
This is probably your most ridiculous con. Laughable really. Tomtom’s most promising feature… and YOU DON’T EVEN LIST MAPSHARE IN PROS! definitely not touting this feature. you refer to it instead in cons…
If it sounds like a hack, quacks like a hack. then you my friend, are a hack.
“Some menus return you to the previous page, others dump you back to the map view for no apparent reason”
I couldn’t agree more with you on this one. This drives me crazy.
“Fingerprint prone exterior case”
What exterior case came with yours? I didn’t get a case. Are you referring to the screen? Cause my screen does a pretty good job of being fingerprint repellent.
Again, another con that shouldn’t even be listed.
“Conclusion: 65/100″
“I really wanted to love the TomTom GO 720.”
I doubt that.
“The GO 720 has excellent text-to-speech that sounds natural, and can announce actual street names instead of generic maneuvers (although for some odd reason this feature is disabled by default).”
What is your obsession and insistence with pointing something out that has a feature enabled or disabled like it’s some awful chore to go in and change the setting yourself? Again i’m being defensive here… but this is a reach to keep in line with your “mo’ problems” motif.
“Adding to the frustration, for some inexplicable reason TomTom hides many important features on the GO 720. For example, by default there is no way to cancel a route. In order to cancel a route, you’ll first need to enable the hidden menu, and even then it will take 4 screen taps to cancel the route (very annoying when driving).”
Let it go man. You keep bringing this up. I know it’s the conclusion and all but really, you enable the show all menus button and things are smooth sailing after that. It ain’t a dealbreaker bro.
“The interface feels cluttered, as TomTom’s software engineers have packed the GO 720 to the gills with features and options that haven’t improved the most basic requirement of getting you from point A to B.”
Does anyone get this? He’s actually complaining that tomtom added so many features and customizable options. Are you kidding me?? At least there ARE options. Garmin gives you far fewer choices.
This tomtom does a fine job getting me to point a and point b. No complaints what so ever. Not yet at least.
Easy to re-route, block a certain part of your trip (a nifty feature that, again, no garmin can do), or simply re-calculate a different route.
Fletch, Is this fletch? do you work for Garmin?
“The GO 720 has a long list of great features that just might keep you distracted long enough not to notice that the core functionality of the GPS doesn’t work that well. TomTom’s routing engine remains poor compared to Garmin or Magellan, and the GO 720 consistently chose the worst route in my testing.”
I am very curious about your findings, and again, would love to see a bigger data sampling. It’s just that my confidence in your fairness is low.
“If TomTom spent as much time on software development as they clearly spent on hardware design, the GO 720 would be a fantastic GPS indeed. Unfortunately the GO 720 still needs work, and I can’t quite recommend it just yet.”
“The TomTom GO 720 is a beautiful GPS that will impress at first, but disappoints soon after the honeymoon wears off.”
I didn’t see that coming. I tell you what. I’ve had this thing for a couple of weeks and the honeymoon has yet to wear off. I actually don’t care what gps device i have, i’m mesmerized with ANYTHING that is gps. It’s the coolest thing since tivo. The mapshare alone, though, is enough to keep your stock with the tomtom.
If I had the Garmin I’d be a happy camper too. It’s just so much more expensive.
So I wanted to see what kind of review the Garmin 760 received because it comes closer to the feature set that the GO 720 has.
It’s pretty interesting to see what features he touts on the nuvi 760 but fails to mention on the GO 720 review.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see Garmin has included the ability to input a set of longitude/latitude coor