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TomTom GO 300 Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of US Pre-loaded on SDdUser Review: - Tiny, multilingual and easy to use...UPDATE: After writing the below, I went on a trip to Florida and then a cross-country trip from Wisconsin to Florida; all guided by TomTom. Here is some additional information based on that experience: a) The mount is very sturdy and works well. I only had it fall once and I think it was my fault: the windshield was very cold when I attached to it, and the heating in the car probably created some moisture. I still think a beanbag mount would be nice though. b) Sometimes it will try to shortcut away from freeways. Any time you may make because it is a shorter route is lost because it is also a slower route. c) There was some direct sunlight visibility issue, but nothing that made it unusable. d) It recalculates the route very very fast. Faster than the in-dash GPS in my Acura. e) I still think it was a bargain... The original review: I was looking for two things when purchasing a GPS: portability and easy of use. The goal is to take it with me when travelling within the US and internationally; but it would be neat if my family visiting from abroad could use the thing to navigate around town. Well, it seems this is it. Suport for a variety of languages (including Portuguese, thank you) with voice support in the language selected. Absolutely trivial to use and with a tutorial that can be used to teach ANYONE. And it fits in the palm of my hand. Granted, the thing doesn't really know your speed and doesn't have a gyroscope to magically realize your orientation -- but it seems to do a decent job. And for the price, you can't beat it. No GPS will ever be as good as a knowledgeable local, BTW. The GPS in my Acura sometimes tells me to do stupid things (as a cop in a tiny Wisconsin village could tell you from my disgruntled face...) and take longer routes than I really need. If you are buying a GPS to "shorten your route", forget it. GPS, in my opinion, are intended to get you there. Most of the time, they will give you a decent route, but from time to time you will find yourself saying "That was stupid". I got to make one more thing clear: I don't care much for points of interest. I need the GPS to take me to where I want to go, period. I do my own research before travelling and a list of each location I'm going to visit. I've heard the database TOMTOM uses is poorer POI-wise than other options, but since I don't care I can't really judge. Finally, the mount seems safe enough. I mount it near the rearview mirror and can operate the unit easily. Because I'm a paranoid freak, I think I'll have a sturdy piece of string tied to the mount and hanging from the mirror. If the mount ever drops, it will hopefully save the gadget. A beanbag mount would be cool though... No GPS is perfect. This little guy works, is portable, has maps for Europe available, speaks several languages and has a nice pricetag. It will get you to your destination. User Review:  - Great GPS systemI just bought this a few days ago while on vacation in Florida and have used it a lot in that time. Two weeks ago I bought a Magellan 300 GPS system and liked it except that half the time it wouldn't tell me to turn even though it showed to turn on the display. And it would tell me to go these long routes when I know of much, much shorter routes. So took it back and got this. I love it! It locks onto the satellites much faster and even indoors where the other one didn't. It's 3D graphics are smooth and not every second updates so it looks like you are moving smoothly compared to the jerky display of other GPSs. It calculates routes very fast and reroutes very fast too. The built in battery is great as the Magellan has no battery. It comes with a bunch of voices to choose from in several different languages. The case feels solid and the window attachment very good quality. Some things I don't like about the unit are is that for POI they don't show addresses only distance and not direction so you don't know exactly where its going to take you as the Magellan did give you the address. This unit also doesn't tell you elevation (altitude) which would have been nice driving through mountains. But all in all its a wonderful peice of gadgetry that is really useful. I highly recommend it. User Review: - Excellent Alternative to OEM NAVsThe TomTom Go 300 is an excellent product that has more features than disadvantages. Here are my thoughts which might help you. I try to be more specific on those features that are not mentioned frequently in bulletin boards. 1. The easy-to-follow instruction sheet shows step-by-step installation instructions. However, the suction-mount lock shown on the sheet is different from the actual one that came with the unit. 2. Very quick startup. I was able to make the basic settings and get a GPS signal in a couple of minutes after opening the box. However, mounting and dismounting the unit to the suction-mount takes a little more time to get used to. Just one observation on the Clock setup: the date, hour, and minutes settings all have the arrow button. The AM/PM however does not have any indicator that it can be changed by touching it. The included suction mount has a padded bottom so you can sit it on the dash while suctioned on the windshield glass. 3. Setting the destination: The points of interest database is impressive. There are about 60 categories and you can still add some more. Only problem is the POI selection always asks for Category. So, if I wanted to go to Home Depot, for example, and I don't have its address, I'd still have to go to the "Shopping" category, then I can search for "Home Depot" within that category. Other Navigation systems allow me to enter "Home Depot" directly, without having to enter its category. There is also an address entry feature. You start with the City/State or ZIP, then the street name, and finally, the number or a cross street. There's a keyboard you can use for typing entries. A lot of time, I end up pressing the wrong letter because the keys are too small. Names appear as you type. However, unnecessary letters do not disappear as you type the name (just like those on Magellan units) -- I find this less intuitive. Once an address/POI is entered, the unit will ask you if it's ok to take toll routes. This handy feature can also be set so that it always use toll routes to satisfy other route criteria entered. I did a test by entering a route beginning in an address in San Francisco, CA to another one in New York, NY. The GPS unit took a while (about 1 minute vs several seconds on much shorter routes) to calculate the route. Probably a processor limitation. I have yet to try itinerary planning. 4. Navigation: When driving, the display does not tell you the street you're on. Just the cross streets, the next turn and POI's, if any, depending on the map preferences setting. There are features that allow you to avoid roadblocks like traffic or construction, as well as the auto re-route feature. 5. Power: The unit comes with a built-in battery. Power can be obtained from the lighter socket of the car or from a wall outlet. I intend to use this navigation system on several cars, so it sits on the dashboard and plugged into the 12 volt connection in the car. After switching it on just once, it automatically turns on when I start my car, then off when I turn the engine off. This is a very nice feature. 6. Audio/Sound: I like the speed-sensitive volume. Not too loud, not too soft. 7. Displays: The nightmode mybe useful to some users but I'd still like to see colors especially because when driving, I just glance at the screen every once in a while. So I would like to recognize what is being displayed right away. There's brightness adjustment as well. Another setting you can do is to rotate the image. This feature allows you to install the unit anyway you want. 8. Maps: A little outdated. My house is 2 years old now and they still don't have it on the map. Tech support told me they are still working how to address this since they get a lot of calls/emails regarding this issue. I don't mind anyway. Even if the map does not yet show my street, it still points me to my exact location on the map with reference to the nearby street. I like the map display feature that allows you to drag the map so you can see more (just like google maps). There is also a "Show Route" animation feature which allows you to see your path of travel. 10. The features of this NAV system either match or even exceed those found as OEM on cars, which as everyone knows, cost thousands of dollars. One disadvantage though is you have to either dismount the GPS unit or remove the suction mount altogether when you leave your car in either a dangerous area or in areas of extreme temp due to condensation build-up on the windshield. It causes the mounting hardware to lose suction. Another is the lack of voice activated commands, which is an expected shortcoming on NAV systems at this price range. 11. Ergonomics: You can mount it at eye level but the reach is not that good. I guess it depends on which car you are driving. It's a long reach for me from the driver's seat of my Honda Odyssey. Not to mention the touch screen, where you cannot feel the buttons while driving. So a safe data entry requires pulling over. The keyboard options (QWERTY, Alphabetical, and the other probably European) help. But since the screen is not large enough to handle a keyboard, the keys are very close together and it is very easy to mistype a letter. 12. Included Accessories: I think they are useful. The case is a little thin for the unit. I would prefer a thicker one for better cushioning protection. User Review: - Saved us from getting really lost! We borrowed a TomTom from a friend to drive to Mass. one weekend. I said "We don't need that, it's all Thruway to the Mass Pike"! Oh, how little I knew! First of all, it's a fun gadget, has great graphics and a mulitple voice-feature (we picked a Aussie guy!) We needed this to find our hotel actually, which was located in the heart of a mall-plaza. The navigational system correctly tracked us and our progress and finally told us to turn around and get back "on the motorway" until we found the right spot. It served our needs pretty well, although it did need to reset itself a couple of times when we didn't follow it's precise directions. You do have to follow it's directions because it does become confused if you do not. (so don't take any short cuts). It also didn't track house numbers very closely (it was dark and we did need some help) but all in all it was amazing in it's accuracy. The unit itself stuck in on the windshield well and came off easily when we went inside for the night. High glare was sometimes a problem, perhaps they'll fix this in the future. The days of a $2000 option on a vehicle are gone, because not only is this great for the price, you can switch it between cars. User Review: - GREAT PRODUCTI have done EXTENSIVE research for GPS navigators the last 3 months. Going to Amazon.com for prices and ratings and going to circuit city to check out the different types and talking to people. After spending several hours on this research I found the TOMTOM to be the best device with the best price. There was a toss up between the Garmin and TOMTOM at the final round. What made me go with the TOMTOM rather the GARMIN was the touch screen. You are able to move the map with your finger on the screen. No pushing buttons on the screen or anything. This is what really sold me. Other than that there isn't much difference between the two other than customer ratings and satisfaction. TOMTOM runs very close to G on many websites for customer ratings. BENIFITS (among the many that I like) are: Map already loaded and ready to go. Just plug in the card supplied in the slot and go go go. Touch screen as I mentioned above. Pull it out of the box and run it. No charge up or load up, everything is there for you. I loved that I could start playing with it right away. Very user friendly. Easy load up of your favorite locations and navigate through Points of Interests. Price is right. To me there was NO need to get a $1200 gps where the tomtom has everything I needed. Better than the more expensive GPS systems, in my opinion. Fits in the Palm of your hand, you can carry it wherever you like. Mom is coming in for a visit and I can give it to her so she doesn't get lost going to the grocery store, shopping etc... There is a back way to work, I tested it out and skipped the way the tomtom wanted me to go and it re-routed me within 50-100 yards. If you go the wrong way it will also navigate a U-turn for you. You can also pre-plan an alternative route. Navigation is wonderful and map pretty accurate. I would say 95% of everything you need to find is there for points of interest. Negative: 1. I think I need a new map. The map that was loaded on the card doesn't have the stores by my house that has been there for about 3 yrs. Not sure how old the map is that came with the TOMTOM. So I would say this is the only thing. They should have thought to have a more updated card when selling it. I guess I could go on and on but initially those are the benefits to this little wonder. |
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