TomTom GO 910 4-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• Man, I wanted to love this baby!

  
  By A3IPSECQAUAT8V on 2006-06-28
  First of all the good news. The display and automatic panning on the Tom Tom 910 are second to none. It is MUCH more visible than the Garmin Nuvi 350 and the automatic panning works much better. The actual mapping algorithms seemed to be approximately the same in both units neither, insofar as I was able to determine, having much of an advantage over the other. Mapping details on both units are excellent. Bright light visibility is outstanding - much better than the Nuvi.
  
  The unit, compared to the Nuvi 350 and 360 is considerably larger and more cumbersome. Additionally, the mounting solution on the Nuvi is slightly better than that on the 910 - more compact. The voice prompts are loud, clear and timely. The ease of use is just great (with the exception of the POI implementation) and the visibility and quality of the display are great.
  
  The bad news: POI access is cumbersome and poorly implemented. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will fix this problem in the near future. As it stands now, you cannot enter the name of the POI that you wish to go to without going through an intervening category screen made even more cumbersome by the fact that you may guess the category wrong! Then, the POIs only come up in alphabetical order or by distance. For me, this particular deficiency was the deal breaker. Selecting a POI must be as simple as possible in a AIO (all in one) GPS navigation solution. There are so many capabilities that you give up in these simplified AIO solutions that they should perform their designated functions easily and efficiently. The Nuvi does this, the 910 does not. The nuvi allows you to search POIs by name. The TomTom 910 does not.
  
  This device is intended as an extremely simple point to point navigating AIO GPS navigation solution and is not intended to enable the use of way points or easily changing the course selected by the unit. You have essentially two options: the shortest route and the fastest route. Fortunately, the mapping program selects routs that are very acceptable. Personally, I like to look at the overall route and fiddle with it. This unit is not designed for such use. Microsoft Streets and Trips is ideal for this kind of tinkering, but terrible for point to point navigation while on the go.
  
  Make sure and get the most recent firmware updates on the Tom Tom website which will fix the known bugs and further improve the functionality.
  
  I give this unit a 3 star on form (compared to the elegant Nuvi), a 4 star on the functionality for which it was designed, and a 5 star on the beautiful bright display. You will not be disappointed in the beautiful display, the automatic panning, the actual map functionality or the bright light performance. But the POI solution is cumbersome and frustrating.
  
  

• Can't turn your TomTom back on? Read this!

  
  By A3SKBLNKXIVUFC on 2006-06-19
  I love this little machine. It's incredibly intuitive, has clear graphics, reasonable reception in Manhattan (no GPS is great with tall buildings), but it seems to konk out after a night of charging.
  
  Have no fear! It's not dead, just do a soft reset! Use a pin and hold the soft reset button for 5-10 seconds (the reset is not on the face, but in the hole at back where the unit connects to the base; opposite side of the gold circle, up just a little from the green strip). Apparently the battery shuts down if it's overcharged, so if you charge it for more than a few hours it might not turn back on again. Reset it and you'll be on the road again!
  
  

• The best automotive GPS you can buy

  
  By A2YUI7GVGJPTJR on 2006-06-15
  I'm a former Garmin Nuvi user who borrowed a TomTom from a friend. Once I used the TomTom I realized just how much was missing from the Nuvi. If I never used the TomTom I'm sure I would have kept the Nuvi but I just found myself being frustrated by all the things I couldn't do once I went back to the Garmin. As soon as the 910 came out I sold the Nuvi and I'm so glad I did. I love how you can customize so many aspects of the 910 to your liking.
  
  Entering addresses is super easy. Just tap on the on screen keyboard and it will auto fill based on what you've typed in so far. You can also navigate directly to GPS coordinates if you want. Driving when surrounded by tall buildings is pretty good although it may think it needs to recalculate your route if you stop. Once you get moving again it locks back to your road and you're on your way. Reception is definitely better than any previous TomTom models. QuickFix is great. I've tried using the 910 with and without it and it really does make a difference. When you connect the 910 to your HOME software it will download a QuickFix data file which allows the 910 to acquire a satellite lock in no time and I get more satellites when I first turn it on. More satellites is always a good thing.
  
  Text to speech is very good overall. After trying all the voices I have to say that Dave is the most natural sounding of them all. There are some video samples available on the web if you search for it that give you an idea of what to expect. There are some issues with some of the pronunciation but for the most part it's a fantastic addition that really helps you get to your destination. I think it's worth the extra money. If you miss a turn or if there is a mapping error or a road is closed, the unit reroutes you within seconds so it's no big deal. Even my mom who has never used a car GPS before loved it when she took it on her trip to California. Now it looks like she's going to buy one for herself.
  
  I think the biggest complaint that I've seen with other web reviews is with the POI database but each time I've used it to find a bar, gas station, store etc. it's been right on the money. Sometimes the location of an address may be off by about 50 yards or so and this usually happens on roads that twist and turn all over. On straight roads laid out in a grid it's dead on. An arrow points out what side of the street your address is located on which is nice. I like the advance planning and itinerary features which come in handy for longer trips away from home. The screen is easy enough to see even in direct sunlight although if you have a white shirt on it will reflect much more than darker colors. Still, it's not that hard to see the display in bright light.
  
  Make sure to connect your unit with the HOME software and check for updates so that you can use the QuickFix data. The application software on the units from Amazon may not be new enough but I'm not positive. I never leave home without it and wouldn't dream of going back to paper print outs. There is nothing better on the market today.
  
  

• time to rewrie this review

  
  By A31ESOSYE186GK on 2006-07-08
  originally i wrote what a great device this was . yes it works . but like everything you need customer support . not only after spending 800 dollars for this device tom tom wanted to charge me more money to update the maps . the disc they sent me was misplaced so instead of sending me a new one they tell me its going to cost me 54.00 more for a new disc . with them its all about the money . yes the device works but they try to squeeze every nickle out of you after the sale its not good business i would never buy from them again . no customer service after the initial sale . shop else where....
  
  

• Best GPS Today

  
  By A20PVV46C8DW75 on 2006-09-14
  First of all let it be known that I read ALL of the reviews before writing this one of my own. I found one thing to be the common factor in each review. If you run the firmware update this GPS comes to life and will make you happy. The TomTom Home software makes this as easy as connecting it to your computer and runnng the program. The software does the rest! Remember, it's new and many changes will come along to improve the functionality as TomTom analyzes the product and gets feedback from it's users. Don't be afraid to contact them to offer your input!
  
  Next, the scores given for this GPS have been greatly reduced by customers who are unhappy with the companies they purchased it from, not in the quality and performance of the 910. Others are complaining about other TomTom GPS units and NOT the 910. If you are complaining that you paid too much then hear this---I PAID $1400.00 for the Magellan 700 when it came out two + years ago and although a good GPS, it's now dead and had been locking up constantly for the past 6 months. Try getting a hold of Magellan support in Canada and you'll find out how much the Canadians "like" Americans!! I have tossed the Magellan in lieu of the cost and frustration involved in repairing it. Additionally, the out of box mount was useless and $50.00 later for a windshield mount was little improvement!
  
  Pay attention to the alignment of the suction base when you mount the 910 on the windshield and turn th lock until it clicks (just like it says in the book!) and it will stay tight. Oh ya, how many other units come with the home charger, docking station with a USB cord, a car charger and a remote control for the money you just paid? Let me help you answer that: NONE!!!
  
  The hands free phone (Bluetooth) is great, the remote speeds up the navigation screens and if you take the time to customize the screen with all the toys they include it becomes a cockpit of information!
  
  OK, so the moral of this review is rate the finished product, not your lousy experience with your vendor or shipping problems or your inability to follow simple instructions from the manual. Thsi GPS deserves 5 stars and nothing less.
  
  
• 3 tips for using this indispensable tool for driving in Europe
  By A2QEIU7F06SS2K on 2006-08-03
  I bought this because I had to drive in Switzerland during a business trip there.
  
  The nice thing about this model is that the European maps are already included at the time of purchase so there is no need to shell out additional $$$$. The thing to note though, is that you have to activate the European maps online using Tomtom Home.
  
  So Tip #1: Don't wait until you get to Europe to activate the European maps.
  
  When I got into Zurich, it was past 10pm. Unfortunately, the unit refused to power up. So I had to ask around for directions to get from the Airport to the Hotel.
  
  At the hotel, I managed to find a paper clip to reset the unit after which it powered up fine.
  
  Tip #2: Don't leave home without a paper clip.
  
  The third and last problem occurred the next morning when I had to drive to Bern for my meeting. The 910 powered up fine but could NOT find the satellites.
  
  I ended up asking around for directions again in order to get on the highway to go to Bern.
  
  While driving on the highway and on a hunch, I reset the Home location to the meeting location in Switzerland. The Home location had been previously set to my home address in California.
  
  Once the home address was set to a location in Switzerland, the unit started to work!
  
  Tip #3 : When changing continents, reset the Home location to somewhere on the continent where you are.
  
  Once I had gone over that last hump, the 910 worked perfectly and brought me all to way to the Avis location in the middle of Geneva after my meeting.
  
  
• TomTom doesn't provide much customer support
  By A361BRUY0U9BB on 2006-07-22
  I bought the original Tom Tom Go back in November 2004. Since then, my attempts to reach their customer service have all met in failure. My last attempt, 10 days ago, was an effort to buy updated maps for my product. Yes, their website will offer to sell you maps, but there is no way to determine the date of the maps you already own, and no way to determine the date of the maps that you would be purchasing, in some cases for a large sum of money. If you try to find a telephone number on their site that you can call, you will be disappointed. I am disappointed and would advise you to look elsewhere if you want a product that is supported.
  
  
• Do your homework before you buy !! - Virus Warning !!
  By A3GD7MU6D85JVB on 2007-02-22
  I purchased a TomTom Go 910 on a recent business trip. I was lost, I'd been thinking of buying one and there was an electronics house close by. I ducked in, and upon learning a bit about the 910 went with one. Now at this stage it's important to take a look at the entire TomTom product line. There are many similar devices that range in price greatly. The physical units look identical, you are simply paying for feature sets. The most important feature on the 910 at the price point, is real time traffic warnings. Real time traffic is a popular feature finding it's way into most GPS manufacturers products nowadays, and each manufacturer goes about it in totally different ways. This was a lesson I learned the hard way.
  
  TomTom's Real Time Traffic is obtained via your Bluetooth phone. But the fine print, which TomTom hides and doesn't really even provide in any of the pre-sales literature or packaging that I could find, is that this feature only works on SOME providers (not Sprint/nextel) and only when you have a wireless data package and connection. This is impractical I think. Even on phones TomTom supports I've had issues obtaining wireless data links when traveling outside my home network cell... Anyhoo, it becomes very important to CALL TOMTOM and verify your provider AND phone will work, and even then I'd suggest buying it from a reseller with a no-hassle return policy.
  The TomTom 910's basic navigation features (all available in other TOMTOM models costing hundreds less) are pretty nice. The 3d view of the road is very nice and the perspective is more intuitive while driving. POI data is nice as well. You're not going to be able to find the closest japanesse steakhouse or detailed category searches but it works in a pinch. Plotting the course is about what you'd expect from a GPS and I had no complaints. Text-to-speech is accurate and very configurable, I personally had Mr. T yelling "Make a Leff Turn Fool !".
  
  My biggest shocker, and what eventually led me to return the device for my money back, was when I docked the device to my Laptop... (my business laptop at that). . . .
  
  My profession is that of an IT security professional. I work for the largest AntiVirus software manufacturer on the planet. We tend to take viruses VERY seriously. The second I plugged the TomTom 910 into it's docking station and USB discovered the device all hell broke loose.
  Multiple virus warnings popped up, and I was informed that the GPS device itself was attempting to launch and install multiple Trojan Horse applications on/to my laptop. This action was promptly blocked and rectified rather easily but only because my definitions are up-to-the-minute at all times. From what I see on a day to day basis this puts me in the minority.
  The infected GPS unit was impossible for me to backup from that point on because every time the backup tried to access the file on the TomTom, AV would balk, and it would crash the TomTom software. A long drawn out, and very evasive call to tech support left me with a real bad taste in my mouth.
  TomTom's support and external documentation via the web really tries to play this infection down, saying the trojan is a minor threat, and making all attempts to sweep it under the rug. In my experience companies with slipshod support, and no concept of secure businnes processes aren't around long. I have a Nuvi 660 now... much more reliable, better features, and Garmin seems to have the basics of doing business in the 21st century down pat.
  
  Good Luck !
  
  
  
• Fantastic: TomTom GO 910
  By A1KZKMB7QD143R on 2006-07-15
  This is a great unit. I purchased the TomTom Go 910 because it was preloaded with maps of North America and Europe. I am in Europe more than the USA so I wanted a unit that could get me around all the European countries seamlessly. Many units require that you switch European maps between countries, but not this unit. I can report that the unit works perfectly.
  
  I recently drove from Lyon, France to Torino, Italy and then to Cameri, Italy. The unit worked fast to define the best route and got me to my destinations without any errors. In fact, in Torino I went to a friend's apartment following the directions exactly. When the unit said "you arrived at your destination" stopped the car among large buildings downtown and phoned my friend to see if he knew where I was. He looked out his apartment from the fifth floor and waved to me! The unit placed me directly in front of his apartment. And yes, it never lost signal even when on the narrow roads buried between tall buildings. I also noticed that in the small town of Cameri, Italy it knew every small road in town.
  
  It is also interesting to note that the unit tracks your approximate location even when going thru tunnels (I had no signal but it apparently assumes you are still going the same speed). But after a few minutes in the long tunnels it stops and waits for you exit and then refreshes in about a minute.
  
  Here is what I really like:
  * It is very accurate and calculates routes very quickly. If you make a wrong turn, it recalculates in second and gets you back on the right track.
  * Preloaded maps of Europe, and they are accurate.
  * Alerts you if the speed limit drops and you are going too fast. In fact, I was watching it change as I passed speed limit signs (in Europe), and the Go910 changed within feet of passing the signs (how do they do that?).
  * Alerts you to speed cameras (in Europe).
  * Has a remote control that is very handy. With the touch of a button, you can have it repeat its last instruction or tell you the next instruction. Also can change volume and access all the other features.
  * Signal strength is very good. I pick up nearly full signals when docked in my house, apartment (in Europe) or office. Of course, I have great signal strength in the car, even though I have one of those GM cars with the metallic coating in the windshield (my old Garmin GPS III unit would not work well thru the windshield).
  * Long battery life, more than six hours.
  * Speaker and sound is very clear.
  * When you plan your route, it provides an estimate of arrival time. I found on a six hour trip it was within three minutes.
  
  Here is what I don't like:
  * The screen is hard to see in really bright sunlight and you are wearing sunglasses. Lifting off your glasses helps, but it is still tough to read.
  * The windshield mount works fine, but the power connection from the mount to the unit is not working (the unit runs out of battery after about six hours).
  * Didn't come with a carrying case. Sure it has a little case for the main unit, but if you drop it there will be little protection from a hard floor.
  
  
• Great, but could be better with a Garmin POI search, better car craddle and better colored graphics!
  By A3PE2ASRMWCDST on 2006-08-14
  I sold my Garmin 2720, so that I could buy this unit. Packaging and presentation are great. The unit works right out of the box and is loaded with many different features and options. Pairing this unit to my phone was amazingly simple and every time that I turn it on, it detects my phone and it is ready to send and receive calls. It should also be ready to transmit and receive data for the Tom Tom Plus Services, such as weather, traffic camera and traffic reports, however it was not compatible with my HP iPaq hw6515 from Cingular.
  
  I called Tom Tom Customer Support, which was great, since I was talking to a live person within two minutes or less. I was informed that my phone, which is part of the Cingular network was not compatible with the Tom Tom 910, I was also informed that it was not compatible with any smartphone. I do not know how much truth to this there is, since my provider, make and brand of my phone are listed as part of the compatible phones in its database.
  
  Now, comparing this to the Garmin 2720, it is smaller, even though the screen is larger, the navigation is a bit more interactive with the Tom Tom 910 and instructions are clearer and are given out with enough time to change lanes and make a turn, not within a few yards of the turn as it happened in some cases with the Garmin 2720.
  
  I like the suction cup mount on the windshield, it is extremely stable, much better than the Garmin bean bag. However, I am having charging problems when ever I mount the Tom Tom 910 on it, since it seems that there is some bad contact with the base that connects to the lighter, because it does not snap on tight enough and I am having to constantly monitor its green LED to make sure that it is on using my vehicles power and not its rechargeable battery.
  
  I quite frankly do not like having to play with it or worry about it every time I go over a bump. Regarding its size and portability, it is much better than the Garmin 2720, however the Garmin NUVI 360 is even more portable. Now, with regards to looking for places, such as a store, for example Best Buy, I like the Garmin much better, since its results are displayed very much like the Tom Tom, nearest to farthest first, however, the Garmin will show an arrow pointing to which direction it is, as well as the complete address and phone number.
  
  Another great thing about the Garmin is searching for restaurants, since it will ask you which type of food are you looking for, say Italian and then it will give you a list of all the Italian restaurants near you. With the Tom Tom, you just get the list of all the restaurants.
  
  Graphics, I honestly like Garmins better, especially the colors, the Tom Tom's are horrible, all of them. Extra features, well the Tom Tom is the clear winner on this one, it has more features than a Swiss Army Knife! Ipod control, wireless calling, traffic report, weather report, picture viewer, traffic camera reminder and I could go on and on.
  
  Audio quality is good in both of the units, how ever, Tom Tom has it built in and the Garmin 2720 has a speaker attached to the power connector. Additionally, as I had already mentioned, the Tom Tom is more interactive, since its voice commands and or instructions are more prevelant than in the Garmin 2720, in fact, you could almost get to your destination just by listening to the driving directions from the Tom Tom without even looking at its screen!
  
  Finally, I don't like the fact that I have to turn the Tom Tom off manually every time I turn off the car, although it does turn on by itself when you turn the car on and it does take off from where it was left. However the Garmin, shuts off completely and takes off right where it was left off..
  
  I quite honestly do not know what to make of my switch to the Tom Tom, both units have very good things, it would be great to have all the extra cool stuff that the Tom Tom Go 910 has on a Garmin NUVI 360 or vice versa, now that would be the perfect GPS! In the mean time, I will keep this unit and see what happens.
  
  
• TomTom 910 at par with Garmin Nuvi 660 for half the price
  By AT1VHQZ9RNR1T on 2006-12-13
  I like TomTom GO 910, Yet every review I read raved about Garmin Nuvi 660. People wrote that Garmin has better maps, their cup suction holder does not break, like TomTom's. Garmin does not reset when the car runs over a bump. And so on.
  
  There is one detail overlooked. The Nuvi 660 costs $800 to $900 including tax and/or shipping on December 10. The TomTom GO510 costs about half after the rebate from TomTom. The screen image is stunning. The software is clever. The features are the same as Nuvi 660, even better.
  
  Before buying, I called TomTom's customer service. They told me the suction cup holder has been redesigned in September and it does not break. I live in Rocklin , California, in a new area which just cropped up last week on google and yahoo maps, TomTom support said the updated maps will be available before the end of he week, that means in three week time from today.
  
  The 910 has a charger/holder linked to my home computer and Internet. I can update it weekly with the latest position of the satellite, a free service from TomTom and the unit detects the signal very fast..
  
  The unit also has a remote control. I smiled when I saw it. Yet, in my Cadillac SRX, the windshield is inclined and getting to the GPS unit can be cumbersome when driving, The remote control solves elegantly the problem.
  
  
• SO many features!
  By A274M9MAVE9HIG on 2006-07-17
  The Go 910 is definitely the best GPS device out there today. I used it on a long sojourn on the East Coast over the Fourth of July weekend and it never missed.
  
  Before I left I loaded up a bunch of playlists onto the device with plenty of room to spare!! Before I left I was concerned about the mount drooping in the hot weather. I don't know if people have tried this, but you have to turn the dial on the mount such that it clicks in twice. There's a first click, then dial farther until the padlock symbol meets the dot. Even in the 90-degree weather the dock didn't move.
  
  Voices had some trouble with street names, but still, with the text-to-speech it was nice to have something more than the generic "turn right here."
  
  Love the big screen, better than Nuvi 360 AND the Streetpilot c550, my next turn was always visible well in advance. Phone conversations were clear and map accuracy was fine.
  
  A GREAT product!
  
  
• Decent GPS, usability disaster
  By AJHK2JA01K7S2 on 2007-01-19
  First, the good news: the TomTom Go 910 is a pretty good GPS unit. It will get you where you want to go, the point-of-interest (POI) database seems quite thorough, and having maps that cover both North America and most of western Europe is great for travelers.
  
  However, the basic GPS features are marred by an incredible number of design flaws that make the unit basically unusable, especially if you sprang for some of the other features like playing MP3s or making handsfree phone calls.
  
  - Unbelievably, the joint on the windshield mounting bracket is not sturdy enough to support the weight of the GPS unit. So unless all the roads in your area are as smooth as glass, the GPS will slowly droop until it's nearly face-down, requiring you to prop it up every 10 or 20 minutes.
  
  - Depending on which road you're on, the unit might announce "in 0.3 miles, stay left on Interstate 80 westbound, and stay in the left lane" at every $*@#&! exit on the freeway. There is no apparent way to get it to shut up without disabling all sound, including music. Or it might not make a peep for a hundred miles, while you pass through major interchanges wondering if you are supposed to keep going. None of the navigation settings seemed to change this behavior.
  
  - The options menu suffers from Bill Gates syndrome. By default it shows only a small selection of options, which inevitably lacks the one you want. But when you enable "advanced" options, you end up slogging through 4 or 5 pages of settings every time. TomTom makes us choose between too few options and too many options; why can't they do their homework and provide just the right number?
  
  - The on-screen buttons are too small or too sensitive to deal with a finger poking them while the car is in motion and the GPS is jouncing around. The only way to maintain accuracy is to steady the GPS with your thumb and pinkie while firmly pressing the screen with your forefinger. Otherwise you'll end up dialing the wrong phone number, selecting the wrong POI, and pressing fast-forward instead of pause every time.
  
  - Playing MP3 audiobooks is impossible. Well, you can play them, but once you start playing you'd better not stop, because the player does not support bookmarks and your hair will go gray while you scan through an hour-long track one minute at a time. And if you accidentally release the fast-forward button a millisecond too soon, the player jumps to the next track, and all your hard work is for naught.
  
  - Compared with the Garmin nuvi 660, the TomTom's screen is dim and hard to read in bright daylight, especially if you wear sunglasses while driving.
  
  So if you're looking for just a decent GPS, I'd recommend one of the Garmin nuvi models. (The Garmin nuvi 660 is a highly usable GPS, but suffers from its own problems with MP3 playing and handsfree phone calls.)
  
  And if you're relying on reviews to decide which GPS to buy, take the raving positive ones with a grain of salt: the reviewer may not have even tried out the features most important to you.
  
  
• Nothing but a piece of garbage !
  By AY1NCHP8RKAUB on 2006-06-19
  The experience I had with TomTom 910 is nothing but frustrating. The first unit I had to return as it was dead on me. The second one, I am struggling to get it worked. It does not hold the time. Every time you turn it on it gives a different time from the last one. You need to set up the time always. They say there is a fix and I can not get one !. The Customer service of TomTom is one of the most inefficient one. Call them and you will be lucky to get a call back from their Level-2 in 3 to 4 days time. This is not waht you want when you spent $799.00. A $2.00 toy seems to be more relibale. They have a battery problem. Once over charged, it can even explode accoring to their Level-1 customer service. Never turns off when the ingnition key is turned off. Need to mannualy shut it off, which is not the way it should be !.
  
  In conclusion, this is a piece of JUNK to me so far. And not the one to spend $799.00 and get insulted !!!
  
  
• TOM TOM is a NO NO
  By A1NZW18R4SUZ7A on 2006-07-12
  I've owned this product a mere two weeks and after just 2 uses it fell apart. The screen froze and couldn't be turned off, causing it to overheat which than caused the screen to crack when touched. To make matters worse the company refused to replace or fix a clearly defective model and wanted to charge an ADDITIONAL $500 to fix. So if you've got the money to throw away and want to invest in a product that even its own producers won't stand by, by all means purchase it.
  
  
• Top Notch GPS!!
  By A2YH7LT33Z422K on 2006-09-30
  I usually do not write any reviews but I felt like I had to give my two cents about this product. The GO 910 has everything I need and want in a portable GPS. The out of the box experience was easy, the navigation top-rate, the re-calculation time when I missed my exit was quick, and, best of all, I could come home and dock the unit to my PC to download my address book. It even updates the software in the background as I work. Absolutely FREE - no fees!
  
  I noticed most people mentioned their experiences with the product while driving. I want to mention that this product has a built-in battery that allows me to walk around and find local restaurants, banks, or whatever, in any town or city I'm in. (I'm an airline pilot and I don't like to get lost!) One of the route choices I can make is 'fastest', 'shortest', 'avoid highways', etc. This is great because I have found new ways to get to places where I have followed the exact same route for years without realizing that there were quicker ways to get to my destination.
  
  Another cool thing about this product is that your experience doesn't end with the navigation. I easily docked the unit and downloaded pictures of my family, a few of my favorite tunes, and also downloaded some funny voices off of their website. I now have John Cleese telling me how to get from point A to point B! Gotta love it!
  
  I have used other GPS devices in the past and, I have to say, this is the most accurate, most versatile, and user friendly device I have ever come across. For the price, no other GPS even comes close.
  
  
• Good, but expensive and flawed
  By AH0WSYHAMR5XF on 2006-10-29
  I do like the product, but there are a number of problems that need to be addressed by Tomtom - other products may be better (but I wouldn't know):
  1. I'm a Mac user. Everytime I try to use the Tomtom Home application with the unit "synced," when I "eject" the unit from the desktop, it crashes/freezes, requiring a hard-reset. That means I need to use a paperclip to poke the very hidden reset button underneath the unit - something I only found after searching the internet a lot, since it isn't in the original documentation.
  2. I live in a large city, and the "acquisition time" for the GPS satellite is abysmal. When I had a factory installed unit in my old car, it worked quickly (under a minute). With this unit, I leave my garage and can be out of the borough before the unit connects, which is only ok if I already know which direction to start off driving.
  3. The voices: street names will only be read aloud by the "computer generated" voices, not the voice-actor voices, and the vast majority of the voices are voice actors. That's not really a big deal, but the most annoying part is: for some reason one of the computer voices recognizes the abbreviation Br as "branch." It's quite annoying when the object of interest is really a bridge, like, say, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the George Washington Bridge the Third Avenue Bridge, the Willis Avenue Bridge, the Triborough Bridge... I don't know I've ever enountered a branch while driving.
  I'd like to say I love it, and as a previous reviewer said, I wanted to love it, but it just doesn't merit that kind of adolation. There are a few good features, like the route preview, which allows you to see the route in a number of different ways (map, words, 3-d drive simulator, etc.), but you have to have a working GPS signal to use it. It allows you to select a single road, for example, to avoid. It will also allow you to recalculate for roadblocks, etc. And, you can put in multiple stops apparently, but I have yet to figure this part out. As I said, the documentation is almost completely useless.
  Frankly, the Tomtom people should be less interested in jamming in additional features, like the mp3 player and bluetooth device, and spend more time working on the problems with the core product.
  
  
• Good, but not the best
  By A3APYVJPLYX7E9 on 2007-08-16
  I purchased the TomTom Go 910 based on recommendations from magazine reviews and comments by existing users. One of the important features for me is Mac OS X support, and supposedly TomTom is better than Garmin and Magellan. If they're the best, then I'd hate to see how Garmin and Magellan support Mac OS X.
  
  Any Satellite Navigation product has two main components: the SatNav device itself and the software you install on your computer. The software (called TomTom Home) is used to backup the device, customize it, and download updates. You can also use it to put photos and MP3s on the device.
  The TomTom Home software can also show on your computer the same screens/features/menus that the TomTom Device has. Well, the Windows version does this but the Mac version doesn't. And it has been this way for a very long time according to users of several TomTom forums I've discovered on the web. This is a major point, because you use this device emulation feature to plan out complex trips and ultimately download the itinerary into the TomTom device. Without this feature you have to plan out your trips on the device, which is awkward when you have multiple stops on a multi-day trip.
  
  The biggest problem with the TomTom device is that its routing software is flawed. My first major trip was a 500-mile, 10-hour voyage to pick up my daughter from skating camp. Another parent made the trip as well, and he used a Garmin Nuvi. We left our area about the same time, but he arrived 90 minutes before me. We compared routes and discovered some major differences in routing. It turns out that I could have staying on a major highway for 80% of the trip, which is what the Garmin did. The TomTom however had me leave the highway and take local roads and then rejoin the highway later on. And yes, I did have it set to select the fastest route. After doing some internet research I discovered that this is a common TomTom issue. One review compared three different types of trips (local, medium, and long distance) on the Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom. In all cases TomTom's routes were longer than the other two. Until TomTom revises its routing engine, I do not recommend buying one.
  
  On the positive side, the user interface of the TomTom is reportedly better than Garmin and Magellan. I don't know this from experience, I'm just parrotting what I've read in multiple reviews. The navigation screen is easier to understand (an important item when navigating in new territory), the menus are better, and so on. I must say I've been happy with the UI on it.
  
  Another major feature of a SatNav is its list of "POIs", or Points of Interest. You don't need to know the exact address of the amusement park or airport you're going to, you just need to know the state, city, and name of the POI. The database knows the location of thousands of points of interest including gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and so on. You can set the trip display to show these POIs as you drive. Imagine seeing the display of the road ahead and by the upcoming exit you see icons for gas and food. Helpful, but it ends there. You can't tap the icons to find out the name of the restaurant or the type of gas. You can exit the Trip view and run through the menus to find the nearest gas station, but the routing engine doesn't limit its search to upcoming rest stops or nearby exits, it will display stations you've passed, stations miles down local winding roads, and so on.
  
  The TomTom can map out routes that avoid tolls if that's what you want. Unfortunately it won't tell you how many tolls are on your route, what they cost and how many minutes you have to drive out of the way to avoid that cost. You can't pick the option of accepting one toll and not another, its an all or nothing choice.
  
  The TomTom documentation is sorely lacking. It covers a few of the major features but offers no guidance on the more involved features. There is little explanation of what the on-screen icons mean or how to check that the battery is charging, or to find out its charge state. I'm a technical writer, and if I produced such a skimpy manual for one of our products, I'd be fired. Fortunately there are several forums online that have helpful power users.
  
  If you intend to use your SatNav a lot and reducing trip time is a major issue for you, look elsewhere. If you prefer the best UI over the optimium route then the TomTom is a good choice.
  
  
• The best GPS money can buy
  By A2ZJ9QMTEX5MA6 on 2006-07-17
  Took the Tomtom 910 to Europe where it worked flawlessly. It acquired location after about 10 minutes in Switzerland and 5 minutes in Italy. The mapping is superb and very precise, even in remote locations. Spoken directions are right on cue, foreign language support is excellent as well and the Tomtom is very user friendly. Bluetooth interface for cell phone works well, the clarity of phone conversation is A+ and incoming text messages pop up on the display. Plenty of space is available on the internal harddrive to download music files, I suggest however to connect the MP3 player to your car stereo for perfect sound. Internal speaker is ok for navigation but not the best to listen to music. POI's are user selectable, you can for instance program your GPS to alert you for every post office on your selected route. The Tomtom can also handle multiple destination without problem, you can either program the unit directly or do the trip planning on your PC and download to the 910, it is the easiest thing to do. I agree with other reviewers, the windshield mount is not designed very well, you have to make sure that it snaps securely into the back of your GPS unit and sometimes you have to wiggle the unit until the LED lights up in order to charge your GPS. Battery life last about 5 hours. Readability is crisp except in very bright sunlight. The Tomtom 910 is a superb product that comes loaded with all the bells and whistles, very user friendly and programable to anybody's likings. Included is a very handy remote control, PC interface with power supplies as well as a microphone that can be permanently wired for your hands free phone calls. It is well worth your money especially if you need European maps on occasion. The days of feeling lost in an unfamiliar place are a thing of the past.
  
  
• Maps are terrible
  By A3FU1OU8E6WZC3 on 2006-11-10
  I own this unit plus a Magellan 700 updated to a 760 (with the latest maps) I put the two side by side and tested it from Georgia to Michigan. The TomTom maps are Ok, but they took me miles out of my way and did not have streets on it that have been in existence for about 5 years.
  I tested it locally in North Georgia, same thing routes took me miles out of my way and they were about 200 yards off at my final destination. The Magellan was spot on to 3 or 4 feet. I really like the 3d view that TomTom has plus the Audio Books that you can download and listen to. But if you cant trust the maps what good are they?
  Bottom line is I am selling my TomTom 910 and getting a Magellan 6000T. I know I will take a bath on it but it is worth it in my opinion.
  
  
• Notorious Base Problem
  By A2R77BP8GVDF9H on 2007-04-20
  After having installed the unit for 43 days, the suction cup snapped off the plastic mounting. This was a spantaneous break while driving sending the unit "Flying"! Very dangerous!!
  
  Tomtom would not replace the unit, as the claim that paart is warranted only for 3 weeks! buyer beware. See the TomTom forum for description and picture:
  
  [...]
  
  and other links to the base issue.
  
  
• Great Device - Just needs some hints built in.
  By A2BLPW1C1FXBLG on 2007-06-17
  This is great device; it has done well by me on a few road trips. It is easy to use and very accurate.
  
  I think a couple helpful hints should have been tossed in with the device.
  * Your TomTom may freeze; this might be caused by overcharging or during updates and downloads. Be sure to carry a small paper clip with you at all times. There is a reset button on the back of the unit, hidden with in the bracket connection.
  
  * Ending a navigation session. This one was just a peeve; there is no obvious way to cancel your current destination. Be sure to open up all menu options when you get your Tomtom.(With in the Change Prefs menu, locate the show more Menu options icon)There are quite a few hidden icons that are very helpful. Among one, is Clear Route. If the route is not cleared it will continue to try and get you to your last entered route. One of my favorite things about GPS Receivers is watching my little arrow coast along the map display even when I do not have a particular destination. This helps me become familiar with the area I'm driving through.
  
  
  
  
• It refused to charge
  By AQVTGJTL7K9RI on 2006-07-06
  I travel a lot in Europe and the USA, and thought that the best solution for me was the Tomtom 910 with all the maps pre-loaded, and purchased one during my last visit to the USA.
  
  I took it straight out the box and it worked fine as it must have been charged at the factory. I thought it odd that no charge light came on when I plugged it in to the car lighter, and thought that there must be a problem with car (it was rented). When I reached home I plugged it in to the mains and left it charging overnight.
  
  Next morning I again took it for a ride to test it out, and after about 10 minutes it turned itself off, and I couldn't get it to turn on again.
  
  I had noticed that it rocked on the cradle and wouldn't sit tight on the connector, so this must have been the problem. The connector cradle it very flimsy and it fell off a couple of times, no matter what I did I couldn't get it to sit tight.
  
  I took it back to the store, and they also couldn't get it to charge, and offered me another one. This time I checked it before I left the store, same problem, it just wouldn't sit correctly on the charging cradle.
  
  I gave up, and bought a Tomtom Go 300 instead which works perfectly, and has a much better cradle design. which proves that "if it ain't broke don't fix it".
  
  I simply do not understand why Tomtom changed the cradle design of their latest models 510, 710 (sold in Europe), and 910.
  
  Anyway I also purchased the map of all of europe and a 1gb SD card, and still saved myself a few hundred dollars.
  
  The new Tomtom have a serious design fault, don't buy one!
  
  
• Reading Mixed Reviews?
  By AKTRQZKELSKKL on 2006-08-02
  After gettin a Magellan 360 for my birthday I was quite excited. Needless to say, it was soon replaced with the Nuvi 350. The Nuvi 350 performed alright, until the GPS reciever went out. So after 7 months I had gone through 2 GPS units. I was just going to replace the Nuvi with another, until I saw the TomTom Go 910. I decided to try a different company still, and see what the operation condition was. If you've noticed reviews on this page, most will tell you that it is a great unit, in so many words, but the window mount sucks. I too had the window mount problem at first. But I realized it was due to the fact that the turning mechanism to lock the mount onto the window had not yet "clicked". One it "clicks" the window mount tightens it grip on the unit and is able to hold it up beautifully, no problems. I would like to note, that it seems every bad review of this product lasts only 2 sentances. Not very specific, and not very helpful. As a consumer, it can be frusterating to read a paragraph great review, and then a 2 sentance negative. Taking the risk of buying such a unit is risky. My advice? Go somewhere where you can get a service plan, because when spending this amount of money you shouldn't have to take a risk. My TomTom is a great unit, and after going through 2 GPS units already, this is my definite choice. VERY customizeable, all the maps and features of the unit can be accessed through the PC, no problems charging, GREAT GPS reception, I get excellent reception, and good up to feet.
  I will admit the unit has more european support, but that's because that's where it's based. US support is ever increasing, and I haven't had to use it yet anyhow.
  You know it sounds cool, just go for it.
  
  
  UPDATE: After using this product a little longer, I found a key feature was missing. When using the points of interest database, there are no addresses. I found this quite annoying when I was looking for a specific target, walmart, or pizza place. So I finally did one last exchange. The newest Garmin street pilot, with a built in antenna so I don't have problems like I did with the Nuvi, the maps are newer, and no "clicking" issues with the window mount, plus it comes with a nice dash mount!
  
  
• Great GPS, but we had serious power issues.
  By A395UR7M885Y6A on 2006-08-27
  When the GPS actually turns on (I'll explain) it was fantastic. the text-to-speech made it a joy to use while navigating and the maps were always spot on. Our only problem was that it had serious power issues.
  
  When we bought it the first time, we walked outside and played with it for a while and it worked fine. We then took it in and put it on the charger overnight. In the morning, it wouldn't turn on. We took it back to the store and the techs couldn't get it to turn on, so they gave us a new one. This second one lasted about 2 weeks.
  
  We took a long trip away from home relying on the GPS, which got us there perfectly. I turned the GPS off, made sure it was unplugged, and left the car. A few hours later when we got back in to go home it wouldn't turn on again. When we plugged in the charger the green light would come on, but the unit wouldn't turn on. We had to call friends for directions back.
  
  We took that one back to the store, but they wouldn't give us our money back, only a new replacement unit. We begrudgingly took it and used it for two days before it suddenly wouldn't turn on again. Finally the store agreed to give us a different one, and we got a Garmin Nuvi 350, which has worked great. It's the same price but smaller and the window mount is WAY better. Doesn't have bluetooth though or anywhere near the hard-drive space.
  
  I wish the TomTom would have worked, because we really liked it.
  
  
• The good, the bad and the ugly
  By A1IQ5JCPQH4PW0 on 2006-12-21
  The good: the bells and whistles, the things that sell a product at first glance, are superb. A huge range of languages and voices, an exceptionally bright and attractive display, very clear rendering of the computer generated voices, all make the product look like it would be very easy to use.
  
  The bad part starts with the route planning. Being able to plan a route on the computer is why I bought this product instead of another one. I make four to ten stops a day across the states of Virginia and West Virginia, and I need to plan each trip in advance in order to minimize my driving. Nothing in the very sketchy owner's manual explained how to do this. I might add that for $699, you would think you'd get a good printed manual, not just a CD. A request to the support team provided the information (after a three day wait), but what I learned was that all I could do was to view the TomTom's own display on my computer screen instead of on the TomTom itself. That means I could not plan more than one segment of a trip at a time, since it doesn't allow waypoints. So I will have to continue buying a new copy of Microsoft's Streets and Trips each year.
  
  Another thing that falls in the "bad" category is the POI functionality, as a previous reviewer mentioned. I don't always know where I'm going to be at the end of a work day, and I had hoped the POI feature would help me find a nearby hotel. All I can say is that I can pick up my cell phone and make a directory assistance call to locate a hotel faster than I can find one with this thing.
  
  The ugly is that the maps are pathetically out-of-date. A switchback in one of Virginia's primary east-west highways, that was bypassed at least 16 years ago, is still shown on the TomTom. That might seem minor, but when you drive into that area, the device tells you to turn around and make a right turn to go back to where it thinks you should be. For someone unfamiliar with the area, that would be extremely confusing.
  
  When I asked it to find an address on Main Street in my own town, I was told that it was five hours away in Northern Virginia. Other addresses in established neighborhoods weren't in its database. So I can't use it for route planning and it won't take me to many of the places I need to visit.
  
  On top of everything else, it now won't turn either on or off. It is sitting there with an illuminated, but blank screen, totally useless. I can probably get the answer to that problem from Customer Support, too, in a couple of days.
  
  In short, I wouldn't have bought this if I had been able to test it thoroughly first.
  
  
• Great Unit
  By A3KG7U2F05AZOQ on 2006-12-22
  I have been a Field Service Engineer for over twelve years. I travel all over the United States as well as Europe. I have used several GPS units and systems over the years including factory built in units as well as PC based systems with the GPS puck. The TomTom 910 is the best unit I have ever used. It is the most accurate system hands down. I have had no issues with this unit at all. After reading some of the posts on here about this unit, I can tell most of them were posted by people who do not have a lot of experience with GPS units. The features are great and the unit is well worth the money. We have about 140 Service Engineers on the road every day and the TomTom units are preferred by far.
  
  
• good overall, but minor glitches
  By A1TVZD3E5QNLMP on 2007-06-08
  The TomTom Go 910 has worked nearly flawlessly. I've noticed a couple minor issues with routing, most likely due to the map database:
  1. told me to take a street that wasn't really a street
  2. took me 1 block out of the way returning home because (I think) it didn't recognize an off ramp as a valid way to turn at an intersection that states "no turns"
  3. verbal commands to exit U.S. 422E to U.S. 202N were incorrect, but the map display was correct. If you listened to the verbal commands, you would have been in the right lane instead of the left as you needed to be.
  I haven't noticed many issues like this, but I'd suggest using the demo feature to run through the trip in advance to avoid problems during the trip.
  
  I've had no problems with the mounting device. My guess is that people may not be fully locking the arm. You need to turn it to the first click to mount it to the window and then to the second click to hold the arm in place. I've also had no problems with TomTom Home and connecting the device to my computer. I've downloaded the latest maps and POIs without any issue.
  
  I did discover one annoying and slightly alarming issue when I first attached the device to my computer. I found that the host.exe and copy.exe files are infected with the Perlovga.A virus. I contacted customer service via email and received a response within 2 days. In their response they stated that "a small, isolated number of TomTom GO 910's, produced between September and November 2006, may be infected with a virus. The virus is qualified as low risk and can be removed safely with virus scanning software. Appropriate actions have been taken to make sure this is prevented from happening again in the future." My antivirus software removed the virus without any issues.
  
  I compared this unit with the Garmin Nuvi 350. While both units are comperable, I chose the TomTom because I was able to enter addresses via zip code, which the Nuvi 350 cannot due (dispite what the user manual I downloaded from Garmin's web site states). Also, the TomTom has an itinerary planning mode not found on the Nuvi.
  
  
• Love the TomTom GO 910!
  By A1PL3K2Q0JE95W on 2006-07-30
  I'm a very technologically savvy individual and have been using GPS for many, many years. My Garmin handheld unit currently shows 2,558 hours of use on the permanent timer. I've always been a big fan of Garmin products, and couldn't fathom going with another manufacturer. I've done a lot of research, and finally decided on the TomTom GO 910 for my first real automobile navigating unit. The final selling point was the inclusion of maps of Europe in addition to the entire USA. It truly is a pleasure to use and navigate with, as other posters have described here in greater detail. For those who have complained about the mount, I find their complaints unsubstantiated. The suction cup locks onto the windshield by rotating the base of the mount. There are two detents, and you must pass through the first detent before the arm locks tightly in place. Once you have locked down the mount by rotating the locking device through to the second detent, the mounting arm doesn't move, period. No problems found. You just have possess a little mechanical aptitude to figure out on your own how to properly use the mounting device, because the hardware instructions supplied with the unit are dumbed-down too much. Apparently, the people who complained that the unit droops after driving for a little while wouldn't be able to figure out how to change a tire either. The unit's operating menu is dumbed-down for the general population as well. It has an option to show a more comprehensive and detailed menu if you choose to do so, but it is not set this way by default. I hope TomTom will be offering updated maps. This unit doesn't show the development in which I live, and it's been here over 3 years. But, in their defense, neither does any other GPS unit I've tried. This country's suburbs are rapidly expanding all over the place, so I hope to be able to get updated maps one day without being to required to just throw the 910 in the garbage and be forced to buy a new unit through planned obsolescence. All in all, I'm very impressed, and you will be too. You won't be disappointed.
  
  
• TomTom G0 910 GPS
  By AHW8IA253ZBEG on 2006-11-10
  The TomTom 910 comes fully loaded, meaning I've use it in USA Canada as well as Europe (England etc.) as I said it's fully loaded. The operation of this unit is amazing, take the wrong turning and it will recalculate in seconds and put you back on the correct path. Push the home button it will take you home no matter where you are.
  Customer service is excellent, they replaced the car window mount telling me there is a problem with the original one. They correct it before I could complain.
  I give the TomTom Go 910 unit and service Five Stars
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $201-$500 - Repair
• TomTom USB Cable
• GGI International LCD Screen Care Kit, with Overlays, Care System Microfiber Cloth & Wipes
• Coby TF-DVD1020 10-InchTFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with Swivel Screen

• TomTom GO Deluxe Carrying Case
• Tom Tom iPod Connect Cable and Audio Cable
• TomTom FM Transmitter Mount for the Go 510, 710, 910
• TomTom A/C Power Charger for GO and Rider Navigators (9D00.006)