Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best incarnation yet., 15 Mar 2007
This review is from: TomTom Go 710 Europe GPS Navigation Unit (Electronics)
I've been using TomTom navigation software on a PDA with a bluetooth GPS unit for many years, and have always found the software intuitive to use and reasonably accurate. Now that my PDA is dying, after some research I replaced it with a 710.
The screen is clear, and the software is just as easy to use as in previous versions. The windscreen mount is very firm and locks the unit in place whilst driving; it bounces a bit on rough road surfaces, but so far hasn't fallen off or disconnected. The home dock is very handy as well - the unit connected straight away to my MacBook after I'd installed the TomTom Home software, and downloaded updates which were installed to the unit without any problems. It takes a knack to mount the 710 to both the home dock and the car mount, but after a bit of practice it becomes second nature.
Using the software to navigate is very straightforward. The menus are easy and clear, and entering data is simple. I found the POI list to be comprehensive, and the ability to navigate to a postcode very useful. As with my previous experiences of TomTom software, I find it particularly useful when navigating through a town I don't know; between towns it's useful to have a vague idea which roads you need as the algorithm which calculates the route doesn't necessarily choose the most logical - but it will choose the fastest. That aside, I don't often encounter many problems with the routes it chooses, and after a couple of trips to a destination the unit "learns" and remembers your favourite route anyway. There are a few surprising gaps in the map coverage (the new M62/A1M interchange at Ferrybridge isn't there for example) which are very odd, and I would have thought would have been on this version.
I have a Nokia N73 phone with an unlimited GPRS connection, and so use the handsfree facility and the TomTom Plus services. Connecting the phone for Bluetooth operation was easy. Setting up the data connection (GPRS) to the 710 was not so straightforward. I tried to get the 710 to automatically detect the GPRS connection, but it failed on every occasion. Eventually I discovered part of the TomTom website which contains GPRS settings for all European mobile providers, made the small change to the protocols in manual setup and the 710 immediately connected.
Using the 710 as a handsfree kit for the phone is useful only for occasional use and not whilst travelling at any speed above 40mph - there is simply too much ambient noise to make either speaking or listening understandable. An external mic is provided in the box, but I found it difficult to mount where I could use it.
TomTom Traffic is useful in that it will show jams on your route, but I've found the updates to be reasonably infrequent, necessitating having the car radio on as well for traffic updates. I haven't bothered with TomTom Buddies or connecting my iPOD to the 710.
Overall it's a great package for the money, but setting up a phone to work with it can be initially frustrating.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's not a perfect world, 2 Nov 2006
This review is from: TomTom Go 710 Europe GPS Navigation Unit (Electronics)
I did a lot of online research before buying this product and despite reading plenty of negative comments and reports of issues I am happy with the Tomtom GO 710. Here are the headlines :
Mounting bracket - this is rock solid and hasn't shown any of the symptoms of drooping that I have read about. Maybe I have a more recent unit with a tighter bracket, or maybe there are a lot of buyers out there that haven't fully locked the suction mounting. So far I can't fault it.
Screen - very clear, I have seen plenty of satnav GUIs and still rate Tomtom as the best. All screens struggle with direct bright sunlight and reflections, and this one is no exception. In normal use it is fine though. Automatic screen change to night colours when it is dark (at night, through tunnels, etc) is a really useful feature. The keypad can be a little small for use on the move, but again this is a limitation of all portable satnav units.
iPod control - excellent integration, quick navigation without taking your eyes completely off the road ahead. The audio doesn't seem to pass through the unit totally unaffected (some of the richness can be lost) but you have to listen pretty hard to hear it - using the audio-out cable to your car stereo is a must and slight adjustment to your bass and treble controls on the car stereo is an easy fix. Slight 'popping' on certain tracks isn't an issue in the real world, and really is very low level / infrequent. Overall this is a great feature.
TMC aerial - avoid at all (over-priced) costs. I have used this for a week during my commute and it hasn't picked up a single piece of traffic information. A total waste of money. Hopefully Amazon will provide a refund (not fit for purpose).
Navigation software - quick (quicker with the latest update 6.5.2 - automatic satellite location download = first fix within 30 seconds of power-up), and I haven't discovered any major issues with the map accuracy. Maps will never be 100% accurate, and if you need to know whether the road ahead is a one-way street use your eyes...
Hands-free bluetooth phone integration - extremely easy pairing with the handset (Sony Ericsson T630), faultless phone book download, external microphone isn't the best quality and does effect the sound quality to the other party (tinny), but inbound call quality is fine. Certainly far cheaper than ordering bluetooth phone integration on your next company car.
Sound output - the internal speaker is only up to the job of spoken instructions for the satnav (but what do you expect - it's only an inch in diameter so you are hardly ging to recreate Glastonbury). Using the audio cable to play through your car stereo is the way to go. Having the Ipod pause automatically for spoken instructions works well.
Overall a great product - TMC performance is a big let-down, but there is far more to the GO than that single piece of functionality.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great gadget, 8 Aug 2006
This review is from: TomTom Go 710 Europe GPS Navigation Unit (Electronics)
The problem with the device switching itself off when going over bumps etc can be solved simply by downloading an update (which is straight forward to do once connected to tomtom home). I have yet to experience any problems with this.
The device itself is great, and will truly impress you with its capabilities.
For any driver who travels a lot to new places or for the less confident driver in getting around, this truly is a great investment as getting lost with this device is impossible.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
As an alternative Amazon recommends the TomTom GO 700 In Car GPS Satellite Navigation With European Mapping and Bluetooth to find out more *Click here for details![Auf Wiedersehen Pet - The Complete Fourth Series [DVD] [1983]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P4WW0TP3L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
