TomTom GO 910 Automotive GPS Receiver

After my old basic garmin got dropped on the floor, I thought i would upgrade to something with a few more features. When I received the item I set it all up, connected it to my pc and upgraded to the latest software version. When I took it out on a drive, the problems started.

Firstly it was very slow loading, and every now and again the tomtom would crash. When it loaded up again it had forgotten all my settings and loaded up the american map. So I went into the settings and changed the map to the european one, whereupon the tomtom promptly crashed again. This would happen every 5 minutes or so which, as you can imagine, became very infurating. It also started to display the message "unable to store map settings. File access error". I ended up using a traditional map to find my destination.

After a bit of searching on the internet I managed to find a solution. Apparently the tomtom's flash memory was full and the problem could be resolved by downloading the simple Clear Flash Memory tool from the tomtom website. Followed all the instructions and hey presto, tomtom is now working brilliantly!

Only to find that the windscreen mount is inadequate. The suction pad itself is great, sticks to the window no problem and there's no danger of it falling off, but the actual ball joint which allows the tomtom to be twisted to the correct angle isn't strong enough. With all the vibrations and undulations of the car travelling, even at low speeds, the tomtom begins to droop and, after a few minutes, it has dropped so far the it's resting on the dashboard, pointing downwards. Temporary solution to this is to mount it lower down on the windscreen so that it rests on the dash at the correct viewing angle, I couldn't find a screw or anything that would enable me to tighten up the ball joint. I have reported the problem to tomtom via the website customer services and hopefully they will be able to replace the windscreen mount, though I'm still awaiting a reply.

It is slightly more complicated to use than my old garmin and the mapping not quite as clear, but this is probably down to the fact it is so packed with features. Haven't tried it abroad yet but the UK mapping is great. It bleeps a warning to let you know when you're approaching a speed camera (the fixed position GATSO's) which is useful, but it also has an annoying bleep when you go over the speed limit, though this can be turned off. Bluetooth connectivity is great and I can now use my phone hands free. Only problem is I don't find the speaker on the unit quite loud enough, and I'm only 22, even when the volume is at max. It is possible to wire the satnav into the car speakers though. Haven't had the chance to use the mp3 function yet so can't comment on that and I haven't used the traffic alert system. I don't fancy subscribing through my phone data connection although you can buy a seperate antanae(yet more wires) that allows access to the traffic for a one off price of about 40 quid.

Lastly one feature I enjoy is the extra voices that you can get. At the minute I have ozzy osborne swearing at me to turn right( download for free here from isohunt) which is quite funny. I've only had the tomtom for 2 days now and there are still loads of features I haven't tried. I have noticed a dead pixel but it's very inconspicuous so not to bothered

Overall though I am very happy with the satnav system

With a compact and portable design, the TomTom Go 910 can move with you from car to car. Ready to go right out of the box, (about 2minutes to power up) then the unit utilizes simple touch-screen operation on its wide-screen 4-inch WQVGA display with 480 x 272 pixels of resolution and 64,000 colors.

The Go 910 provides you with clear, accurate, turn-by-turn voice instructions, (many voices are included and others can be purchased) in more than 36 languages with more than 50 voices to choose from.

Having had my TomTom Go 910 receiver (only) stolen - I was looking for a reasonably priced replacement. As both my car charger and window attachment were left by the thief I thought I'd risk buying just the receiver on it's own. I also had the home charger and computer peripherals, so it made sense to consider this method before shelling out even more money for a complete replacement or alternative model. I was already fond of the features I'd come to appreciate on this model and felt it would be much easier to buy again than learn the nuances of something new. I wasn't disappointed. It worked straight out of the box and had recently been updated beyond my stolen model's (2006)technology, so had enhanced voice commands, like naming the road ahead, which I found much improved the experience of using this model. The ease of navigating the system with the help of on screen tutorials was also a big help and I found the easy sensitivity of the touchscreen also an improvement. All in all still the best Sat Nav I've used. I'm sure the latest GO 970 (or whatever we're now up to) will be better still but just to replace what I was already happy with for £250 less must be a result! As I had a choice of 8 of these receivers without the periphrerals, I can only assume there must be many drivers out there who are in the same boat, either having lost or had stolen, or accidentally dropped and broken their receivers, ao I thoroughly recommend replacing in this way. Steve.

This top of the range unit (in it's day) is much the same as the 710, with the addition of maps of almost everywhere in the world you are likely to drive a car (UK,Europe,USA and Canada) and the ability to play music on an in built 20GB MP3 player, control your ipod and store pictures, also it has a hard drive instead of an SD memory card.
The 4" widescreen means you can navigate with the touch of a finger and you can store frequently visited places so you don't have to type in a location every time. Watch the screen or listen to the spoken instructions on where to go, couldn't be easier ! You can even select different voices, but I guarantee you'll go back to Jane in the end.
For me a huge bonus is the hands-free mobile phone calling via bluetooth, the tomtom comes with a built in microphone but is best if you use the extension mic (also included). The hands free quality really is very good, most people wont be able to tell you're not holding the phone. The unit even takes a copy of all your mobile numbers out of your phone automatically so you can dial people directly from your tomtom without picking up your phone!It can even read your text messages aloud ! A remote control comes with the unit (But not with 510 or 710)
Another bonus is that it if you connect to your PC you can download all the UK speed camera locations, which could save you the price of the tomtom in speeding fines. Similarly railway stations, shopping centres etc, also you can load in grouped items like Tesco stores, congestion charge zones or BP petrol stations plus hundreds of others if you connect it to your PC every now and again. (Many free web-sites)
On the down side these are top of burglar Bill's Christmas list so never leave it in the car if you can help it, they might even see the window bracket or the mark it leaves on the window and break-in just to check the car for you. (Been there, done that!)
A sound investment if you do a lot of driving or can't find your way out of a paper bag, plus this unit saves you the price of a hands-free car kit for your phone. I could never go back to using maps again now, Get one you won't regret it !

Price at Comet (On-line) 18-01-2007, Tom Tom 910 - £349.92

PLEASE SEE MY GUIDE ALSO !
Tom Tom, Sat - Nav, Widescreen Models 510, 710 and 910

I bought this one a few months back and is excellent in few aspects and bad in few. Thats why I have rated it "Average"

Well the good points: Features like hands-free calling with bluetooth, in-built 20 GB hard disk, maps of UK, Europe, US and Canada, Text to speech. (reads out incomming texts when connected to your phone via bluetooth)
Very good maps, Live traffic info when connected to phone. This feature helped me especially during Easter holiday traffic. The GO 910 is very easy to use and gives a very good battery life when is not connected to the in-car charger.

With the in-built 20GB hard disk, you can store upto 4000 tracks and play it on the units speaker. But, its an in-built mono speaker which is not great for music. Alternatively, you can connect the unit to your stereo's front auxillary input (if you have one) using the wire provided to play the music stored in it through your car's stereo.

Now the bad points:
Heavy. Yes... it is heavy and the windscreen mount cannot hold it. Once you fix it on the windscreen mount, its ok for a while and as you drive on bumps, the face of the unit slowly turns down because of its weight. All you should do is position the windscreen mount on the windscreen so that the base of the GO 910 unit rests on your dash. Once you place like that, you will have no problems with it going down at all. But again, it depends on the car. Some windscreens for cars like Citroen zara Picasso are a bit too far from the actual dashboard. So, it may be difficult to use it. But if it is a normal hatchback or a saloon, shouldn't be a problem. Also, its bulky.
The next thing is they should have given a proper in-built microphone. Instead they gave an in-built microphone which is not so clear to the callers on the otherside. They also gave an external microphone with lots of wire so that you can run it along your car and fix it some where close to your mouth like steering wheel. I personally fixed it to the wiper control stick. Sometimes I get fed up seeing so many wires in my car.

And finally, the price. Its not worth spending so much on one of these. If you don't want handsfree calling and 20 GB of hard disk, better go for tomtom ONE or something like that which are cheaper, slim and lighter in weight.

I personally suggest going for GO 920 or a GO 930 if you want all the features and yet slim. But they are a bit more expensive.