The TomTom GO 740 LIVE marks the first entry to the US market of a connected service by TomTom, one of the top names in personal navigation devices, making a strong step into the next generation of devices with its access to better traffic alerts, Google Search, gas prices and more. At the base, the TomTom 740 is a fully functional navigation unit offering a top of the line approach to TomTom's version of features, **lane assist, Bluetooth handsfree capability, Help Me!, MapShare, and IQ Routes - a way of learning about travel times based on other people's read world experience.
With a strong base, the TomTom GO 740 LIVE adds on a nice set of features allowing the connected device to help make your commute easier, a search for a destination more straightforward and and overall more informed traveler when you decide to use the connected features as part of your planning process. The ability doesn't come free through, as the connected plan essentially has you paying about $10 per month for the connected services. Don't want to pay the fees? The GO 740 LIVE becomes a regular old GPS, that still allows you to navigate to an on-board set of POI's, with a strong feature set and solid navigation. If you are not in the market for the LIVE connected capabilities, look elsewhere, as there are cheaper ways even within the TomTom line to get a full complement of features without paying for the LIVE capabilities that TomTom includes. As I came into the testing of the TomTom GO 740 LIVE for this review, key in my mind were the question son how well do the connected features work, how are they integrated into the regular GPS navigation capabilities and the bottom line or is it all worth the extra $10 a month for the subscription.
The TeleNav Shotgun is a the latest internet connected GPS that adds a lot of capabilities to the standard GPS by having a realtime full data connection to the internet over the cellular network. The Shotgun has internet search functions for Points of Interest, gas station searches that include gas price data, a big plus these days. The TeleNav Shotgun adds a conservative number of functions to the featureset, stopping short of some of the far reaching capabilities of the Dash Navigation folks when they launched the first connected GPS early last year.
With the fatter data pipe that the cellular network offers, more granular traffic information can be sent to the device, offering you a more accurate view of what lies ahead. The Telenav Shotgun is targeted at the business travelers who are generally out in the traffic on a regular basis, so the better detail and capabilities should be welcome. Speaking of business travelers, the Shotgun also captures your mileage, offering the easy ability to capture trip distances for mileage reimbursement.
Navigon just recently launched the Navigon 2200T, an entry level unit with some pretty un-entry level set of features, like lifetime traffic, text to speech and lane assist, a way to see which lane to be in as you navigate through those complex intersections. Navigon has been on the market elsewhere for a while, but really made their mark about a year ago in the US, where they rocketed onto the market with their Navigon 2100, an earlier entry level model.
The 2200T at its base is a standard screen 3.5-inch unit that offers real time traffic through a TMC traffic receiver that has its antenna built right into unit - something that makes the unit a lot easier to deal with instead of an extra cord dangling from the unit. The unit offers some advanced guidance capabilities like Lane Assist that shows you where to go in a small schematic on what lane you need to be in coming up to an intersection. If that's not enough, you get reality view, a 3-D view, a way to see how you should drive; just like you were flying through the intersection before you drive it. Text to Speech rounds out this list of features before we go and try this unit out.
The new TomTom ONE 125 comes to the market at a time of intense competition and high expectations for the major GPS makers as they vie to marketshare and the attention of the millions of shoppers who are discovering the wonders of not getting lost and actually getting to where you want to go without stopping, backtracking or imagine that, asking for directions at a gas station. It also comes to market at a time when shoppers are starting to parade out to stores with cash in hand for holiday shopping.
TomTom ONE 125 vs. ONE 130
The TomTom ONE 125 brings a special edition that may or may not be around after the holiday push. The only difference between the TomTom ONE 130 and the TomTom ONE 125 is that the TomTom ONE 125 has US maps, and not the full North American maps like the TomTom ONE 130. Not a big sacrifice for people who may never venture north to Canada. I predict that it will be a big seller for Black Friday - If you want more info on Black Friday 2008 see all of the Black Friday GPS deals. The TomTom ONE 125 continues the slimmed down design with an ultra thin look, and an innovative mount, dubbed the EasyPort. Fold flat profile and a twist to adhere suction mount make the EasyPort different in the GPS world.
Not well known for their GPS products, Alpine is known for their quality car electronics. Their PND-K3 GPS is a widescreen (4.3-inch) gps that comes with US and Canada NAVTEQ maps preloaded, Bluetooth handsfree calling, with text to speech capabilities. The unit features a new interface that was not carried over from its older models. The K3 also comes with advanced positioning that allows the unit to maintain its approximate location when it goes through tunnels. This is type of capability was also debuted on the TomTom GO 920. I found it effective driving through Boston's Big Dig tunnels. The Alpine PND-K3 offers a split screen view when you are heading through difficult intersections on the highways. As one would expect from Alpine, they offer music player functionality that will accommodate MP3 and WMV files. Load your songs on an SD Card (up to 4GB) and supports decent functionality including playlist creation.
CNet recently put up their review of the Alpine PND-K3 and rated it middle of the road. It offered decent navigation, and quick route recalculations when a turn was missed, but they didn't always agree with the routes picked as the best way to get to their destination. Battery life, rated for 2 hours, barely met that hurdle. The price can be steep, but the interface is much improved.
The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 were announced earlier this year and are quickly taking their place as solid entry level units in the Garmin line-up. The Nuvi 205/255 offer a series of new features and upgrades that improve on an already top notch interface, making the Nuvi 205/255 my pick for Best Entry Level GPS Navigators. I would urge you to upgrade to the Nuvi 255 for its text to speech (TTS) capabilities, as I feel TTS is one of the best investments to make when purchasing a GPS - it makes the navigation simpler and easier to follow in an ever more complex world of driving.
The Nuvi 205/255 feature several upgraded features:
New faster processor, making for a faster routing and map drawing.
New shaded elevation maps.
Now compatible with optional TMC traffic receivers, or MSN Direct service (Gas prices, traffic, local events, stocks, news, and weather.
Garmin HotFix capability to automatically calculate and store satellite locations so that you will be able to turn the unit on and go a lot faster greatly reducing satellite acquisition time.
Geolocated Picture capability - Download geotagged photos to the Garmin to be able to navigate to a loaded picture; works with Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and Garmin Connect Photos website.
The subtle changes don't sell themselves in any huge way as breakthrough innovations, but these changes add up to a whole lot more in use than the quick read might lead you to believe. Garmin clearly did some work here to make the interface better and easier to understand. The tweaks are another step on their continuous line of interface changes that make the units simple enough for all to use.
Let's take a look at what's inside and why these are worth the upgrade.
Update: The CNV-10 and CNV-20 are on sale for $99 and $149 respectively; are they worth it? Maybe.......
BestBuy brought the Insignia CNV10/CNV-20 Internet Connected GPS to the market a few weeks ago as the second Internet connected GPS to hit the US market. There are others out there, the first one being the Dash Express, an internet connected GPS that also connects via WiFi to utilize the cheaper and high bandwidth to update maps while sitting in your garage. Magellan has talked for almost a year about having the Magellan 5340+GPRS come to market (and recently announced that they are suspending development on it), as has Garmin with their Nuvifone. Finally, TomTom has hit the market in Europe with their HD designated units that have a SIM chip in the power cord, connecting their units to the internet; if we're lucky, it might even hit the shelves in the US. OK - you get the picture, everyone is thinking about one, but in the end, Dash was here and now Insignia, but not all the others.
The Insignia CNV10 is the standard screen unit (3.5-inch) while the CNV20 is the widescreen unit on the market that offers the ability to search via Google (nearly infinite Points of Interest as a result, right?), send an address to your unit over the airwaves from Google Maps, but most importantly get high quality, high definition traffic updates to the unit. The higher bandwidth allows for a finer resolution in theory of the current traffic situations versus the low bandwidth TMC system that goes over the FM airwaves. Dash takes this to the next level by making the units separate traffic probes, reporting back the situation that you are in, and if you are stuck, it will warn other Dash units that the traffic is bad at your current position.
The Insignia CNV10/CNV20 units come with a 1-year subscription to the cellular network, which gives you an answer to why the fairly basic 3.5-inch screened unit costs $399; a similar, non-connected Garmin costs under $200, while the Dash Express costs $299 + the cellular plan of about $12 per month. See my Unboxing of the Insignia CNV10 for more product shots.
So, doe the Insignia CNV10/CNV20 offer these advanced features in an easy to use format? Did it keep me out of the traffic commuting around Boston? Read on......
The Garmin Nuvi 775T is one of the newer widescreen GPS units (Announced in August) in the Nuvi line at this writing and offers several key upgrades over the Nuvi 770 offering that I think are useful and worth consideration when shopping for a GPS. I firmly believe that text to speech and widescreen GPS units are worth paying the additional money for, and being at the high end of the Garmin line, the Nuvi 775T has both. That's not all though, as Garmin has seen their way to adding in a few other goodies to keep people interested and enticed enough to put the Nuvi 775T high on their list. The reason to spend a little more on teh Nuvi 775T is to get both North American AND European maps pre-loaded on the device. If you are heading to Europe and want a GPS, this is a great high end choice.
Let's take a look at the features of the Garmin Nuvi 775T to see what it has to offer....
The Garmin Nuvi 205W/255W were announced earlier this year and are quickly taking their place as solid entry level units in the Garmin line-up. The Nuvi 205W/255W offer a series of new tweaks that I have quickly come to appreciate and enjoy.
The Nuvi 205W/255W feature several upgraded features:
New faster processor, making for a faster routing and map drawing.
New shaded elevation maps.
Now compatible with optional TMC traffic receivers, or MSN Direct service (Gas prices, traffic, local events, stocks, news, and weather.
Garmin HotFix capability to automatically calculate and store satellite locations so that you will be able to turn the unit on and go a lot faster greatly reducing satellite acquisition time.
Geolocated Picture capability - Download geotagged photos to the Garmin to be able to navigate to a loaded picture; works with Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and Garmin Connect Photos website.
The subtle changes don't sell themselves in any huge way as breakthrough innovations, but these changes add up to a whole lot more in use than the quick read might lead you to believe. If these were houses for sale, the 200W/250W and the 205W/255W may look the same from the outside, and offer the same number of bedrooms and baths, but the think of it like the Nuvi 205W and Nuvi 255W just got kitchen, bath and master suite upgrades that make them stand out as easier and more enjoyable to use.
Let's take a look at what's inside and why these are worth the upgrade.
Update: The Nuvi 2x5 series has the ability to use the Garmin ecoRoute program that helps you drive more efficiently. It's not nirvana, but it can help those interested in being a little more gas conscious. See my post "Got ecoRoute?..."
It's always a little concerning when I see co-branded GPS units that usually scream "crap" as they attempt to sell a pretty complex piece of electronics based on a commoditized interface. I will say it again, It's easy to make a GPS, It's hard to make a good GPS, and PC Mag just reviewed the Jeep GPS Navigator RT-300 that sounds like it fails to meet expectations and offers a poor quality product that can't measure up to the quality standards set by Garmin and TomTom.
Craig Ellison reports that the interface is a bit clunky and that it is based on Windows CE, which is fairly standard for a lot of third tier units which gather a whole bunch of applications that aren't seamlessly put together and usually provides mediocre navigation at best.
The Jeep Navigator RT-300 comes with a ruggedized rubber cover that may fit with the Jeep lifestyle, but doesn't offer a lot of the attributes that might actually enable the Jeep lifestyle, like off-road capabilities, or waterproof ratings. I can't tell you how many times I was caught in a rainstorm in my Wrangler when I had it; I would have ruined a GPS several times over if I had one due to rain alone. Maybe the new Garmin Nuvi 500would be a better choice - off road capable, waterproof to 1 meter, and comes with Topographic maps. Jeep had been with Garmin a while ago; maybe they should have locked up a deal on something like the Nuvi 500?
The new Insignia Connected GPS unit is shipping and I thought I would grab a new Insignia GPS NS CNV-10 Connected GPS over the weekend to check out the Best Buy house brand's new connected GPS out, then put up a First Impressions Review. The CNV-10 and CNV-20 units just became available and are the second brand of connected GPS to hit the US market; the first being the Dash Express. The benefits of having a connected GPS can be numerous, but for now, the Insignia is counting on better traffic data, better search results through Google, and the ability to email locations straight to your GPS from websites like Google Maps. The Insignia CNV-10 offers a 3.5-inch screen while the CNV-20 offers the 4.3-inch widescreen.
A quick trip to Best Buy had me walk out with the goods and a few hundred dollars lighter ($399 + Tax). The box reminds you that you had better like this or else, with its 15% re-stocking fee reminder. Open the box up and you'll find the diminutive unit set in a large cardboard holder, which when removed will reveal the rest of the ingredients that will make up the entire batch of connected GPS goodness.
Garmin Nuvi 265WT - Widescreen and Lifetime Traffic
Garmin has a nice widescreen entry with the Nuvi 265WT, that offers a lot of capability in a lower tier model within reach for most GPS buyers. The Nuvi 265WT was announced in August 2008, along with the Nuvi 265T and Nuvi 275T.
The Nuvi 265WT offers Text to Speech and LifetimeTraffic with a departure from the older 3-month free trial and a monthly subscription after that. This is TMC based traffic service that is served over the FM airwaves. The Nuvi 265WT has the newest Garmin interface that I like a lot - it has subtle changes that make a big difference. The distance to turn is in the upper left corner with the turn indicator next to it - easy to see and quick too. The speed limit indicator is down the left side also making that time glancing at the left side of the screen pretty productive. I used this interface extensively in reviewing the Nuvi 255W, the sister unit to the Nuvi 265WT, and thought that it was a big improvement to the overall system. For more information on the Nuvi 255W, and the new Garmin interface, see My Full Review of the Nuvi 255W.
The new Nuvi 2x5 models come with the enhancements that you get with the rest of the 2x5 line, including:
New faster processor, making for a faster routing and map drawing.
New shaded elevation maps.
Garmin HotFix capability to automatically calculate and store satellite locations so that you will be able to turn the unit on and go a lot faster greatly reducing satellite acquisition time.
Geolocated Picture capability - Download geotagged photos to the Garmin to be able to navigate to a loaded picture; works with Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and Garmin Connect Photos website.
With all of these features, the Garmin Nuvi 265T, and 265WT seem to be a very well appointed and well targeted to the masses. The Nuvi 265WT will expand to a 4.3-inch screen, and Bluetooth Handsfree capabilities to work with your compatible Bluetooth phone.
The Nuvi 265WT has text to speech turn directions; "Turn left on Main Street."
The Garmin Nuvi 765T is one of the newer widescreen GPS units (Announced in August) in the Nuvi line at this writing and offers several key upgrades over the Nuvi 760 offering that I think are useful and worth consideration when shopping for a GPS. I firmly believe that text to speech and widescreen GPS units are worth paying the additional money for, and being at the high end of the Garmin line, the Nuvi 765T has both. That's not all though, as Garmin has seen their way to adding in a few other goodies to keep people interested and enticed enough to put the Nuvi 765 high on their list.
Let's take a look at the features of the Garmin Nuvi 765T to see what it has to offer....
The Garmin Nuvi 755T, 765T, 775T and 785T were recently announced and will be available on the store shelves here in the coming weeks. I was able to get my hands on a Nuvi 755T unit ahead of their launch for a review of their new offering that includes a nice handful of including an updated interface that I think makes the dead easy interface even easier and more intuitive to understand; kudos to Garmin for this subtle but well done change. It makes understanding where to go and what to do even easier while rocketing down the highway. The unit also offers 3-D buildings as well as Lane Assist, a reality like image that helps you understand what to do in difficult highway interchanges. The Nuvi 755T, 765T, 775T and 785T also offer faster routing calculations and faster map drawing.
Finally, Garmin offers free traffic updates with an ad-supported model that I was a little hesitant about. After a couple of weeks of using the unit, I can offer that it's not a terrible thing. Read on for more details and the full review...
TomTom GO 740 LIVE Full Review
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would be a better choice - off road capable, waterproof to 1 meter, and comes with Topographic maps. Jeep 
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