TomTom GO 930 GPS

GPS, the thing that has caught the fancy of people and is slowly becoming a necessity for people. TomTom, renowned for making GPS equipment. In-Car navigation systems are being used by many people to help them find alternative routes, voice-assisted navigation and other stuff. TomTom GO 930 GPS is the latest device to be released by the manufacturer.

TomTom GO 930 GPS specifications :

• Display : 4.3 inches
• Resolution : 480 x 272
• Touch sensitive
• Memory : 4GB
• Bluetooth hands free
• Expansion slot : SD
• Processor speed : 400MHz
• Battery backup : 5 hours
• Approx. price : $500

TomTom GO 930 device sports an all black casing which will go well with the interiors of a lot of cars. The device is rather slim measuring only an inch in thickness. The device has a rubbery texture that provides for a better grip.

The device has a big 4.3″ display with WQVGA resolution for better clarity. The maps look clear and bright on the display. TomTom has done good work with the display and you can also adjust the brightness of the display. A new set of icons, Alfa Blending technology for smoother graphics make the display one of the best around.

TomTom has made the touch interface very easy to use. You can find a lot of options there such as Change preference menu etc and the on-screen QWERTY keyboard fit nicely on the screen. You can find an audio port at the bottom, mini USB port, SD expansion slot and a reset button. The power button find its place at the top of the device. Car charger, bluetooth remote control, a desktop cradle, a vehicle mount are the accessories that come with it.

The TomTom GO 930 GPS comes loaded with features. It has 4GB inbuilt memory which can be expanded with the help of SD expansion slot provided. Maps of North America, Central and Western Europe are preloaded into the device. The maps can be updated by you for more accuracy. You can plan your trip by giving the destination address, pincode, city center etc.

There area number of which by which you can specify the device to perform route calculations. TomTom IQ Routes is the new addition which uses historical data such as average speeds etc to give you the best possible route to your destination.

The device supports maps in both 2D and 3D mode. There is a status bar at the bottom which displays handy information such as next instruction, remaining distance, estimated time etc. Zooming in and out of maps can also be done. Lane separation is another interesting feature as it displays the lanes you can opt for your upcoming turn. Apart from text, voice guided assistance is also available which offers turn by turn assistance and also text to speech functionality, although the latter is not as effective. The voice support is built in for a whopping 24 languages.

You also get bluetooth integrated with the device. It lets you pair a bluetooth handset with it and make hands free calls from it. You can also transfer the address book of your phone to device wirelessly! The touch screen can be used to answer of reject the call. The help system on the TomTom GO 930 is also excellent as it answers general questions such as your current location, nearest POIs etc.

The device also has multimedia capabilities which are rarely found on standalone GPS devices. It can play MP3 files and also some audiobooks. Images can also be viewed if they are in JPEG or BMP formats. But the best part is that it can stream music wirelessly over your car stereo as it has inbuilt FM transmitter.

The performance is brilliant to say the least. It only takes a couple of minutes to get the satellite lock for the first time. It tracks your location perfectly and has good signal strength even when moving close to tall buildings. The fastest IQ route turns out to be accurate most of the times. Voice guided instructions were loud and clear and well before a turn. Lane assistance is available only for highways and freeways and not for the street roads.Overall the TomTom GO 930 performs highly efficiently and is quick to do the various tasks.

Pros :

• Slim design and black exterior
• Great display
• Voice and lane assistance
• Route calculation
• Integrated bluetooth
• Text-to-speech functionality

Cons :

• Lane guidance limited
• Voice command inaccurate
• Expensive

Final Thoughts

The TomTom GO 930 GPS is a great device and offers excellent in-car navigation system. Great display, integrated bluetooth, voice and lane assistance are its strong points. The voice command feature isn’t one of the best and its expensive price tag puts it out of reach of many. It also has multimedia capabilities adding to its value. If you have the money, this is the best GPS device you can get.

My Rating : 4/5