Product:
TomTom Go 740 Live
Features:
This is TomTom's first wireless GPS in the United
States, which taps into real-time traffic, gas prices
and weather reports, along with being able to Google-search
any destination. Has a 4.3-inch LCD touch-screen and
features Bluetooth connection for hands-free calling.
Price:
$399.95, which includes three months of wireless
service. After that, the Live Services costs $9.95 a
month.
Ups:
The Live Services, which include things like Google
search, really make this a fantastically helpful GPS.
You can search for general things, like a nearby comic
book shop, and it'll route you to nearby stores (and
lists phone numbers if you want to call the store before
you go). Or if you want something specific, like a
nearby Outback Steakhouse, just type that in and get the
closest one.
You
can also route yourself to a nearby gas station with the
cheapest gas. And if traffic is really bad, it'll warn
you how bad the delay is and change your route to the
fastest one.
Downs:
Don't expect the traffic and gas reports to be exact.
Gas prices are based on how often it's updated online
— which sometimes was about 30 cents off. Also, I
couldn't get the TomTom's Bluetooth to connect properly
with a few different models of cellphones, so that was a
big annoyance.
Bottom
line: When I went on a family vacation last week, the
Live Services were a real lifesaver in getting us
around. But you have to dish out an extra 10 bucks a
month just to do all these amazing things! It's
certainly not the GPS for someone on a budget.
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