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CHAD SAPIEHA

Special to Globetechnology.com

Latest comment posted at 1:11 PM EST 06/07/08

The TomTom Go 920 is a decked out consumer GPS does everything except tell you where the potholes are ...Read the full article

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  1. Bob Fugger from Victoria, BC, Canada writes: Chad - Great review. I don't know if you ever read the comments, but perhaps you could respond to a question (in the comments) that isn't covered in your review.

    Can you give some insight into the relevance of traffic monitoring software to Canadians? I remember when GPS first came out, that they were basically only good in the lower 48 US states...and maybe Toronto.

    Admittedly, things have come a long way; but I'm wondering if it's worth it to someone like me, who lives in a medium-sized city, to splurge that little bit extra for the traffic monitoring unit & subscription? (I love toys, so I probably would do it). Will the TomTom let me know if there's construction on Douglas Street or lots of riduculous volume on The Malahat?

    Or will this feature only be useful when I hit the I-5 to go see a Seattle Mariners game?

    Thanks.
  2. Chad Sapieha from Toronto, Canada writes: Thanks for your question, Bob.

    The evaluation unit I tried didn't come with the necessary hardware for traffic monitoring (it's sold separately), so I can't say how effective the Go 920's traffic monitoring is in Canada.

    However, the Garmin nuvi 680 (another great GPS I recently tested) comes with a one-year subscription to Microsoft's MSN Direct service, which provides traffic reporting features (as well as the ability to do things like check gas prices, the weather, and movie showtimes).

    If you head to the MSN Direct website you can see if your area is covered. It appears as though Vancouver and Victoria fall within the service areas (as well as Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and much of lower Ontario and Quebec).

    Still, I'd check with a local retailer to see just what sort of local information customers have been able to get from the service. I was able to check movie times at local theatres here in Toronto, but only able to pick up gas prices from Buffalo.
  3. Gary Coffin from KentVille NS, Canada writes: Having owned the Go 920 for 6 months now I have to agree with this article!
    As for traffic monitoring I opted not to go for it as the area I live in and do most of my driving in wouldn’t warrant the annual fee even though it would be handy on our snowbird trips every winter to Florida some 3600 KL.

    The up to date Gas pricing might be handy but again in my case not sure the annual fee would be worth the price being that I am retired.

    However I can't say enough about the Go 920 after owning a different high end GPS for a few years now and the difference is like having a bicycle and a Rolls Royce when it comes to hwy navigation.

    One thing that wasn’t mentioned in this article is that you are able to plan your route
    With Google Maps and save it to your Tom Tom Go 920 for future use.
  4. Tim G from Toronto, Canada writes: Why are you reviewing an old product? The 930 replaces the 920, and has been out for a month now!
  5. Michael Snider, Technology Editor from Canada writes: Thanks for your comment Tim G.

    While the 930 is newer, the 920 only arrived in February, so calling it old is a bit of an exaggeration. GPS devices typically stay on the market for a year or more after they are released, so the 920 is a model that people will see on store shelves throughout this summer and winter and will probably be a great pre-holiday buy (along with the 930).

    What's more, the 930 doesn't replace the 920. In fact, they carry the same sticker price (although I see some retailers are offering discounts on both). They are simply different product models that have the same basically core components with a few functional differences.

    However, the 930 is definitely worth a look because of its active lane guidance feature.

    Thanks for your comment.
  6. Rafael Abrego from Glendale, United States writes: The bad thing its not portable to take in your pocket . Garmins 200 series are.

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