GO 740 and GO 940 LIVE reviewed

Last year, with the GO 930, TomTom for the first time introduced an important new device during the Autumn season. They repeated this strategy again this year with the introduction of the GO 740 and 940 LIVE, the new TomTom high-end models. And, as you've become accustomed to hearing from us during the past years, we can share all the new ins and outs of these new devices with you.

740 & 940

On to the reviews, two models will be looked at. First there's the pre-production GO 740 LIVE which we've been using for a while now. We've already driven a couple of 100 kms with it, and both the software and hardware hold no secrets from us any more. But in addition to that, TomTom has also sent us a review sample of the new GO 940 LIVE, which we will use to share an 'out-of-the-box'-experience with you. In short: if you want to know if TomTom's new GO x40 series is for you, you've come to the right place to find out…

The differences between the 740 and 940 are not too big. The overall colours are a bit different (see photos to the left) and the 940 has got a few extra features, like an MP3 player, FM Transmitter and Enhanced Positioning Technology for navigation without a GPS fix. But the main difference is in the supplied mapping material which should justify the € 100 price difference (€ 399 vs. € 499).

The GO 740 ships with the detailed Tele Atlas maps (version 2008.4, April 2008) of 31 European countries. (Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Vatican City, Sweden and Switzerland) plus the subsequent road grid of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Bella Russia. The GO 940 adds the United States, Canada and a separate map of Guam to that. This all comes pre-installed on the 2 GB (GO 740) or 4 GB (GO 940) internal Flash memory.

Solid

When we hold the new GO in our hands we hardly feel any difference from the previous series, the x30. The new series looks a bit rounder in shape, is a bit wider (from 118 to 127 mm), but also a fraction thinner (from 24 mm to 23 mm). The weight has only increased 4 grams (from 220 to 224 grams). The whole feels very solid, as we've become accustomed to from TomTom.

The GO x40 devices are units without a lot of hodgepodge. On top there's the large on/off button (1), which also functions as a reset button when you press it for 15 seconds. On the back of the device there's a grille (2) concealing the internal speaker and also a hole (5) which is needed to click the device onto the car mount. To the right of the 4.3 inch touch screen there's a small opening (3) for the internal microphone and light sensor (4).

On the bottom there are four grooves (5) which are also used to click the car mount or docking station onto. There's also a connector (6) to interface with the mount and/or docking station and a memory card expansion slot (7). For the first time, TomTom has used the microSD memory card format.

LIVE!

We don't have to think long about which innovation is the most important one in the GO x40 series. This is without a doubt the introduction of TomTom's LIVE services, a package of information services which uses a standard SIM card built into the GO, which in most countries uses the Vodafone network to download all sorts of data via GPRS. This makes the new GO a real 'connected' device.

TomTom positions the new GO series as the navigational solution for the motorist who drives a lot. And that's not so strange when we look at the price the consumer has to pay for all these goodies. Because apart from the hefty price of the devices themselves, you'll also have to pay for the LIVE services separately. Of course there's a three month trial period, but after that, this service will cost you € 9.95 per month. This isn't exactly ridiculously expensive, but for the average motorist almost € 120 per year isn't exactly cheap either. Fortunately you're not obliged to subscribe to the LIVE services to still be able to use the new GO which is, even without these services, still a very adequate SatNav. But without the LIVE services, the x40 series doesn't have a lot more to offer than the (cheaper) x30 series. It's easy to do those sums.

The currently available LIVE services are the HD Traffic information service, Safety Alerts (real-time information about safety cams, which subscribers can use to keep each other current about mobile speed cam locations), Petrol Prices (up-to-date information about petrol prices), Google Search (searching destinations via Google), QuickGPSFix (for speedier fixes with satellites), Weather and Buddies.

Active mount

Something we were very enthusiastic about from the very early x40 announcements was the return of the active car mount. The previous two generation GO's x20 and x30 came with a very simple passive solution. And even if this solution is pretty adequate, we still missed the option of connecting a power lead to the mount and leaving it in the car.

The last active TomTom mount was shipped with the x10 series. This wasn't a huge overall success and a lot of users experienced problems with the connection to the mount after a while. But fortunately TomTom has learnt from their mistakes and now supply a mount which can't even begin to be compared to the mount from the x10. Not only has the suction cup construction been improved a lot, but also the coupling between the mount and the device feels a lot more trustworthy, and this is immediately noticed the very first time the x40 is clicked onto the mount. This is done very simply as three tiny hooks on the mount latch onto the device to hold and keep it in place. And because the weight is distributed evenly there's hardly any vibration of the unit whilst driving. Releasing the unit from the mount is equally easy: you only need to press the large button on the front of the holder, directly underneath the device and the SatNav is released.

An additional advantage compared to the mount of the x20 and x30 series is that this mount can be used at a 90 degree angle, which makes is possible again to attach the device to the dashboard instead of the windscreen. Very nice!

The new GO's are shipped as standard with a holder which houses only one connection: a mini-USB connector for the 12-24 volt power supply. Later, TomTom will release a more extensive version as an option. There will be a holder with an extra iPod and audio out connector and one with an iPod/audio out connector and an integrated RDS-TMC receiver. Only a short antenna will need to be connected to this mount for the TMC module to function. When exactly this new mount will be available and at what price is still unknown for now.

Software

Once we've turned on the GO, we immediately notice it's running the brand new NavCore 8.2, TomTom's new navigational software. We already reported on this brand new freshened-up look in our 'TomTom gives NavCore 8 a rework special'. But fortunately there's more to report on than just new icons…

We already could use our voice to enter a destination, now this feature has been expanded to nearly all functions. This means we can now use voice commands like 'Navigate to Home', 'Increase Volume', 'Navigate to the nearest police station' or 'Phone Home' (and about 119 others).

The downside is that voice control needs to be activated first by tapping a speed choice button on the GO screen. Only then are voice commands recognised. Fortunately owners of the optional Bluetooth remote control (price: € 49.95) don't need to do this: a long press of the centre button has the same function.

Unfortunately tests in practice quickly revealed that voice control doesn't exactly function without issues. For one, you need to address your GO at a rather loud volume and articulate well. And even then, especially if there's a lot of surrounding noise, the commands are sometimes not recognised. The voice also can't be used to select items from a list or for use with Google Search. All in all we find the voice control a time-consuming and inefficient way of getting things done end we prefer the use of the remote control.

IQ Routes

Not new, but innovative nonetheless is TomTom's IQ Routes technology which the x40 series also uses. This system does not calculate routes based on existing speed limits, but on realistically average driven speeds on roads, at different times of the day. For this, TomTom uses anonymous historical speed profiles which they have gathered from their users during the past years. Because of this, the system can determine the quickest route and estimated time of arrival depending on all factors which can influence this. Apart from traffic congestion, this also means traffic lights and intersections.

Meanwhile TomTom has collated many billions of driven kilometres and they claim to have historical travel information of every road in their maps, every day of the week, with an interval of five minutes. And this information has now been poured into the Tele Atlas maps, and the IQ Routes technology uses it to determine the most optimal route and the expected time of arrival.

Testing IQ Routes in practice is almost impossible though. There are so many other, uncontrollable factors which can influence the travel time enormously. Think traffic jams or changing weather circumstances for instance. And to determine in hindsight what the travel time would have been if a different road would have been chosen is of course impossible. But we could determine the fact that there are huge differences in the expected travel time during different periods throughout the day with the help of some simple tests and the use of the 'Prepare Route' option in the TomTom software.

This way we found out that a planned drive from Oegstgeest to Amsterdam in the Netherlands makes for a huge difference in travel times, depending on the time of day. Without IQ Routes, the software says the destination will be reached in 39 minutes. With IQ Routes, on a Wednesday morning 8 AM, the software claims the same drive will take us 46 minutes. At the same time of day, but on a Thursday, it would take us 1 minute more, but on a Friday 2 minutes less. If we plan the drive on a Sunday at 11 PM, then we would need only 41 minutes.

The route may also vary. A drive from Oegstgeest to Maastricht in the Netherlands without IQ Routes would take us 2 hrs 30, and 227 kms. If we choose the same destination at 8 AM on a Wednesday morning with IQ Routes, the fastest route would take us 2 hrs 48 minutes, and 245 kms. On Sunday the route is identical to Wednesday, but it would take us only 2 hrs 29 minutes.

Again: with these small tests we don't want to make a final judgement on the effectiveness of IQ Routes, but it does prove the technology provides different routes and expected travel times depending on different days and times. By now we're also convinced this technology, combined with HD Traffic will lead to, where possible, faster routes or at least a better prognosis of the arrival time.

Less

Let's start unpacking the GO 940 Live now. It soon becomes apparent the packaging contains many fewer items than was the case with previous GO generations. For the sake of reference, just take a peek at the bottom photo here to the right. Now those were the days…

The compact 940 box (top photo) contains a lot less items. Of course first there's the shiny new GO 940 itself. Then there's the docking station, to connect the SatNav to the PC with via USB 2.0, for charging purposes and the use of HOME. Also included is a 12/24 volt charger for car use and the previously described active car mount. A CD-ROM containing the HOME software and an electronic manual is also included, as well as a short user quick start guide, a small booklet with some explanation about the LIVE services and a list of the possible accessories.

We immediately notice the superior brightness of the screen. It seems considerably brighter than it was with the previous GO generations. Of course you can adjust the setting to your own liking, but when set to 100%, the brightness is clearly a lot better than the 100% of the GO 930 for example. Excellent!

Another thing that's noticeable is the improved volume of the spoken instructions. Man, this GO is LOUD! This by itself might be something to be happy about, but we believe TomTom have overdone it a bit here: I now use the GO 940 standard at 10% volume. While driving around with a bit of external noise, 20% of volume easily cuts it. At around 60% of volume, the voice is clearly distorting, and when played at an even louder volume, it's simply unbearable. Fortunately this is easy to adjust in the software, but we still hope TomTom will notice this as being a bit over the top, and that they quickly fix this with a software upgrade.

Speed

For almost every SatNav we test, we also test out how fast it can calculate routes. For this we always use the same route: Oegstgeest (South Holland) to the Piazza Di San Marco in Rome (about 1,670 kms). The GO 910 needed almost a minute to calculate this route. The GO 720 did a lot better with its 29 seconds and the GO 930 needed 45 seconds.

Unfortunately we have to conclude that the GO 940 LIVE does not even come close to these scores: after 2 minutes and 13 seconds the route is calculated. It's probably not the only reason, but we suspect the new IQ Routes are to blame here, because with IQ Routes enabled, the device needs to take many more factors into account. We decided to simply test it out and run the same test again, but this time with IQ Routes disabled: the route calculation only takes 46 seconds. So it seems we were right.

We do have to warn you to put this test in the right perspective. The route we wanted to calculate is a long route. If we want to drive to somewhere not so far away, say a couple of 100 kms (which covers about 99.9 % of our driving), the routes are usually calculated within seconds. In any case we never get the idea it's taking too long.

HD Traffic

If we look a bit closer at the LIVE services, of course the first one we try is the most important one: HD Traffic. This TomTom service has currently been operational in Holland, France and Germany for a year, and since the introduction about 40,000 motorists have subscribed to the High Density traffic information. The service supplies very up-to-date traffic information on all motorways, secondary roads and important roads in large cities.

Apart from displaying the current traffic jams image, HD Traffic also suggests alternative routes to reach your destination. Thanks to the high coverage of the Dutch road grid, possible reasons for slowdowns on roads other than motorways are also taken into account when calculating an alternative route. If taking an alternative route will save you some time, HD Traffic will propose that the user should take that route instead and even show the alternative route on the screen if you have pre-selected this option. This feature can also be easily disabled though.

We don't drive enough to be able to thoroughly test this feature ourselves, but we have one freelance editor in our team that does drive about 70,000 kms per year, often in the hours where traffic jams happen frequently. Our colleague has been using HD Traffic since the very first day, and this is what he thinks of it:

"My experiences with HD Traffic are as old as the service itself and go further than the use combined solely with the GO x40. In general I'm very happy with HD Traffic. Despite the fact the service doesn't always find a free passage in the highly congested Dutch road grid, using it often saved me from queuing in another traffic jam. Jams, road incidents, road blocks or other 'disturbing' factors are mostly reported accurately and swiftly, also when the traffic jams are already starting to dissolve.

When this happens, it might be so that following the original plotted route becomes faster than the alternatively suggested route. HD Traffic updates itself every three minutes, so you're ensured of always receiving the best possible route at that particular time. When you're on the road a lot, HD Traffic is a very welcome addition to your SatNav. It'll save you a lot of travel time, and from that point of view, it's more than worth its monthly subscription cost."

Well, those comments leave little room for doubt. Our colleague even goes so far as to suggest that the inclusion of HD Traffic in a GO x40 is the primary reason for him to even consider purchasing the device. The service makes him use his SatNav more often than before, even if he is driving to a known destination. The traffic information makes sure he is able to drive home or to the office without a lot of delay.

Unfortunately, it's currently still impossible to use HD Traffic abroad. The service currently only functions in the country where the device is purchased. TomTom is currently working on implementing roaming functions which will enable the use of HD Traffic outside the borders as well. When this will be possible and how much this will cost (extra) is still unknown for now though.

Google and more

A second LIVE service we like a lot is Google Search. This works very simply: enter a search term in the form of a (company) name or general term (vet, football stadium, museum,…) and the system will show you the results within seconds. The user can determine if the results need to be searched 'in close proximity', 'near destination' or 'near other location'. Then you can directly navigate to the result, or you can choose to phone the (usually available) phone number. A very nice and excellent addition.

The third added service, 'Petrol Prices', makes us less enthusiastic. By itself it's a good idea to offer a list of the cheapest petrol stations on route or nearby, but a small test with two petrol stations (Esso and Shell) where we live soon showed us the given prices weren't correct. Ok, so the deviation wasn't too big (no more than one or two cents per litre), and in both cases the error was in favour of the customer, but it doesn't really boost any confidence to see the petrol prices at the first two stations you check as being incorrect. Too bad, and clearly a case of fine-tuning needing to be done by.

The fourth service is 'Safety cams' with which users can report fixed and mobile speed cams to TomTom. In the case of mobile speed cams: they become available to other users once two or more reports from different subscribers are made. After a few hours, this location is automatically removed again. All other reports are gathered by TomTom and combined with other sources of information. After some time they are then usually included in TomTom's safety cam updates via the HOME desktop application.

The success of this service is of course largely dependent on the participation of the LIVE users, and their willingness to report suspicious locations. So it's only logical that so soon after the introduction, there currently are not too many warnings to be seen or heard. Hopefully this will soon change.

The remaining three services (QuickGPSFix, Weather and Buddies) probably won't be sufficient reason for anybody to consider a subscription to the LIVE services. They just add too little practical value for that, even if some will probably think they are nice additions. All considered, we value these new LIVE services highly. HD Traffic and Google Search are excellent additions. Are they are worth € 9.95 per month ?, each will have to decide for himself, but we're sure lots of (professional) motorists will think it's worth it. Especially if TomTom keeps developing this service, and keeps adding other, valuable services. One thing's for certain: the TomTom GO x40 service is up to the task, and we're already looking forward to it.