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| TomTom GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator | 
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| Brand: TomTom
Category: CE
List Price: $449.95
Buy New: $319.95
You Save: $130.00 (29%)
New (7) Used (3) Refurbished (4) from $234.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  164 reviews
Sales Rank: 2125
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: Unknown
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 480 x 272
Display Size: 4.3
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 3.2 x 0.9 x 4.7
MPN: 1M00.780
Model: 1M00.780
UPC: 636926017114
EAN: 0036926017112
ASIN: B000SATCUQ
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
almost as good as they say March 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've had the unit for about two months now and used it on two trips and around town some. It will get you there but not always the best way. The speakers have a lot to be desired. I would buy it again because it works good as a navigation aid. The other features are just so so.
Larry March 16, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
The product, although good, does not recalculate the route as it should and as the Magellan GPS does, that is about $100.00 less.
 Best Review Possible March 11, 2008
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
Pros
* Handsome -- best looking GPS I've tested to date
* New windshield mount is an improvement over previous TomToms
* Hardware feels solid and well engineered
* Text-to-speech voices sound natural
* Tons of configurable options
* Fast power-on time (boots up quickly)
* Timesaving address entry features, such as displaying recently used city and street names
* Strong FM Transmitter works well. So strong it can even broadcast over another radio station without issue
* New (Tele Atlas) maps are excellent
* Ability to customize which POI categories are displayed on the map
* Supports multi-destination routing (although not route optimization)
* Broad language support
* Lots of routing options to choose from (fastest time, shortest distance, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.)
* Ability to download and install additional voices
Cons
* Poor documentation (important items are either briefly explained, or not covered at all. Manual is also UK-specific)
* Manual makes reference to features that the GO 720 doesn't actually have, such as voice recognition (European version has this feature, US version does not (but the manual doesn't explain that))
* Cluttered user interface
* Slow to accept missed turns: the GO 720 either insisted I make a u-turn, or went nuts and showed me driving off road
* Can't search across all States, only within a specified State
* Important functions are hidden by default, and must be manually enabled (for example, the ability to cancel a route)
* When entering an address into the GO 720, you must choose the State, even if you're using a zip code (sort of defeats the purpose of allowing the use of Zip codes here in the United States)
* Major GPS Drift when stationary (GPS position "drifts" around in circles)
* Poor GPS signal reception (as of this writing, using version 7.0.0) compared to other SiRF enabled GPS units
* "Night" mode only changes the color scheme on the map, not the other menu screens
* Multi-destination (itinerary) route planning is cumbersome
* TomTom PLUS services require the use of a compatible Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
* Short list of compatible cell phones (for Bluetooth enabled hands-free calling and TomTom's PLUS services) means most cell phone owners in the US will be unable to use TomTom's PLUS services
* Automatic screen dimming feature is too sensitive. When enabled, the GPS switches in and out of night mode constantly if you drive anything other than a convertible in the California sun
* Routing engine not as good as Garmin or Magellan
* MapShare doesn't let you see which specific roads were updated -- it just tells you that "updates were applied"
* Some menus return you to the previous page, others dump you back to the map view for no apparent reason
* Screen not as bright as other GPS units
* When announcing highway names, the GPS says "highway six-hundred-and-eighty-four" instead of "six-eighty-four"
* Fingerprint prone exterior case
Conclusion: 65/100
I really wanted to love the TomTom GO 720. With enough features to make a grown man drool, the exceedingly elegant GO 720 is one good looking piece of hardware that lets you customize just about every aspect of the interface. I was especially fond of the powerful built-in FM transmitter, the ability to broadcast music and spoken navigation instructions over different sources (i.e. music via the FM transmitter and instructions via the built-in speaker), and the ability to make map corrections on the fly. I also appreciated the ability to easily create custom POIs and POI categories, and TomTom's unique time-saving address entry features.
The GO 720 has excellent text-to-speech that sounds natural, and can announce actual street names instead of generic maneuvers (although for some odd reason this feature is disabled by default). I also loved the ability to enter a preferred arrival time, and have the GPS report exactly how early or late I would arrive at my destination.
The GO 720 ships with TomTom's software version 7.0 installed (also known as NavCore 7). A significant update to previous GO software, version 7 is literally busting at the seams with new features. Nearly every aspect of the GO 720 can be customized, from compass preferences to custom vehicle icons and voices, to TomTom's much-touted MapShare -- a unique set of features that allow the user to make map corrections and POI corrections/updates directly on the device.
Unfortunately, the TomTom GO 720 suffers from many of the same drawbacks that have plagued TomTom's products for years.
Despite being equipped with SiRF's high performance GPS receiver, the GO 720 had a hard time maintaining reception, and occasionally thought I was driving off the road altogether. The GO 720 also had a hard time dealing with missed turns, frequently asking me to make U-turns and double back instead of re-routing based on the new course. The GO 720 also exhibited some of the most severe GPS 'drift' I've ever seen (a condition that causes the GPS to think it's moving even though it's not).
Adding to the frustration, for some inexplicable reason TomTom hides many important features on the GO 720. For example, by default there is no way to cancel a route. In order to cancel a route, you'll first need to enable the hidden menu, and even then it will take 4 screen taps to cancel the route (very annoying when driving). The Bluetooth integration is a nice feature to have, but so few cell phones are supported that the functionality is seriously limited. Speaking of which, in order to make use of any TomTom PLUS features, such as real-time traffic data, you must have a Bluetooth compatible cell phone (and accompanying data plan) paired to the GO 720. By contrast, both Garmin and Magellan provide traffic services via an included antenna and don't require any additional hardware.
Like previous TomTom products, things feel rushed with the GO 720; the included documentation is for the UK and references features not available in the North American version. TomTom's support website doesn't even list the GO 720 as a valid model, and TomTom's PLUS site has been "down for maintenance" for over 48 hours as of this writing. Trying to download the product manual for the GO 720 from TomTom's website results in an error message stating that no such manual exists yet. The interface feels cluttered, as TomTom's software engineers have packed the GO 720 to the gills with features and options that haven't improved the most basic requirement of getting you from point A to B.
The GO 720 has a long list of great features that just might keep you distracted long enough not to notice that the core functionality of the GPS doesn't work that well. TomTom's routing engine remains poor compared to Garmin or Magellan, and the GO 720 consistently chose the worst route in my testing.
If TomTom spent as much time on software development as they clearly spent on hardware design, the GO 720 would be a fantastic GPS indeed. Unfortunately the GO 720 still needs work, and I can't quite recommend it just yet.
The TomTom GO 720 is a beautiful GPS that will impress at first, but disappoints soon after the honeymoon wears off.
 Saved me on the road March 3, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I borrowed the Garmins 350 and 360, very good units, simple to use etc.
However after much research and use of an older TT One. Based on feedback on this site and others I decided to acquire the TT 720 as I wanted the steets names with directions.
I waited for the 720 to come on sale, acquired for $340 w/shipping. Just got back from a 7000 mile trip. Best purchase I made in an electronic device. It made driving on busy freeways much less stressful. It gave us advance information which lanes I should follow on multi-lane/highways. Thats a huge plus when traveling unknown areas, especially in heavy traffic. Not sure if Garmins do this, as the ones I used were never exposed to this scenario.
I quite frankly wouldn't travel in unknown areas again without a GPS again.
I don't need or use blue-tooth, weather, traffic info, however it available if you need it.
It has a neat feature, which allows you to quickly select your current position (1 step return arrow) as a return POI. No need to program street, city etc.
We found this feature great when its dark, late and your tired and you wish to return to your motel etc. I'm sure others may have a similar feature.
Super impressed with tech service, made 5 phone calls, answered within 2 minutes, and someone I could understand, maybe I was lucky. I made an error when I attempted to update the map, it already came with the most current version.
The download took hours, which was the only hassle I had with the unit.
It comes with a selection of different voice, however to get the street name feature, your restricted to 1 or 2 voice signatures, a none issue with me.
I also highly recommend the larger screen (720 has), the smaller one will do just find if your able to locate/position close to your line of vision. I tend to refer to the information displayed while driving and prefer not to have the unit in my line of sight.
Interface, once downloaded has a very user friendly menu.
I have over 6 million POI, but during our travel, many well known attractions were missing. I plan to download from one of the sites which TT informed was safe and recommended.
For those that are concerned about adding changes to planned routes which Garmins tend to be limited to one re-route. I though this would be a necessary feature I would need/want, however during this trip, that feature was not as important as I innately assumed. You can just use points/towns/cities from paper maps and input as favories/POI and then bring them up as you progress on your route. If you prefer to plan your whole route in advance then this unit is more than capable.
On long trips, IMO you still need paper maps to outline your trip to retain interstate travel. The GPS will get you there, but it may be down secondary/state roads etc.
Need some improvements.. February 28, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
First of all, I have to say this is an excellent unit. Among the ones I tried, (Magellan 3225, nuvi 200, tomtom one, mio c230) this is the one I really hate to let go.
I'm returning it because of some reasons. I'm not going to go through what it has, you can read them on other reviews or on the tomtom website but I'm going to explain what you are not getting.
The first reason is the price. I started with paying $150 on a tomtom one then slowly increased the price and ended up with Go 720.
I bought this from Sams's club for $329.00 (now $349.00). For that much money I would expect to get a case and maybe an AC charger. You do get a cradle but that requires you to turn on your computer everytime you want to charge the unit at home. I wish they threw a little wall charger which has a usb outlet so I could hook up the cradle and wouldn't have to turn on my computer. You can buy generic one from Ebay for probably 10 bucks but why should I pay extra money for the case and the charger if I'm already paying so much money. It's not a big deal but it would be convenient.
It shows the POIs around you while you are driving, but they are not interactive icons (like Magellan has) so you can't see the info or just chose to go there by clicking on it. You should be able to click on them and have option to call or drive there, just like in Magellan units.
The POI category is way too much (broken into so many categories) but at the same time they are kind of useles, like there is no sub category for food. Say you want to find Chinese food around, you have to know the name or guess from the names you find.
The bluetooth is not working properly. It connected to my Blackberry 8100 with ease but couldn't get data connection. It worked when I called people, sound quality is superior, they did not even know I was talking to GO 720, but then I wasn't able to establish a connection when someone called, we just couldn't hear each other.
You have many options for the voice instructions, you can download so many voices, even funny ones like dart wader, homer simpson, etc.. but only few tomtom made "computer voices" can read the street names. If you want to use special voices or human voices, you have to sacrifice the text-to-speech function. I wish I had a choice to use human voice for normal instructions and second voice for reading street names aloud.
The good thing is with a little trick you can turn the unit to Go 920. which gives you an extra menu to use voice commands. So instead of entering the address, you say them. However, you have to go 3 menus (Navigate To>Address>Spoken Dialog) in order to give voice commands. So if I'm going to go thru all that, I might as well enter the address manually. Anyway, that's an additional trick for the unit so it's irrelevant to this review.
The windshield mount works perfect. Few drop of water and place it firm, then you will have hard time removing it. (I did). Unfortunately it doesn't charge the unit. So if you are connecting the unit to the cable of your car charger, you have to unplug the cable every time you take it with you (believe me you will if you don't want it get stolen). It's just inconvenient. Tottom could come up with a design, maybe an additional hook up charger that you clip on to the stem of windshield mount tightly and attached the cable on to it.
So the reasons I'm returning is because: lack of case, a wall charger, windshield mount, the need-work bluetooth, non-interactive POIs and the price, in my opinion it's really not worth to pay that much, I would, however, keep it for $250.00. Maybe they will add those features with firmware update, fix the bluetooth, and throw a case (that should be a must, I mean come on..) then it'll be a killer, and I would buy one.
For those who think Navteq is better than Tele Atlas; in my opinion that's not true. I found Tele Atlas better than Navteq but again, that's argumental.
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