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July 9, 2009

TomTom Go 740 Live review

Product Code: 1CF7.011.00

The TomTom Go 740 Live is the first GPS device from TomTom to have a built-in cellular radio.

This wireless data connection allows the TomTom Go 740 Live to download information relevant to your journey, such as traffic, weather and fuel prices. While these connected services are a useful addition, they didn't always make my commute easier - and the services' costs add up over time.

The TomTom Go 740 Live shares many of the physical attributes of the company's excellent Go 930 navigation device. You get a big, bright 4.3in touchscreen and a slim form factor (it's less than an inch thick). The Go 740 Live includes a car cradle, through which you connect the GPS to its car charger, as well as a desk cradle.

The TomTom Go 740 Live delivered accurate and sensible routes. It announced turns well ahead of time, and we found street names clear and easy to understand. The device uses the IQ Routes technology that impressed us on the Go 930. This feature takes into account historical data (collected from anonymous users), such as real-world speeds at certain times of the day, when calculating your route. we found that the TomTom Go 740 Live - like the Go 930 - consistently delivered accurate, sensible routes. The device also supports TomTom's Map Share feature, which allows you to share map updates and corrections with other users.

We hoped that the connected features would make the unit's excellent routing features that much better, but we were disappointed. The TomTom Go 740 Live did warn us about upcoming traffic incidents, but consistently told us that we were "still on the fastest route" rather than presenting us with alternatives. We appreciated knowing about upcoming slowdowns, but would rather be able to avoid them instead of simply anticipating them.

The other connected services, such as the included Google Local Search, weather forecasts, and fuel prices, were more impressive, though still not worth the extra that you'll have to pay for them. You can use the Local Search feature to browse through information (such as restaurant reviews) about local points of interest - it's like a POI database on steroids.

The TomTom Go 740 Live's convenient touches include lane guidance (which tells you which lane you should be driving in) and realistic views of complex intersections. Unfortunately, these images only appear when TomTom has them available, and we found them scarce in our travels. We also wish it was easier to clear a route or to add a waypoint to an existing route you're traveling; both actions take far more clicks than necessary.

The TomTom Go 740 Live also includes voice recognition, which allows you to talk to the device instead of entering information on its touchscreen. However, we found this feature a mixed bag; it often failed to understand us, forcing us to enter information manually. You also get support for Bluetooth hands-free calling and the ability to view photos on the device.

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Independent customer reviews from

Tom Tom TomTom Go 740 Live scored:
8.8 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 42 reviews:

20 Dec 2008 John, Cheshire

5

Good Points

Routes Safety camera warnings

Bad Points

Some route inaccuracies

22 Nov 2008 Anonymous verified purchaser

10

Good Points

Very capable device, once you have customised the menus to your needs then very easy to use Excellent accuracy and speed of recalculation of routes. Hands free bluetooth capabilty for phone mean no need for seperate car kit

Bad Points

Reviewer left no comment

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