TomTom GO 740 Live
Manufacturer: TomTom Part number: 1CF7.052.00
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The TomTom GO 740 Live puts a tremendous amount of information at your fingertips and makes it easy to access and process it all from the driver's seat.
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CNET editors' review
TomTom GO 740 Live price range: $293.06 - $399.99
- Reviewed by: Antuan Goodwin
- Reviewed on: 05/27/2009
The good: The TomTom GO 740 Live is the manufacturer's first connected-GPS device, offering up-to-the-minute traffic data, weather forecasts, fuel prices, and Local Search powered by Google. Map Share and IQ Routes technologies allow map data to be updated more frequently. Bluetooth hands-free calling and voice command help the driver to keep both hands on the wheel.
The bad: Route calculations are slow, particularly from a moving vehicle. High entry cost only includes three months of service.
The bottom line: The TomTom GO 740 Live puts a tremendous amount of information at your fingertips and makes it easy to access and process it all from the driver's seat.
When we spoke with TomTom's representatives concerning the new GO 740 Live, the navigation device was described as offering a "God's-eye view" of the road. Now, the GO isn't omniscient, but it gets pretty close with its three-pronged approach to navigation data.
Firstly and most importantly, a built-in wireless data connection gives the user access to live traffic data and Local Search by Google. Next, TomTom Map Share is a user-generated map correction system that allows for map data to be updated more frequently. Finally, IQ Routes looks at historical speed data to calculate the fastest route from point to point.
Design
The GO 740 Live sticks to the standard PND form factor that has served TomTom well. The device measures 3.4 inches tall by 5 inches wide. The unit is 0.9 -inch thick at its thickest point (center) and tapers to thinner edges. On the front of the device you'll find a 4.3-inch full-color touch screen with a 480x272 pixel resolution. On the back is the single speaker. The bottom edge is where the proprietary cradle connection can be found, as well as a microSD card slot, if you want to supplement the unit's 2GB of internal storage.
The GO 740 Live doesn't include the Fold'n'Go EasyPort mount that the One and XL models feature. Rather, the GO ships with a car cradle with a suction-cup mount similar to that of the EasyPort and a desk cradle for connecting the GO to a computer via USB for updating or charging.
TomTom rates the GO 740 Live's battery life at 3 hours. In our testing, we found the charge to last closer to 2 hours.
Features
The GO 740 Live is TomTom's first GPS device to feature a built-in wireless data connection, so it offers a few new features that we haven't seen before on TomTom navigation units.
The first is Local Search powered by Google, which puts rich points-of-interest data at your fingertips. Users can search for businesses and restaurants and receive detailed information about the results, including rating, payment types accepted, required attire, and more.
The GO 740 Live is also capable of delivering traffic information with real-time flow data (not just incidents), searching for the latest fuel prices in the area, and receiving local and five day weather forecasts.
TomTom Buddies allows you to share your location with friends who also have a TomTom GO, and to send instant messages to one another. QuickGPSfix uses cellular triangulation to update the unit's location faster for a quicker satellite lock.
Three months of Live Services is included in the $500 MSRP, after which you'll have to pay a $10-a-month subscription fee.
In addition to these live services, the TomTom GO 740 Live also features IQ Routes, a routing algorithm that considers anonymous historical speed data from you and other TomTom users to offer faster and more accurate routes. For example, if the unit sees that a highway is typically congested on weeknights during rush hour, then it will attempt to route around it at such times.
TomTom Map Share allows users to correct inaccurate map data (such as improperly named streets, turn restrictions, traffic direction, speed limits, etc.), add and edit points of interest, and submit those corrections to be shared with other TomTom users. Users can opt to receive Map Share updates, choose to only receive TomTom-approved updates, or receive no updates at all.
Text-to-speech, Bluetooth hands-free calling, and voice command round out the GO 740 Live's impressive collection of technologies.
Performance
From a cold start, the unit boots in about 4 seconds and achieves a satellite lock in about 49 seconds in a moderately dense urban area.
Like the other TomTom units we've recently tested, routing can be a bit sluggish, particularly if the vehicle is moving past streets while the calculation is taking place. However, when you consider that traffic, map-share data, and IQ Routes processing are all happening at once, we're willing to deal with the extra second or two it takes to choose a route because it potentially saves us an extra minute or so.
Once the route is locked in, the GO 740 Live handles subsequent recalculations surprisingly quickly. We like that the TomTom actually recalculates the route rather than simply attempting to get you back to the preselected one.
We were amazed at how the simple addition of a wireless data connection creates a quantum leap in the GO's level of functionality and utility. Traffic data is visualized as color overlaid on the map, while live fuel prices are called up at the touch of a button.
Google search is something that you'll want to do from a stopped vehicle, as entering search strings can require more attention than should be surrendered while driving.
In sum
The GO 740 Live's primary competition is going to be our previous Editors' Choice winner, the Garmin Nuvi 880. Both units feature live, connected, data services for traffic and points-of-interest search. While the Garmin's interface is slightly more polished and easy to navigate, the GO 740 Live's superior connected services give the TomTom user a bit more information about what's happening on the road.
However, TomTom's menu structure continues to leave something to be desired. While the icons are bright and easily read, they're oddly organized. For example, canceling a route requires five button presses from the map screen, assuming that you already know where to find it. On a Garmin, that same action requires two presses. Additionally, the TomTom kicks you back to the map screen when you attempt to back up through the menu structure, which makes learning the menu's organization difficult because you're always starting over.
Both units have equally useful and responsive voice controls, but the Garmin comes packaged with a steering-wheel remote, which is either a huge convenience or yet another part to lose, depending on how you look at it.
Overall, we were more than satisfied with the TomTom's performance and found it to be slightly superior to the Garmin 880, which is why we're picking the TomTom GO 740 as our Editors' Choice.
User reviews
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Traffic data and device below expected quality
by niewoo on May 26, 2009
Pros: Lane assist
Google searchCons: Traffic data worst of any traffic data provider (including other TomTom products)
Device randomly resets itself while driving
Bluetooth pairing with phone unreliable
POI search awkward
Non standard USBSummary: I've been using PDA/Cellphone GPS software for several years and the TomTom Navigator products I thought were the best in terms of UI, stability and general ease of ...
Summary: I've been using PDA/Cellphone GPS software for several years and the TomTom Navigator products I thought were the best in terms of UI, stability and general ease of use. I had resisted getting a dedicated GPS unit until I saw the Go 740 Live as I wanted as much as possible a stand-alone system that integrated traffic and extensive POI search.
Unfortunately the Go 740 Live has so far been a major dissapointment. First off I can't figure out the traffic service. I live in a major metropolitan area where I can get mobile traffic coverage from several sources (Google, LiveSearch, TeleNav, Sigalert, ...) and even TomTom Navigator 6 worked pretty well. As far as I can tell the service supported the Go 740 Live is probably missing half the traffic incidents reported by the other services, including the TomTom Navigator 6 software. Evidently they changed the data service provider for the Go 740 Live and it doesn't work.
The next issue is the constant reboots. About once a day (while driving of course), the device resets itself. This appears to be related to when the device is connecting to the TomTom Live network. If the device can't connect to the TomTom service it seems to resort to a reboot at some point (annoying and dangerous when driving, particularly in the dark as during reboot it flashes to full intensity).
The 740 Live is also supposed to pair with a cell phone to handle calls. However the binding only works half the time or so. When the Go 740 Live powers up it doesn't always connect automatically. Sometimes I have to manually reset the Go 740 Live before it will work again. There's also no way of activating the phone's built-in voice recognition from the TomTom UI.
While the Google search is a great feature, there's no easy categories to select from. E.g. you can't with a few clicks find all Pizza restaurants along the route. You'd have to type in "Pizza" on the small keyboard, which is not easy on the small keyboard when driving, so either pull over or do what I do and use the far better interface on Garmin XT that I'm now running on my phone :).
Finally, what's wrong with using standard USB connectors?10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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tom tom home needs help
by SirCasak on May 30, 2009
Pros: Excellent device on the road
Cons: home updates for the device are not always compatible with device
Summary: I have had my Tom Tom for a short while. I found once I brought the GO home the "TOM TOM HOME" software needed updating. I did as directed on ...
Summary: I have had my Tom Tom for a short while. I found once I brought the GO home the "TOM TOM HOME" software needed updating. I did as directed on the web site and updated to the latest version of "HOME." Since then I have had difficulty in getting HOME to work properly. Parts of the software like backup or operate my GO do not function with the latest version. After five different emails and two calls to tech support, I find that this is a known problem with some units and the fix date is unknown. So here I sit with a unit that reports the maps are over a year old but I cannot update because that function is not allowed in the version of Home "2.5" that I am forced to use. If I try to update maps, the web site says I need to pay 49.95 for the base map update and another 49.95 for the latest map. Again, tech support has no answer as to when it will be fixed.
To use as is out of the box the unit functions well but if you get the series I have one of beware of trying to update and do not expect help as tech support has very basic knowledge at best.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is overpriced junk
by moe3754 on July 10, 2009
Pros: There really are none
Cons: Voice control is worthless and map's and routeing is way off
Summary: I had this for about four day's until I had enough and took it back to sam's club. The voice contol never did work and all of the ...
Summary: I had this for about four day's until I had enough and took it back to sam's club. The voice contol never did work and all of the places I tried on the "where to" were off by as much as a half mile. I do not think that this thing could find it's way out of a cardboard box.
Since I heard that Magellan was purchased by Mitec international I purchased one of their new 4700 units and could not be happer, voice control is much better and the maps are spot on!!
The thing is this 740 replaced a Nuvi 785t that was garbage also, both were so buggy that I could not stand either one!!!
DO yourself a favor and pass on TomTom and Garmin they both are putting out junk, Garmin discontinued the 880 just after six weeks of release, makes you think WHY!!! They won't say I know that for a fact!!!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Bluetooth hands free dialing???
Pros: Mapping is great, recalculation is great. Non computer voices are MUCH better than any other manufacturer's product.
Cons: No mention of Bluetooth in entire booklet. Only one sentence on the box . No hands free dialing. You have to take your eyes off the road to punch buttons on dash or windshield to make a call!! Computer voices are terrible compared to the Garmin
Summary: It seems that in Nav units, you can have some features in one unit and other features in other units but never all features in one unit. If this unit ...
Summary: It seems that in Nav units, you can have some features in one unit and other features in other units but never all features in one unit. If this unit had the hands free dialing that some of the Garmin units do, I would be all over this one...but again I wait for the manufactures to build the unit that I know is out there waiting to be built!
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Poor Bluetooth Performance
by zmaranello on November 13, 2009
Pros: Maps are decent
Lane guidance is good for an LA newbieCons: Device randomly reboots then makes me accept the terms and conditions again
Bluetooth will not maintain a connection with my iPhone after power on/off over several days. No changes made during the time
UI is inconsistent and has gotten CRAPPY!Summary: I will be returning this unit due to the price and inability to maintain a bluetooth connection and random reboots. Steer clear
Summary: I will be returning this unit due to the price and inability to maintain a bluetooth connection and random reboots. Steer clear
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great idea, worthless execution
by bmateo on August 12, 2009
Pros: Lots of great features, customizable, hi quality build
Cons: No map update possibility, ineffective scustomer support, glitchy desktop software, all resulted in a useless paperweight in my drawer - and an expensive one at that. Go with Garmon.
Summary: Since I bought my 940 9 months ago, I have been unable to update the map that came with it. Endless elaborate error messages. Support is useless with suggestions like ...
Summary: Since I bought my 940 9 months ago, I have been unable to update the map that came with it. Endless elaborate error messages. Support is useless with suggestions like try it from a different computer, turn off your firewall, make sure cap lock is off, whatever. Same messages from office computer as home. So, nomap update service is possible, and support is completely unable or unwilling to REALLY deal with it. If there is no easy fix, support is "otta here".
The desktop software is dangerous. Don't think about updating it...if you do, you will lose functionality of the unit. If you can figure itout (I did) you can roll back to the earlier version.
Want a $350 paperweight? Buy a Tom Tom. That's what I did and I have to say, it is not even heavy enough to be a really good paperweight if it's windy.
Go with Garmon.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The worst tech support in history
Pros: Might have been a good product if the Live services ever worked, but they don't.
Cons: Absolutely the worst tech support of any company. The software interface never works, yet that is the only method Tom Tom provides. So you'll spend hours on the phone (you can't email them either) talking to people who don't have a clue
Summary: If you like listening to the same Kenny G song for hours while you are on hold, you will love the Tom Tom experience. Sold mine, well worth the loss ...
Summary: If you like listening to the same Kenny G song for hours while you are on hold, you will love the Tom Tom experience. Sold mine, well worth the loss to be rid of this group of customer-hating incompetents. Garmin's support was always 4 stars in my book and i don't know why I left them, I'm back now! My favorite experience, and this happened 3 separate times, is calling in to try, once again, to resolve the problem, being told they don't know the answer and that your case is elevated higher tech support. 4 days later you will get an email, to which you cannot respond, saying that since "we haven't heard from you"!!??? (you have no other option but to wait to hear from THEM, there is no "elevated support" communication option for you the lowly customer) "your case is considered resolved and therefore closed ". I just loved that.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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OK Great features could improve on the fundamentals
by the computer genius on June 14, 2009
Pros: Google POI's Routing seems to be better than navteq (at least for me) A lot of infomation you can access and advanced lane navgation
Cons: Won't go on automaticly (when car ingniion goes on. Default setting not set for it to turn off) With Tom Tom Traffic you can't look up all of the traffic incidences when not in route. more below, complicated interface
Summary: Well Well Well Another GPS review-Well I went though every single major manufacture. The Worst was Magellain, So now it's between Garmin and Tom Tom,
Well they both have ...Summary: Well Well Well Another GPS review-Well I went though every single major manufacture. The Worst was Magellain, So now it's between Garmin and Tom Tom,
update again.
Well they both have there pluses and Minus.
I will try to keep the foucus on Tom Tom.
The one thing I really like about this unit was the Google poi's you can really find everything. If it's not in the Standard tom tom poi just Google it from the unit (it has a cell phone connection though it's own internal device and you will Find it.) That is wonderful if you are out of town. The Regular Poi (not google) is fast but a lot of it you have to load from the web on your own computer. Google is the way to go. Drawback $10.00 per month but at least you get somthing good out of it. Garmin Poi in models 350,660.775t was horrable. It was slow and a lot of it was wrong. Magallan poi's were fast and better than Garmin but that was it for Magallan.
With Tom Tom it has it's own traffic service I really have not tested it out yet since it's been the weekend. However what I didn't like you can't get detailed infomation on traffic in your general area. it has to be in route and only in route will it inform you if there is traffic. You can Buy a RDS Traffic reciver and get the general traffic stuff From my experience with Garmin, and Magallen the TMC traffic was never worth a dime. However Garmin is fair about it and doesn't charge for it. Tom tom's Antenna is a seperate wire with suction cups (Just like sony) which really makes it a turn off especally with the $99.00 price tag to it.
The things I like about Tom Tom is the infomation it does provide. It gives you gas prices in the area, Weather Reports and the position of where you are at a given moment. Garmin had the position you were at but it was not clear.it was more of what address are you at instead of the street you are on. Tom Tom is better is that area.
Finding my address. True I've only had this unit for a day. But what impressed me was this unit told me exactly where my destination was (my house and my mothers house) NOW I understand thats only two locations but what an improvment over Navtaq. Navatq was off by .2 to .5 of a mile sometimes. Already so I'm excited. (At the same time I'm waiting for my hopes to go down.) Routing was good. The part I don't like about Tom Tom was when you do a recaluate it does not immidetally alert you by voice you have to look at it. Garmin and Magallen it stated recaluating and right after the calulation it gave you directions Tom Tom is Silant about that. But if you look at it you will be fine. The postive thing about tom tom is it does alert you .5 of a mile of a turn comming up vs garmin only Give you .2 of a mile to the turn.
Easy of use Well my whole life is complicated and I'm a computer guy so I get used to these things. For simplicity and better menu options you are way better off with Garmin hands down Tom Tom has a lot of commands and it's button after button But what it does have is cool but there is a learning curve. Magallens is a little better than Tom tom (on navagation of interface) but on both of my magallans the screen kept on freezing up and it was very slow. In the last magallen I had for a week and the adapter broke in one week. Thats why I brought this.
I can see why Garmin is number one in the industry, It's pretty accurate and routes are good enough to get where you are going, but most of all it's simple. Garmin also has a fair business practice of only charging you a one time fee for all map updates and now has free traffic service. If Garmin and Tom Tom were one I'd be the happiest kid in town.
Tom Tom is really great with the Google poi's I have faith that I can find anyting while out of town. It's routing seems good (Which I really need it for) I hope at least the traffic on route is accurate. I would of liked to have had a more detailed list of events and not have to be on route but hey I've never seen anything work good anyway in that department.
Things that matter to me that I would like to see improved is to anounce right turn now (at the turn) Also when arriving at destination and what side of the street the number of the building is on. and to verbalize the recalucations. A simpler interface would be nice But I'll deal with that. Would I buy a Tom Tom or Garmin next time. Time will tell I need to decide whats more important simplicity or more bells and whistles and of course accurate routes I"ve had Garmin all my life now it's time for me to try tom tom I tried magallen and I hated 3 units of theres.
Wish me luck on my new Tom Tom I'll know in 14 days if I'm going back to Garmin.
Updated on Jun 28, 2009
I went back to the Garmin. I got lost yesterday and this thing could not find my mothers house. Yes I love the google search but thats not going to help me in my business. As a consolation I did purchase the MSN Direct so now I have news (updated gas prices and more.)1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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goodgood good
by spmunuku on December 7, 2009
Pros: it is a great product and i like it
Cons: can be betterand better
Summary: fffd
Summary: fffd
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AWFUL ,ITS UNDER MY BED WHERE IT CAN'T GET LOST.
by jfhavlicek on November 28, 2009
Pros: IF YOU LIKE GETTING LOST, BUY GARMIN
Cons: Garmin gives you the wrong directions almost every time.
Summary: TOTAL waste of money. This piece of crap took me thru the inner city of Paterson NJ instead of using the highway. I even took it on vaction to Wisconsin. ...
Summary: TOTAL waste of money. This piece of crap took me thru the inner city of Paterson NJ instead of using the highway. I even took it on vaction to Wisconsin. It was even worse there.Lost again. My wife got so pissed she told me to put that crap in the trunk. I used my sense of direction which was much better.The only Nav. system worth any thing is ONSTAR but that cost 30.00 a mth.,But It gets you there every time. Forget Garmin,Save your money!!!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: TomTom
- Part number: 1CF7.052.00
- Description: TomTom GO 740 LIVE can provide LIVE services, including a real-time connection to HD traffic, safety alerts, fuel prices, local search with Google and more.Your navigation experience got even smarter! You are connected to real-time information with premium services like HD Traffic, Safety Alerts, Local Search with Google and fuel Prices so you always have access to useful and relevant information en route. IQ Routes technology calculates your routes based on the real average speeds measured on roads. This will always provide you with the smartest route hour-by-hour, day-by-day, saving you time, money and fuel. In speech recognition technology lets you control your TomTom GO using voice commands. From planning a route to making a call, over 100 tasks are easily activated by voice, making your drive smoother and safe. TomTom Map Share technology makes corrections to your own map and benefit from thousands of corrections made by TomTom users every day. Advanced lane guidance gives you extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. Hands-free calling make and answer phone calls safely while driving, making you in control and in touch.
General
- Width 5 in
- Depth 0.9 in
- Height 3.4 in
- Weight 7.9 oz
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Connectivity USB, Bluetooth
- Traffic Services TMC (Traffic Message Channel)
- Voice Navigation instructions, Street name announcement, Voice command recognition
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Plug & go, GPRS modem, Fuel prices, Photo viewer, LIVE Services, Emergency Help, Audio recording, Built-in speaker, Automatic routing, TomTom QuickGPSfix, Built-in microphone, Speed limit warning, IQ Routes technology, Advanced Lane Guidance, Local Search with Google, TomTom Map Share technology, Hands-free calling via Bluetooth
- Built-in Memory 2 GB
- Supported Memory Cards microSD
- Maps Included USA, Canada
- Software Included TomTom HOME
Navigation
- Trip computer Quickest route, Fast/short route, Street address search
Built-in Display
- Type LCD - Widescreen
- Resolution 480 x 272
- Diagonal Size 4.3 in
- Display Illumination Yes
- Color Support Color
- Display Menu Language Czech, Dutch, Danish, French, German, Polish, Slovak, Catalan, English, Finnish, Flemish, Italian, Latvian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Estonian, Hungarian, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Portuguese
- Features Anti-glare, Touch screen
Connections
- Connector Type Antenna - Bluetooth, USB
Battery
- Battery Enclosure Type Integrated
- Battery included qty 1
- Battery technology Lithium polymer
- Mfr estimated battery life 3 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- Included GPS accessories Docking station, Car power adapter, Automotive windshield mount
Manufacturer info
- TomTom
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse TomTom products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.tomtom.com/
- Address:
150 Baker Ave. Ext., Concord, CA 01742 - Phone: 978.287.9555
- Email: usainfo@tomtom.com
- Fax: 978.287.9522
