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Knowledge Is Key
For Intelligent Decisions
Satellite Logic is a leading,
authoritative source of information in
the Satellite Industry. Located in the
heart of the Silicon Valley, Satellite
Logic provides one of the most
valuable and comprehensive
knowledge bases on the Satellite
market! This is a primary Worldwide
information center which enables our
clients to analyze, evaluate, inquire
and select their best tailored
solutions. Our company sets the
industry standards for targeted
buying leads, reflecting a dramatic
advance over traditional marketing
solutions.
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TomTom Go 730
The Go 730's design is pretty similar to the Go 720. They both have the same rubberised body with a swish looking metal speaker grille on the back. The only discernible changes are on the 4.3-inch screen's frame, which is now predominantly black.
The main problem with the TomTom Go 730 is the windshield mount. The Go 730, like the Go 930, retains the old school TomTom mount design, which is relatively compact but lacks a lever or any sort of contraption to provide more suction. Because of this problem, the GPS keeps falling every time you hit a tinny stone on the road.
The Go 730's interface didn't change either, which is good. Consistency is important because you can change models and still feel confident about its operation. Moreover, it's a relief especially because TomTom's map screen and menu design are a snap to use. Instructions and stats are carried in a blue bar at the bottom of the map screen. Clicking on the next turn instruction brings up a volume slider, a route summary is accessed by tapping the stats box, while the main menu can be brought up by tapping the map. Destination entry is simple via the on-screen QWERTY keyboard.
Features:
MP3 playback, an FM transmitter, text-to-speech and Bluetooth hands-free.
Although the text-to-speech or spoken street names are not good enough at least they come pre-installed on the Go 730, not like last year when you had to load them manually via the TomTom Home program.
Bluetooth is initially reluctant to pair with a Palm, but worked flawlessly with an Apple iPhone. Although calls were loud and clear, they only came through the built-in speaker. This is despite the presence of a much improved FM transmitter. This year's model now transmits at a decent volume and with sufficient power that it will work adequately even when driving through concrete and glass canyons.
Combined with the ability to playback MP3s, this makes the Go 730 a pretty handy device even if you know how to get to where you're going. Handily, song lists are easily accessible, via a faint button, on the main map screen. There's about 600MB of space on the TomTom for music storage — more if you're willing to delete some voices via the TomTom Home PC software. Music and instructions can also be output via Bluetooth or the line-out cable if your car stereo is appropriately equipped.
As with TomTom's other new products this year, the fourth-gen One, second-gen XL and Go 930, the Go 730 has Map Share. This feature allows users to correct errors, such as speed limits, blocked streets, and traffic and turn restrictions, present on the Whereis maps. These corrections can then be shared, once verified by TomTom, with other users via the Home PC software.
Performance
The Go 730 is the first TomTom device with the company's IQ Routes feature. Although it fails to live up to the marketing hype — some of the advertising material claims that the Go 730 can guide you around "like a local" — it does seem to do a better job at routing than other GPS navigators.
Traditionally sat-nav systems have calculated routes either by the speed limits on roads or a thoroughfare's classification (such as, lane, street, road, major road or highway) but, as we all know, during certain times of the day some roads and streets clog up with so much traffic that these assumptions are no longer valid. IQ Routes is TomTom's attempt to get around this. Over the years, the company's GPS units have been anonymously collecting average speed data for Australian roads and collating that info, with the user's consent, via the TomTom Home software.
Of more noticeable benefit is lane guidance, which is now available thanks to the supplied Whereis R15.1 maps. While the Mio Moov and Navman S-Series Platinum models have lane guidance for some main roads, major intersections and highway on- and off-ramps, the Go 730 has this feature for all but the most minor of streets. The lane info is typically displayed in the next turn instruction box, with full screen representations taking their place on some highway and motorway entrances and exits.
The bottom line is that the Go 730 is a great GPS device. The price is more affordable than a year ago and the many featured are now debugged. The only thing holding the Go 730 back from greatness is that godforsaken windshield mount. But we still recommend it as a great option.
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