0ur opinion:

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TomTom G0 300 is the smartest portable car navigator.PR0DUCT FEATURES:Just plug in, switch on & G0;Simple touch-screen operation;Clear, accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions;Compact, portable design; easy to take from car to car;Crystal-clear 3D graphics;View route: review and test the calculated route before you actually start driving;Dynamic status bar: improve readability by customizing status bar;Tip feature: discover everything G0 has to offer through useful onscreen tips;Extensive guided tour: pick up the features even quicker and get the maximum out of your TomTom G0;lntegrated GPS antenna;Speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices;User interface: now including 18 languages;Postcode navigation for simple and accurate selection of your destination (UK & NL only);A choice of routes: quickest, shortest or avoiding toll roads and congestion charge areas;ltinerary planning: plan your trip by defining multiple waypoints and destinations;The latest and most complete maps of the United States and Canada;Thousands of points of interest available;Compass mode available: displays compass on screen to have even more orientation while driving;Car speed linked volume: volume of voice instructions will increase/decrease depending on speed of car;Anti-glare screen; always an optimal view, even in direct sunlight;lmproved on/off button: prevents the device to turn off by accident;Built-in Bluetooth connection;Ready for TomTom PLUS services (real time information on traffic congestions, weather conditions and extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest and much more);USB 2.0 for faster data transfers.

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The TomTom Go 300 Portable GPS Car Navigation System is the smart, easy, and connected portable car navigation system. Featuring all the great navigation functionality of the original award-winning TomTom Go, the TomTom Go 300 is easier and more convenient to use than ever.

Control your cell phone with the TomTom Go 300's integrated Bluetooth features.

Access points of interest along your route quickly and easily.

The unit's 3-D navigation view is designed to make finding any address effortless.

You won't find a smarter portable GPS Navigation system anywhere, as the TomTom Go 300 not only speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices, but its user interface also includes 18 languages. With the improved functionality, you can quickly access millions of points of interest and plot your quickest and shortest choice of roads in no time at all. A compass mode displays a compass on screen, giving you even more orientation while driving. Plus, the volume of the device is linked to your car speed, meaning the volume of the unit's voice instructions will increase or decrease depending on the speed of your vehicle. The Go 300's unique touchscreen activation eliminates the hassle of dealing with extra buttons or unnecessary hardware when calculating your route. Navigators will also appreciate the 3.5-inch TFT antiglare screen, which offers an optimal view at all times, even in direct sunlight. And thanks to the improved on/off button, it's more difficult to accidentally turn off the device.

Just plug in your TomTom Go 300, switch it on, and go. There's no need for any special installation or activation. A set of clear, accurate, turn-by-turn voice instructions and crystal-clear 3-D graphics will help you get where you need to go. The unit's simple design allows you to take the TomTom Go 300 with you from car to car quickly and easily. A full-coverage map of the United States is preloaded on the SD card, and maps of Canada are provided on the included CD. A remote control for the TomTom Go 300 can be purchased separately.

The unit is USB-2.0-compatible for faster data transfers to and from your PC. Meanwhile, the Go 300's Bluetooth receiver allows you to download real-time TomTom Plus services through an lnternet connection on your Bluetooth phone anytime and anywhere. TomTom PLUS gives you the real-time information you want on traffic congestion and weather conditions, as well as extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest, and more. Note that some TomTom Plus services require a subscription fee. Also, TomTom Plus services require a GPRS-ready device equipped with Bluetooth and a GPRS subscription with your mobile operator.



the TomTom300 in action


What's in the Box
TomTom Go 300 portable car navigator, SD card, carry case, screen cloth, installation CD, AC adapter, cigarette lighter cable, USB 2.0 data cable, installation poster, quick start guide, product code card, TomTom G0 accessory leaflet, and component parts of a suction-mount cradle.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Not bad but I wouldn't buy it again. ...
I used it around my city and even took it to Hawaii and it was a lot of help. People forget that the idea of the GPS is to help you find where you are, where you want to go and how to get there but like everything else, it may not be 100% correct -what really is?

What I didn't like about it was the windshield mount broke so it no longer sticks on the windshield.

The biggest thing is that the maps are out-dated. I live in an area where they are building a lot of new homes. Even developments that are 2 years old aren't on the map!

I don't mind paying for updates - I realize that someone has to get paid to update the maps - but I will not pay several hundred dollars to buy a whole new set of maps!

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Buyer's feedback: - Poor support for defective mapping engine
If TomTom's maps fail and you submit a bug report, the nice support site sends you to TeleAtlas's site which promptly CLOSES the support request. It took two requests before I realized I was being redirected away from TomTom's site.

The real problem is not with the maps (which is a good thing), but with the mapping engine (determine how to find a point on a map). I submit the request to the main support group only to have those bozos close the request saying that the problem is with the map. At this point I don't care who is wrong since neither TomTom nor TeleAtlas will say who owns the mapping engine. This stupid device failed when I needed it the most, driving in New Jersey! The TomTom Go 300 cannot map roads that are broken, see bug submission below for more information.

So, why two stars?
- It fails when you need it
- I could scroll around the working map and find the right street, but then I need to stop in an unsafe state .. er .. I mean place and use the device like it was my trusty AAA map.
- Support does not read bug reports (I want that job with zero accountability please!)

Does it work? Yes it does and it does work very well when you have a nice clean streets with a good map. It does take some time to find its GPS often, but its tolerable. It manages to lose signal with tree cover (seriously, I can still see the sky).

Moral of this review: verify with an online map service BEFORE driving to unknown places. Defeats the prupose? No. TomTom Go 300 did find my way around some detours in NJ near Trenton and get me into the parking garage saving me time and frustration (the prupose of this device).

Updates:
After using TomTom Go 300 for a few months I have seen more problems than I care for. I have recommended everyone in my family to not buy TomTom products. The map for my area, King of Prussia, PA more than two years out of date. It got my dad lost going to a hotel which is 1.3 miles away from me.

In some areas, you will fall off the map. The most annoying new feature is TomTom alterate route functions. I am headed to a fork in a road in the middle of nowhere. TomTom wants me to take the "long" way to my destination by switching from the State Route (meaning Route 1 or Route 66) that I'm on to the another State Route at the fork. The thing is, if I tell it not to take the other State Route, the damn device will tell me to turn around!! Once I pass the fork it keeps telling me to turn around. When I choose to re-run the routing software from where I am, it figures out a new route completely passing the road that I need to take. The road is on the TomTom map, but it won't take it until I get on to it. WHAT GIVES?

Bug Report submitted to TomTom
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TomTom Go 300 v6.150
The mapping engine is BROKEN. It cannot handle a road that is broken into several non-contiguous sections. The city, Pennsauken, gave several distinct streets the SAME name!

Destination:
3401 Cooper Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08109


If you map the destination on any Internet site and scroll around, you would see that:

[...]
All points map to real locations but are not on the same physical road. They are on different roads by the same name in the same city.

The TomTomGo 300's map actually has these locations on it, but is UNABLE to map to anything but the first OCCURANCE of Cooper Ave: 7200 Cooper Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08109

Trying to find the intersection (cross street) of two streets Cooper Ave and Park Ave does not work even though the TomTom's map clearly shows that they do intersect. TomTom can only see the intersection of Cooper Ave and Derousse Ave.

That area has several other streets, Sherman Ave for example, that are also non-contiguous.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Good potential, but nasty ...
The Tomtom has great features. But I returned mine. First, the maps are very dated. This makes it iffy at best. It has terrific potential, if it worked. You can use a PDA stylus on the map sitting at home outside on batteries to plan a trip. It's amazing. But I wanted to plan a 600 mile trip myself using it's internal maps and waypoints. But I tried a local test first. I used roads as waypoints, main roads. This way I can force the Tomtom to use MY routes. I did not like it's choices, since it is a dated map database. I set up a local route, and started to follow it. It took me to the first road/waypoint no problem. But it would not go past the first waypoint. I would go down the road (first waypoint) then it would tell me to take a u turn!. I did. Then it said take another u turn. It had me going in circles. Perhaps it's not made to use roads as waypoints, but all indications it gave were that it would. The manual was no help. Support was no help. So it went back. I have ordered a Garmin i2. Hope this is ok. I have taken the same trip from SE FL USA to SC USA with a Garmin C330. The Garmin has maps that you cannot update, but got me to my destination no problem.

I don't recommend this TomTom. Do research. Go to manufactures websites and look at unit manuals.

Hope this helps.

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Buyer's feedback: - TomTom's a winner!
Received the TOMTOM 300 before date promised in perfect condition even though the box was dented. ( Good packing! )

I have used the TOMTOM to go from NYC to Monticello, NY and from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and home to NYC again. The TOMTOM performed flawlessly in Philly guiding me to the sites I wanted to visit and back to my hotel. I also tested it on routes I knew to see how it would route me if I deviated and it came through with flying colors.

The only shortcoming is that the display is difficult to read in bright sunshine. The on-board voice makes up for that letting you know when a turn is coming up. I have a co-worker who has used this device for two years and is very satisfied. I bought it on his recommendation and do not have any regrets.

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Buyer's feedback: - * mediocre product.. much better available now ...
The maps seem out of date. I have traveled along some major freeways in Colorado, and the device thought I was in the middle of a field. Unfortunately, there are no software updates available. Also, the version of software that my device came, does not allow me to update to the latest firmware.

The device takes about 1.5 minutes to aquire decent enough satelite reception to figure out where it is. And this is just after being shut off for one night. If you shut it down for longer, the start up time increases exponentially. After 1 week of being off, it took as much as 4 minutes.

Otherwise, there are no complaints that I have. As long as you are traveling along old roads (2 years+), it will know where you are. One moment of caution is that it will make you take a highway exit and get right back on the highway if it thinks that the exits route is faster. It's not bad for being on the low end of the price spectrum, but there are definetly much better alternatives from Magellan and Garmin.