TomTom is one of the big three automotive GPS manufacturers in the industry. Based out of the Netherlands, they offer a GPS well suited for European and international users alike. These GPS come with text-to speech capabilities in more than 30 different languages ranging from the standard English to Turkish to Thai depending on the make and model you decide to purchase. A TomTom GPS is great for those in America who travel to Europe regularly, speak natively in a language not supported by Magellan or Garmin, or by those who prefer the routing system of the TomTom.
On thing to be careful of when purchasing a TomTom is that they use a different mapping system than Magellan and Garmin. These two companies use NAVTEC maps while TomTom uses Tele Atlas maps. To be honest, Tele Atlas maps have shown themselves to be less complete on this side of the pacific than the maps on a Garmin or Magellan but TomTom has created some very good features to help make up for this shortcoming. MapShare is a TomTom application that lets user of these refurbished GPS devices make corrections to maps as they drive and then to share the changes with other TomTom users across the glove. User generated content is the future of mapping applications and it is good to see Tomtom take this step toward greater usability. Even if their maps are not as good today, in a few years Tele Atlas maps might be the best in the world.
Another benefit to the TomTom is that they offer a free map upgrade within 30 days of registering your refurbished GPS purchase. Other manufacturers might charge you a map upgrade fee when you go with their device. This means that the amount of money that you can save by buying a refurbished TomTom can be even greater than that which you can achieve with another manufacturer.
In the past, we have taken a look at these refurbished GPS models made by TomTom:
On thing to be careful of when purchasing a TomTom is that they use a different mapping system than Magellan and Garmin. These two companies use NAVTEC maps while TomTom uses Tele Atlas maps. To be honest, Tele Atlas maps have shown themselves to be less complete on this side of the pacific than the maps on a Garmin or Magellan but TomTom has created some very good features to help make up for this shortcoming. MapShare is a TomTom application that lets user of these refurbished GPS devices make corrections to maps as they drive and then to share the changes with other TomTom users across the glove. User generated content is the future of mapping applications and it is good to see Tomtom take this step toward greater usability. Even if their maps are not as good today, in a few years Tele Atlas maps might be the best in the world.
Another benefit to the TomTom is that they offer a free map upgrade within 30 days of registering your refurbished GPS purchase. Other manufacturers might charge you a map upgrade fee when you go with their device. This means that the amount of money that you can save by buying a refurbished TomTom can be even greater than that which you can achieve with another manufacturer.
In the past, we have taken a look at these refurbished GPS models made by TomTom:
- Refurbished TomTom Go 910 - The refurbished TomTom Go 910 is an automotive navigation GPS designed to be able to go up against the best from Magellan and Garmin. Onthe Go 910 you are going to find a 4-inch touch screen display with crisp color and full graphics, text-to-speech functionality that comes in 36 languages and 50 voices, an ultra-sensitive SiRF Star III receiver to pick up a GPS signal in lots of different locations, and Bluetooth compatibility.
- Refurbished TomTom Go 720 – The TomTom Go 910 was the first of its kind to have the MapShare technology that allows users to make changes to their maps “on the fly” and then to share these changes with other TomTom users. Not quite as full featured as the GO 900 series refurbished GPS, the GO 720 still contains a lot of the features that someone is going to be looking for in a first or even second car navigation GPS. And at the price, the refurbished TomTom GO 720 is a great deal.
- Refurbished TomTom One Third Edition – Currently priced at the ridiculously low $79.99 the refurbished TomTom One Third Edition makes a great entry level GPS for those seeking to get their feet wet in the world of automotive navigation GPS. With free a free map upgrade and the ability to update the software to function like one of the newest models on the market you simply cannot find a GPS with this type of potential that also has this type of price. If you aren’t concerned with all the bells and whistles like Bluetooth, FM transmitters, and spoken street names then this refurbished GPS should definitely be among the top of your list of economical GPS units.
