The GO929T Is No Longer The GPS System To Buy

Update, 17 Sep 2008: This no longer is the GPS system you would want because the Garmin 370 now has a lighter and theoretically more reliable system you can use anywhere in the US, Canada and Europe all preloaded. Prices always go down later and all brands compete continuosly for sales. Screen size for a travel unit with the weight restrictions now imposed by the airlines dictates that a 3.5 inch screen is adequate if you have normal vision. The Go929T was a good bit heavier than the Garmin and this was the main feature favoring the Garmin. The GO 920T has traffic updates and voice prompting, but I think that those features are too much trouble to bother using. Bluetooth is handy, in my experience , for use in a car. The “T” version comes with a RDS-TMC traffic receiver built right in. The traffic receiver will receive traffic reports that it will factor in to your route. This means if there is a traffic jam it won’t send you down that road even if it’s the shortest route or it has the highest speed limit. A high speed limit does no good if you cannot drive at it, so that is a plus for the GO920T. The GO 920T will reroute you around the jam and give you the truly fastest route. It packs a “Help Me” safety button that can help you find a hospital or contact the police(as long as you’re putting the Bluetooth technology to use) and MapShare that lets you add your own map corrections and POI’s to the TomTom community and get other people’s in return with the TomTom HOME software. The Garmin 370 has an online computer update system to their 370 unit at the Garmin.com website that I used successfully.
You also want to get a pillow mounting system so that you can hide it in your trunk when you aren't there. The Garmin pillow is the best that I found because it works great and is the lightest, half the weight of cheaper versions. It also doesn't leave a telltale mark on your windshield. Do yourself a favor and don't leave your Garmin in the car, just the beanbag and power wiring, hidden out of sight at least, when parking. Check the weight of any beanbag mount you select and compare it to the Garmin bag. Watch the shipping prices closely when comparing to buy. My mind has been convinced by the Garmin 370 that he GO920T is no longer as attractive. Hard drives such as the one in the GO929T are heavier and less reliable than flash memory, so this unit is heavier and should not be as reliable as a Garmin 370 over the years since moving parts (the Tom-Tom disk drive) are inherently less reliable than non-moving parts (Garmin flash memory). An external power supply will also have a longer useable time on the Garmin due to the lower power usage of flash memory over a disk drive. Amazon.com has a battery power external supply for the Garmin. Hint: Only turn the unit on in emergencies if power sources are limited. I successfully used a Garmin 370 on my bicycle in Vienna, Austria with the external supply to find my way to the Westbahnhof from about 15 miles out. The regular battery would not have lasted long enough to get there and back home. OK, I admit you can just ask someone the way for free, sbut self reliance is the best, if possible.