tomtom go 740 live

dialyt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2009 Posts: 11

I've ordered one of these. I'm not bothered about the live services (I will not renew after the 3 months free trial), but need to know if the device will do everything else as specified for me, including obviously the satnav stuff, warning of speed cameras and so forth, without the £7.99 monthly fee?

Basically, can you tell me what this device will do without the subscription to live services? As a device, is it worth having without live services, and is it fully functional ithout them?

What is HD traffic? Does it work without the subscription to live services?

I want to use the device mainly in uk and eire.

Finding this information seems next to impossible on the web!

Info page here but it doesn't answer my question - it tells you what the device will do with live services, but does not indicate what it does without live services:
TomTom, portable GPS car navigation systems - GO 740 LIVE

mikealder · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject:

If you don't intend using the Live services I don't see why the 730 or even a 720 wouldn't suffice and save you quite some cash, you can still get the 720 for under £150 if you look at totalpda.co.uk
The 740 will still work for all the features you listed without the Live part though - Mike

DennisN · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:10 pm Post subject:

to the Forum. I haven't got a 740 Live, so I can only tell you a little about it.

Basically it has two sides - the satnav side works from maps built into it and a satellite signal receiver. The satellites transmit signals and the TomTom receives them in order to find its position on its map. The software inside can then work to do the navigating stuff. When you buy the TomTom, you get all of this in the price, nothing extra to pay until you decide to get a new (updated or different area) map.

The Live bit is extras. It comes with a mobile phone sim card buried inside it somewhere (which the normal user cannot access and cannot do anything to). So it's a mobile phone with a three month rental prepaid, to continue using the Live services, you need to subscribe at the end of the three months.

Live services are all the data stuff accessible via the internal mobile phone sim card connection. That's HD Traffic information, TomTom speed camera updates, Google search, Buddies, weather, whatever, I really can't tell you, somebody else will. The navigation software is able to take notice of traffic problems and to offer you the choice of recalculating your route to avoid traffic problems. Without renewing the subscription, you lose that facility. The navigation software is also able to warn you of the presence of speed cameras and you lose access to the updates if you don't subscribe. No subscription after three months = no HD Traffic.

If you have ages to read everything on this website, you'll learn that the speed cameras offered by TomTom are considered far inferior in quality to the ones offered with the subscription to this website (£19.99 a year). you will also read very varied comment about the HD Traffic.

The one thing which seems to meet universal approval is the Google search facility.

I've been using TomToms since 2005 and I'm a sucker for the latest thing. But I haven't bought a 740, nor the previous range 730 - I have stayed with the one before that, the 720. That's because the later 730 and 740 have not WOWed enough to tempt me to upgrade (I did get a 730, but took it back for a refund when it was no better than the 720). The marketing hype features offered by the 740 are EXACTLY what I want, but the reality reported by others on this website have put me off believing it all.

So, the navigation stuff will work forever, no firther cost until you need a new map, which is only available from TomTom. Once your subscription runs out, the "free" cameras will stop being updated - we think they are rubbish anyway and most members of this website have abandoned the TomTom ones just as soon as they found out the comparison between us. You can get the TomTom cameras separately on subscription for the same price as ours (actually they currently have an offer until the end of April making them cheaper), but before you do so, make sure you read as much as you can find in here about them. You can also get Traffic service by two alternative methods - buy a RDS-TMC receiver to plug into the 740, a single price with the information coming over the radio airwaves forever free afterwards; alternatively subscribe to TomTom's GPRS traffic service, another £30 or whatever a year, but this works via your own mobile phone, which has to be compatible (not a foregone certainty with most newer phones!) and costs for data downloads from your phone service priovider.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

mikealder · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject:

GPRS based traffic is not an option for the x40 range it doesn't work - Mike

falkirk81 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:

LIVE services are as follows :-

- HD traffic
- Safety Alerts - Speed cams, accident blackspots etc etc
- Fuel Prices
- Google Local search
- LIVE QuickGPSfix
- Weather
- Buddies
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Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

dialyt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2009 Posts: 11

Thanks people for your very quick and thorough replies. My head was about to explode with all the information and technicalities of satnav!

I would like to think this tomtom go 740 go would give me many years of service.

Are the speed camera locations fixed on the device without subscription? Is it htese which aren't very good?

I notice on amazon, which appears to have the best prices, the 740 is only about £39 more expensive than the 730. Seems worth it to me for the latest version?

I don't really do enough driving to warrant splashing out on the traffic receiver - this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-9V00-101-RDS-TMC-Traffic-Receiver/dp/B0019JDDB4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1238761268&sr=8-2 but wondered if I don't buy it now, will I be able to buy it later or will my device be obsolete and no such receiver available? In which case it may make more sense to buy it now so as to have it, or would such a receiver be available from tomtom in future? Shocked

falkirk81 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:28 pm Post subject:

If you get the 740, it has no connector for either of the two types of RDS-TMC traffic cable. That would require another £40-£50 for an updated mount. Something to bear in mind.

I would agree with the previous comments that there is little point in buying a 740 if you have already decided you don't want or need the LIVE services.

You would need a new mount, whereas the 720/ 730 series has the connector for BOTH types of RDS-TMC cable already.
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Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

mikealder · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject:

The mini USB RDS receiver works fine with the mount supplied with an x40 but you don't get an mp3 player with the 740, you do with the 720/ 730 - Mike

DennisN · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject:

Good discussion HERE
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

dialyt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2009 Posts: 11

DennisN · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:45 pm Post subject:

I'm a simpleton - seems to me the £40 difference gives you three months "free" LIVE services (which subsequently cost £8 a month - I'll go find my calculator to multiply £8 by three!).
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

falkirk81 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:59 pm Post subject:

According to Mikealder, who is very accurate with these things, the 740 mount allows the use of the USB traffic receiver, but NOT the other one. The one you link to on the tomtom.com site is the one that is supported. I would believe Mike over what I said earlier.
_________________
Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

dialyt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2009 Posts: 11

dialyt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2009 Posts: 11

falkirk81 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject:

Yes, that one pictured WILL work. The other one works in the same way, just uses a different connector which the 740 doesn't have.
_________________
Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

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