Tomtom GO 930 GPS

TomTom's interface is easy to read and understand on the GO 930's 4.3-inch touch screen. Entering a destination is simple on this responsive screen; when your route is planned, you're presented with an overview of the entire course. This approach lets you get a look at where you're going--and make any changes--before you begin traveling. Many GPS products simply begin navigating without this extra step.

The GO 930 includes voice recognition technology that lets you speak the addresses that you'd like to navigate to rather than having to type them in by hand. This would be a great feature to use while driving--if it worked better than it did in my hands-on experience. The GO 930 only occasionally understood the address I spoke, and trying to correct it proved frustrating. Most of the time, I resorted to manually entering addresses on the touch screen.

TomTom bills the GO 930 as traffic-ready; you need an extra-cost $100 accessory to access the traffic service (the first year of service is free; $60 a year thereafter). You can also opt for the GO 930 T model, which includes a traffic antenna, but it costs $50 more than the GO 930.

The GO 930 includes lane guidance, which prepares you for upcoming turns, and offers realistic images of some tricky intersections to help you know which way to go. I found this feature especially handy while traveling through Boston's many rotaries and highways.

Among this model's myriad other features: an FM transmitter, which will play directions over your car's stereo; hands-free calling via Bluetooth; an iPod connection; SD card slot; TomTom's Map Share, which lets you share routes with other drivers; local fuel prices; an MP3 and audiobook player; and local weather.

All of those extras are nice, but they pale in comparison to the stellar IQ Routes technology. First and foremost, a GPS should get you where you want to go--and get you there quickly. The TomTom GO 930 succeeds at doing just that.

--Liane Cassavoy