Update: It has come to our attention that the unit supplied to us for review by TomTom included world maps, and the retail versions do not. The following review and ratings are untouched, but be aware that the retail version of the TomTom 910 isn’t as good value for money as the review implies.

TomTom goes widescreen with the GO 910 using a 4-inch touch screen 480 x 272 display. Following TomTom maps was already simple on standard-aspect predecessors but the extra space makes it easier to tap onscreen buttons and view additional information like Estimated Time of Arrival, speed and remaining distance. Also new is a 20GB hard disk which comes with maps for Europe, the USA and Canada – these are expensive individually.

Other new features are packed in too. The remaining 15GB of disk space can store music which can be played through the main speaker or externally via a 3.5mm jack. Photo slideshows can be viewed too and everything can be controlled with a small remote. It’s more suited to passenger usage really. iPod control is also possible but you need to buy a separate cable. An Australian voice, called Ken, also makes an appearance but he’s basically the English ‘Tim’ saying turn ‘roight’ instead of ‘right’.

Bluetooth phone integration is a step up from previous models. Handsfree is supported again but an external microphone is included. You can ring your contacts (if you’ve uploaded them) and Points Of Interest (POI) just by jabbing the screen (if their numbers are in the database). The unit will also read text messages sent to your phone. Using your phone’s modem you can check the weather and make use of the premium TomTom Plus services which are now available in Australia. These include updated speed camera locations (which you can influence by jabbing an on-screen button when you go past one that is or isn’t on the map), contact TomTom Buddies (people you can send your travel itnerary to via a messenger service), download updated POIs, comedy voices (like the real John Cleese or other celebrity impressions) and additional maps, should you find the 910 doesn’t have what you need. Live traffic information isn’t available in Australia, though. The TomTom Home software, usefully, lets you plan itinerary on your PC, before leaving.

Driving around Sydney and New South Wales with the 910 showed that TomTom is still the easiest GPS system to follow and use, but (like all GPS systems) it’s not flawlesss. Australian localisation is something of an afterthought. Of most annoyance is the entering of addresses by suburb (called ‘City’) before street name. If your street name isn’t in the suburb that TomTom thinks it’s in (and it’s often wrong) you simply won’t find the street, leaving you to awkwardly jab a target on the map. But you can, usefully, navigate to a city centre (great for journeys with long itineraries). POIs are also hit and miss: it failed our four-year-old-puts-foot-through-window-in-remote-bush-loation-and-needs-stitches-on-a-dark-Sunday-night hospital locator test, for instance. Also, route choosing is rarely perfect: ‘shortest route’ can take you wiggling through back roads to cut a corner between two highways while ‘fastest route’ can point-blank ignore minor roads. There were too many ‘turn right’s at no right turns for our liking, too.

But, these flaws are inherent in the technology. You might get frustrated but you won’t get lost. The biggest problem is the car mount which can’t support the weight of the device without drooping – an annoying design flaw.

At $1059 it’s not cheap but the world maps make it good value. Other features smack of gimmick and shouldn’t be used when driving anyway. TomTom’s $871 GO 710 is identical but for the hard disk, maps and related features. But if this is too much, go for the new TomTom One which sports all the important features for just $649.