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June 25, 2009 7:52 AM PDT

Get a 'Homer Simpson' GPS for $89.99 shipped

by Rick Broida
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Drop an extra $12.95 and this TomTom GPS will tell you where to go--as Homer Simpson.

(Credit: TomTom)

Update: Sorry, folks, looks like Newegg sold out. That happens with many of the deals I post, so as always, if you see something you like, hurry before it's gone!

The best GPS deals these days fall in the $50-60 range, but sometimes it's worth paying a little extra. Case in point: Newegg has the refurbished TomTom One XL-S wide-screen GPS for $89.99 shipped.

So why is this model worth a few extra bucks? Two words: Homer Simpson. Like many TomTom nav systems, the XL-S lets you install (for a nominal charge) various celebrity voices.

The latest addition is "Simpsons" cast member Dan Castellaneta, who tells you where to go--as Homer.

Need I say more? Well, OK, I'll say more: The XL-S also offers a 4.3-inch touch screen, text-to-speech capabilities, Bluetooth, and an optional traffic-data receiver.

However, it's important to note that text-to-speech isn't available with the celebrity voices--only the built-in computer voice. Thus, Homer says things like, "At the end of the road, turn left," not, "Turn left on Evergreen Terrace."

Also, the Bluetooth capability doesn't afford hands-free calling like on some models. It does, however, allow you to download traffic data via your cell phone, without the need for the aforementioned receiver. (You still need a TomTom PLUS subscription, though.)

I particularly like TomTom's Map Share feature, which lets you make map changes and import changes made by other users. Also, the easy-to-use TomTom Home desktop software helps you update the device, install new voices, plan routes in advance, and so on.

The Homer voice costs $12.95, which I think is quite reasonable. It's optional, of course, and I'll admit the novelty does wear off--in about three years! Seriously, I so dig this that I'm selling the Sony GPS I bought a few months back and moving to the TomTom. You?

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (19 Comments)
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by Forked_Tongue June 25, 2009 9:03 AM PDT
Tom Tom makes great gps units though it seems overly fixated on highway routes even when choosing "shortest distance" options. The other flaw it has, depending on the person's opinion is the routing around construction, I could drive thru construction at reduced speeds at certain times quicker than back tracking an alternate route to go around it, like most units they each have their strengths and flaws but this to me is much better than the optional service provided by one's wireless cellphone provider.
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by viper396 June 25, 2009 12:53 PM PDT
No GPS system is perfect. It is impossible for any system to have instant knowledge of all road conditions due to accidents, construction, traffic, etc. Nor could they always know what the quickest route would actually be if you assume other people may also be taking that same route.

A GPS is not an excuse to stop using your brain.
by pHenom_713 June 25, 2009 10:04 AM PDT
I wonder if you make a wrong turn, will homer say "D'OH"!
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by rickbroida June 25, 2009 10:13 AM PDT
I'll let you know: I just purchased and installed the voice. To the car!
by pHenom_713 June 25, 2009 8:33 PM PDT
cool!
by Peter715Smith June 25, 2009 10:49 AM PDT
Homer is cool but I've just seen over at Navtones that there about to rlease K.I.T.T., it's the real, original K.I.T.T. Let's face it, who doesn't want to be David Hasselhoff for a day.

Check it out. Navtones does a load of celebrity voices. I just got Mr. T and Kim Cattrall. Love it.

I'm sure Homer will be good but I'd say Mr. T beats him. And KITT!
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by NotEd June 25, 2009 11:04 AM PDT
I'd consider getting this just because it'd cause less at $89.99 to buy the TomTom than to get the map update for my Garmin...
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by jcmark42 June 25, 2009 12:37 PM PDT
So true. With the prices of GPS going down everyday, why doesn't Garmin adjust the price of the map updates? IMO, they should be free.
by darkpoet25 June 25, 2009 6:00 PM PDT
I can only imagine what the Garmin Nuvi cellphones would cost, given what they charge for their maps.
by planblove June 25, 2009 11:46 AM PDT
Hey Rick, I'm a longtime cheapskate fan. I just wanted to pass on this deal from tigerdirect about the Harmony 520 remote(refurbished) for $39.99 - I just ordered myself one.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4331481&CatId=358
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by Idyot June 25, 2009 12:14 PM PDT
Rick, you should ask/beg twitter to reassign http://twitter.com/cheapskate to you. The account to have been idle since October 2007. Then use it each weekday with a short item description and a link back to http://news.cnet.com/cheapskate/

I'm sure that there are thousands like me who can't remember to check the cheapskate page each weekday - because it's too low on the radar - but would do so if provided a link (path of least resistance).

It would be a good bet that you would have thousands of followers on twitter just for this.
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by rickbroida June 25, 2009 12:15 PM PDT
Thanks for the suggestion! But you do know about www.twitter.com/cheapskateblog, right? :)
by kewell82 June 25, 2009 1:07 PM PDT
AWESOME!
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by rufustel June 25, 2009 1:31 PM PDT
This is a super deal, even without Homer, for a large-screen, text-to-speech GPS from a major player, for $90!
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by rufustel June 25, 2009 1:37 PM PDT
And 2 minutes later, saw this deal, good for the day, at an amazing $49.99 (and new, not refurbed): TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5" Slim Portable Touchscreen GPS Vehicle Navigator with Turn by Turn Spoken Directions & Real Time Traffic Capability - USA Model & Works in Canada.

http://www.1saleaday.com/

Yep, a 3.5" screen and no text-to-speech for street names, but a great deal!
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by ANTSCNET June 25, 2009 4:35 PM PDT
Unfortunately, TomTom no longer offers their latest map guarantee for refurb units, so if you will be using it in an area that has experienced roadwork in the past year or two, there's a chance that the refurb unit might not be accurate.

Rick - If you plug in your GPS to your computer and load up TomTom Home, you can check how old your maps are....any chance we could get you to verify the above?
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by ANTSCNET June 26, 2009 6:34 AM PDT
I will also note that unless you have the most recent maps, you can't use the mapshare feature, so if the refurbs don't come with the latest map guarantee, you lose one of the big selling points of a TomTom GPS....
by cldress June 26, 2009 5:46 PM PDT
I'm holding out hope that Homer's voice will be available on the upcoming iPhone app
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by rickbroida June 29, 2009 1:17 PM PDT
Well, even though the deal is gone, the Homer voice is available for many TomTom GPS models. And I have to say: I love it. You hear a lot of the same things over and over, but that's true of any GPS voice -- and this one never gets tiring. Even my couldn't-care-less-about-technology wife loved it.
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About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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