Posted to GPS Articles 2009-03-01
GPS units are available in models suitable for driving, hiking, urban adventuring and just about everything in between. The technological sophistication of the devices has been increasing at a rapid pace since they became commercially available. Today, a GPS unit can sit on the dash of a car and, when the destination is reached, be placed in a purse or pocket and used to navigate a city on foot.
Outdoor enthusiasts were among the first consumers to make great use of GPS systems. The models designed to make the backcountry navigable have features designed around durability, portability and providing as much information to the user as possible. Usually housed in tough casings that make them resistant to shock and water, these units typically boast at least a few of the task-specific features listed below.
• The ability to work with preloaded topographic maps to improve navigation
• Integration with health monitoring sensors such as heart rate and miles walked
• Integrated environmental sensors such as altimeters and barometers
• Straps that allow the device to be worn instead of carried
• Mounts for mountain or road bikes
Automotive mounted GPS units are made to be used while driving. To that end, they usually feature larger displays and maps of the nation and major cities of the country in which they're sold. The popular features on these units include:
• Turn by turn directions
• Maps which are easily read from a distance
• Speech integration that can warn drivers when a turn is coming up
• Points of Interest integrated into the mapping programs
• Detour functions that will plot alternate routes in the event of a traffic jam or road closure
• Automatic plotting of the most efficient route between two points
GPS units have become very affordable in the years since they were first introduced. A good quality unit can often be purchased for under $200 for an auto-mounted model and roughly the same for hand held and sports models.
There are GPS units designed for use on other vehicles, as well. Motorcycles, snowmobiles, pleasure craft and other recreational vehicles can all be equipped with mounted GPS systems. Generally, these systems include mountings from which the GPS units can easily be removed.
Dual-purpose units are also very popular. These models are generally not quite as rugged as the sports and outdoor models nor as large as the car-mounted models. These are designed to fill both roles. They have the most common features of car-mounted GPS units but are compact enough to be easily used as a hand held unit in an environment that doesn't involve particularly harsh conditions, such as within a city or town.
• Some GPS units to consider are:
Garmin nuvi 780
Slim design, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 4.3 inch diagonal LCD display size
Magellan Maestro 4370
Touch screen interface, Bluetooth capable, 4.3 inch wide color screen
TomTom GO 720
built-in FM transmitter, 4.3 inch extra wide touchscreen
