A Quest For The Perfect GPS
Gary Ruplinger

So you've finally decided you're going to purchase a GPS unit.
Now the only question is what to get.

In an ideal world, the GPS unit you purchased would be
portable, have great battery life, be able to hold all maps in
memory, give perfect driving directions, have a bright color
screen, plan an alternate route in heavy traffic, be rugged and
waterproof, and be able to communicate easily with other
electronic devices. And, you would get all of this at an
affordable price.

I have good news and bad news. The good news – all of those
features are available on GPS systems. The bad news – no GPS
system offers all of them on one unit.

When you're out shopping for a new GPS unit, there are four
main types of GPS devices you'll encounter: the car navigation
system, the handheld GPS, the boat GPS, and the PDA/GPS hybrid.


The Car Navigation System
Most luxury models now offer built in navigation systems - it's
even standard on some. It's also becoming common to find a
navigation system as an option for mainstream vehicles.
However, if a built in system isn't an option for your new car,
or if you plan on putting GPS in your current vehicle, there's
always the dash mountable option. Companies such as TomTom,
Garmin, and Magellan offer some of the more popular dash
mountable GPS devices.

Features you're likely to get with an in car system include: a
color screen; voice guided directions; information about gas
stations, hotels, and other points of interest along your
route; the ability to calculate a new route should you get off
course; and the ability to get traffic information so you can
avoid heavy congestion (frequently offered as a per month
subscription service). Car navigation GPS tend to be the most
expensive with built in systems costing upwards of $2000 in
many vehicles. Good dash mountable devices typically cost
around $1000 although less expensive options are available.

The Handheld GPS Device
The GPS devices designed for outdoor enthusiasts are the most
affordable type of GPS unit. Low end models cost as little as
$100. High-end models cost about $500. These units are great to
have if you spend a lot of time hiking or camping. They are also
the type of GPS units anyone who wants to start geocaching
(http://www.gpsmaestro.com/geocaching) will want to use. Some
of the features you'll find on a these units: base maps of
parks, lakes and mountains where you plan on hiking; a built in
compass, the ability to input coordinates; chart plotting so you
can tell where you've been and can retrace your path if
necessary; color or monochrome displays depending on the model;
an altimeter; a rugged durable housing; and water resistance or
full waterproofing.

One high end outdoor unit, the Rino series by Garmin, even
offers a built in two- way radio, an NOAA weather receiver, and
position reporting capability which allows you to see the
position of all the people in your group that have one of the
devices. You're even able to poll this GPS unit for its
position if a member of your party should become incapacitated.
If you want the capability to still have in-car navigation once
in a while, these units can be attached to a laptop running
navigation software to help guide you to your destination.

The Marine GPS
If you'll be spending most of your time on the water with your
GPS, then a marine GPS unit is your best choice. Some of the
features you'll frequently find on marine GPS devices are:
color chart plotters; screens that are easily visible - even in
bright sunlight; sonar capability; and onshore/offshore maps.
Some new units even offer weather service integration with
specific information for boaters, and automobile navigation so
you don't need to purchase two separate units. Marine GPS units
fall in between the portable outdoor units and the car
navigation systems in price, with many good marine GPS unit
costing around $1000.

The PDA/GPS Hybrid
If you're looking for a jack of all trades GPS device, then you
may want to consider the PDA/GPS hybrid units. Many of these
systems are full featured PDAs with built in GPS capabilities.
You can also purchase a separate unit if you already have a PDA
and just want to add on GPS. These separate units will connect
to your PDA via Bluetooth, serial cables, or USB cables
depending on the capabilities of your PDA.

The PDA/GPS units are great combinations for a person who is
always on the move. They allow you to stay organized and will
also guide you to wherever it is you want to go. The one
drawback to this combination is that there always seems to be
something that is sacrificed.

By purchasing an all-in-one unit, many times you get a pretty
good GPS but only an okay PDA. If you purchase a top of the
line PDA and then add a GPS receiver to it, you have the
inconvenience of carrying along extra devices, along with
needing more plugs to keep things charged. These setups tend to
be more economical than in-car navigation devices though,
running around $500 for all-in-one units to $900 if you decide
to purchase a high end PDA and a high end Bluetooth device to
synch with it.

Although there is currently not an ideal GPS unit that does
everything perfectly, there are still many excellent options
available. The trick to finding the right GPS for you is to
decide how the GPS is likely to be used most often. If you
spend most of your time on the road, then the in-car system is
most likely your best bet. If you spend most of your time
hiking or geocaching, then a portable unit will likely serve
you better. If you plan on doing a little of everything, you
may want to consider a PDA/GPS hybrid model.


About The Author: Gary Ruplinger is the webmaster and writer
for GPS Maestro, a site offering tips, tools, and reviews for
GPS Devices. To learn more, please visit
http://www.gpsmaestro.com