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Our Featured garmin street pilot gps ArticleAdvanced GPS Features Buyers Guide

By Joe Keller

There are literally thousands of different GPS units available on the market today. Each GPS manufacturer has their own special features and advanced capabilities that they claim to put their unit above their competitor's. When shopping for a GPS unit, wading through all the different features and finding the ones that are right for you can become overwhelming. This article will highlight some of the more popular features and what they really mean to you.

Waypoints
Most outdoor and vehicle GPS units will have a built-in database of waypoints. Waypoints are the GPS eastern and northern coordinates for a given point on a map. Most databases will include waypoints for popular restaurants, gas stations, service garages, tourist locations, hotels, and hot spots. While you will find specific way-points pre-programmed into your GPS unit when you purchase it, some GPS units will allow you to program your own waypoints, or download up-dated and interest specific waypoint databases.

Route Mapping
Route mapping allows you to create a pre-defined set of Waypoints for an area you plan to visit. Once the waypoints are programmed into the GPS unit, the unit will guide you in the best way possible from one waypoint to another. This can be especially useful for long trips that have predefined stopping locations, allowing you to plan your trip before leaving, without ever needing to re-program your GPS along the way. Some GPS units will automatically create waypoints for you as you travel, useful if you get side-tracked and need to find your way back.

Altimeters
Some outdoor handheld units will have altimeters that will indicate the altitude or feet above sea-level. This feature is especially useful for hikers and campers that are in mountainous terrain, and may need to refer to topographical area maps.

Antennae configuration
Some GPS units have external GPS antennas that can be adjusted to get better reception. Other GPS units will have optional plug-in antennas that are useful when mounting the GPS in a hard-to-reach location, such as inside a car or tucked away in a boat, allowing you to route the antenna to a more open area. Another antenna option is a built-in antenna, which will protect the antenna from being broken or damaged. This option is often seen in hand-held and fitness style GPS units.

Connectivity
With cables and software carried by most GPS vendors, you can connect most GPS units to computers or other GPS units to download databases, backup of waypoints and information, sharing of data from one GPS to another, and much more.

Size
GPS units come in all different shapes and sizes. Be sure to choose a size unit that is specific to your needs. If you plan on hiking or any type of outdoor activity, you may want to consider a smaller, lighter, portable unit. However, size and weight may not be a consideration if you are planning on mounting your unit to the inside of your vehicle. Battery life is often relational to the weight of the GPS units. Heavier batteries will have a longer batter life than lighter models. Make sure to be certain of your specific requirement, you may decide to carry a slightly heavier GPS unit in a backpack, if you plan on going on a long hike deep into the wilderness, while, you may require a light fitness style GPS unit that you can mount on your wrist for a short jog around town.

Weatherproofing
You will find that there is a GPS unit specifically designed for your requirements. A heavier duty, more rugged GPS will stand up to the weather elements better than some of the lighter less protected units will. If you plan on using your GPS in a boating situation, you will find many marine style GPS units that will specifically be waterproofed. A carrying case is sometimes a valid compromise, allowing you to carry a lighter, less expensive unit, while at the same time, maintaining complete weatherproofing.

Screen size
The display screen should be big enough to fit your individual requirement. You will want to make sure if you have a vehicle mounted GPS unit that you will be able to read the GPS display from a reasonable distance, so you will not have to be distracted and take your eyes off the road. However, if the GPS is going to be used in a hiking situation, you may be able to deal with a smaller screen display, in order to get a lighter, more compact unit. Some GPS units will come with illuminated screens which will be especially useful at night-time and low-light situations.

Memory
GPS units will come with a pre-determined memory limitation, which will usually translate to the number of way-points and route information it can hold. Some units will accept additional memory card add-ons for increasing the units memory space at a later time. Other units will allow you to connect to a computer to save programmed information, to be retrieved at a later time, thereby allowing you to maintain plenty of memory space on your GPS unit.

Hopefully this guide will help you better understand the many different options that are available when you are shopping for your GPS unit. There are many different options to consider, so make sure to ask plenty of questions and spend your time enjoying the GPS buying experience.

About The Author

Joe operates www.gpsgearonline.com and is an avid GPS enthusiast.

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Don't throw out your maps: Now, don't take this the wrong way--navigation systems often work really well. But even with a big screen, it's hard to get the big picture of which way your route is going to take you. A map--even the big-scale ones from the rental car company--can help you decide if the route plotted by the nav system makes sense. Remember that while navigation systems almost always get you to where you want to go, they're not a substitute for local knowledge, nor can they put directions into context, like avoiding Main Street in any small town on morning of the 4th of July. While searching out a lunch stop by using the navigation system, we didn't realize that we were right around the corner from several places we wanted to stop--a bungle that would have been avoided if we had cross-checked the map.
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Lots of interesting articles from today's PC World. First up, Microsoft Takes on MapQuest: "MSN launches MapPoint online mapping service, offering maps, directions, and more."

Apparently this is going to be yet another component of MS' push for .Net services with hooks into other MSN services. MapPoint is XML-based, which makes it interesting in other ways, and there it launches with a phone-based direction service. The articles notes that this is another step towards location-based services. "For example, you might someday be able to click on a Windows Messenger buddy's name and retrieve a map showing the location of his or her home."

Good or bad? You make the call. I like parts of this, but I'm incredibly wary of .Net.

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