If you are someone who travels a lot because of business or who just enjoys traveling to discover or visit new places that you have not been to before? Then a GPS device is definitely your ultimate travel companion and guide. The US Department of Defense developed this technology and they can be used by anyone, anywhere, and are often used for navigation and are the world’s only fully functional global navigation satellite system (GNSS). They use a constellation of about 24 to 32 middle sized orbit satellites to transmit exact radio waves, allowing GPS receivers to find their existing location, time, and speed. Below is a review of some portable GPS devices available for the discerning traveler and where to find them.

1. The Garmin-nuvi 225w GPS

A leader in mobile GPS systems, this device comes with a 4.3 inch color screen that clearly displays routes and is also capable of giving blow by blow directions by voice prompt. This world class device comes with detailed information on all major roads and will even give you a verbal warning should you be in violation of the local speed limit. It also comes with secure digital (SD) card slot that allows you to expand the capabilities. It comes with a rechargeable battery along with a car charger.

2. Magellan Maestro 4350 In Car GPS Unit

The Magellan Maestro 4350 In Car GPS Unit is an all in one GPS unit that encompasses everything that you could desire in a GPS device. With over six million points of interest, turn by turn voice directions, 4.3 inch color screen, emergency numbers, an MP3 player and speed limit warning, it will always keep you going in the right direction, safe, and entertained no matter where you are.
3. Garmin Nuvi 360

The Garmin nuvi 360 is the ideal GPS device for the pocket constrained buyer. This fully color GPS device is capable of mapping out any destination, and also integrates hands free Bluetooth.

Using voice prompts it informs the driver the name and traffic condition of the street on which they are driving, when and where to turn and also comes with an SD card slot.

4. TomTom-GO 720 Portable GPS

This is a mid level GPS device that leaves nothing to the imagination. This device has a 4.3 inch color screen, as well as two gigabyte on board memory as well as an SD card slot, text to voice prompt, iPod docking, traffic and weather updates, speed limit indicators and indicators to show school zones. This is an all encompassing device that comes in a convenient package.

5. The Uniden GPS 352-In Car GPS

This is yet another top of the range GPS device that brings with it a 3.5 inch full color touch screen with mile by mile instructions. With over two million points of interest, built in maps and accurate GPS coordinates this device is the ideal for anyone on a trip to previously uncharted lands.

By: Levi Quinn

About the Author:

Read Reviews of the Best GPS Systems Available

It’s hard to know everything there is to know about purchasing your first GPS system. You’ll find pages and pages of advertising doing exactly what advertising copy is designed to do – promote the product it’s talking about. Therefore, although you can find basic information about the capabilities of a particular unit by reading the ads, you really need more than that to know if the unit you’re looking at is going to perform as it’s supposed to. That’s when websites that include customer feedback can prove invaluable to you. Customers tell it like they’ve found it by actually using a product, and you can hear all of the pros and cons of a GPS by reading their comments. One of the best websites for finding both advertising copy and customer reviews is Amazon.com.

Let’s say you’re searching for the perfect marine or fishing GPS system. Pull up Amazon and do a search for a marine GPS. You will receive numerous pages of listings that include pictures of the different units and prices. You can also see the rating that customers have given that particular unit with five stars being the highest rating. In addition, you will be able to tell how many different customers rated that particular model. For example, the listing for a Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver shows you a picture of the device, tells you that the current price is $131.93, shows a customer rating of 4 and a half stars with 144 ratings having been given. If it sounds interesting, you can click on the listing to bring up a page with considerably more information, including access to all of the customer comments.

For the Garmin listing mentioned above, you’ll be able to learn that it contains basemaps of lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national & state highways, railroads & coastlines by reading the advertising copy. By reading through the customer comments concerning the maps, however, you’ll find one person who comments that the maps are only very basic, showing just the largest highways and bodies of water. This person advises customers that if they are looking for turn-by-turn street directions, this isn’t the unit they will want to buy. All of this is important information that can help you decide whether or not you want to purchase a Garmin eTrex Venture.

Amazon is an excellent website to use to get the information you need in order to make informed purchases of all kinds of GPS equipment whether it be marine, automobile, dog tracking, or handhelds.

By: Paul Julian

About the Author:

Read Reviews of the Best GPS Systems Available

If you’re looking for some cheap portable GPS systems, you’ve reached the right place. There are not many quality devices on the market that are also considered discount or cheap, however there are a few. In this article, we will look at the handful that have a good reputation in the industry for being accurate and reputable, while at the same time offering great prices for some additional features. Want to know which ones they are? Let’s get started!

Cheap vs. Quality

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that you can find cheap portable GPS systems that will offer some type of high quality performance. But many companies are now finding that if they keep the quality and simply eliminate some of the features they can sell them at a cheaper price. For example, Garmin has been around for several years selling top-of-the-line systems to willing customers, however many of their units can get into the “pricey” category. But recently that have determined that it is just as profitable to offer less expensive products to a capture a wider market – and it worked! Now they have plenty to offer making them and their customers happy.

What Products Are Available?

There are quite a few cheap portable GPS systems (falling at or below the $250 mark) currently available. Let’s take a look at a few:

Garmin StreetPilot c340 – This unit is priced at around $200 and gives a good name to the cheap portable GPS systems on the market. It definitely does not offer everything the more expensive ones do, but what it does offer is standard navigation features, a beautiful 3D view, an easy to understand touchscreen, and a very long battery life (approximately 8 hours). Some additional features you can look forward to with this unit include a photo sharing option, and some games. So while it’s not the most impressive unit, it gets the job done and even offers a few extras, making it worth its

Cobra Handheld Navigator – This portable navigation unit is great because it can be used on the roads and off, making it a versatile addition to the list of cheap portable GPS systems. It includes maps of the continental United States, as well as some cities, territories, and boundaries in both Canada and Europe. So if you like to travel, and like simplicity, this unit with a $250 price tag is worth investigating further.

Magellan RoadMate 2000 – For about 250 bucks, you can get a lot of features in an attractive package. The Magellan RoadMate 2000 is simple, but very handy. First and foremost, it is a great navigation system that offers turn-by-turn voice and visual instruction that helps you avoid traffic and the highways and major roads. It offers an intuitive touchscreen menu that provides access to advanced applications like multi-destination routing, SmartDetour and QuickSpell. And it also offers access to over 1 million points of interests so that you can avoid looking up the address to every business or public location in your city and beyond – it’s already stored in the device for you!

TomTom One – TomTom, like the other companies on the list, is known for releasing reliable systems that get the job done and then some. This particular model is very simple, which is why it comes with a $200 (and sometimes less) price tag. It is extremely accurate with great mapping directions and a user-friendly touchscreen. In addition, it has preloaded 2D and 3D maps of the entire United States and Canada (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico). It offers audible turn-by-turn directions in over 30 languages and in over 50 different voices as it announces the streets you are approaching. And it has a great MapShare feature that lets you and others who own TomTom devices improve the maps you all share as you notice changes in your local geography. It doesn’t have the MP3 player and other entertainment features that some other devices offer, but it does give you a great deal of functionality for your money. What more can you ask for?

As you see from this article, cheap portable GPS systems don’t necessary equal lesser quality. In fact, you may find that by purchasing the more expensive units, you are acquiring a lot of features you just don’t need. So the next time you are looking at cheap portable GPS systems, don’t turn your nose up at them. Instead see what they can do for you. You might be surprised at their quality.

By: Jeffrey Meier

About the Author:

Best GPS Systems Available

We’re going to take a look at the best selling handheld GPS systems, starting with the Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator. The navigator is an older model, but a screaming deal at around $275 retail. Weighing in at a compact seven and a half ounces doesn’t stop it from delivering highly accurate tracking. It also features 64 megs of memory, a waterproof case, and a built in compass and altimeter. Another nice feature is the automatic track log, which can store up to 20 tracks with 500 point each. You get odometer, stopped time, moving average, total time and max speed out of the box from the trip computer. USB and serial port interfaces make it quick and easy to upload or download data. For geocaching fans, there’s built in support for treasure hunting as well!

Next up is the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS. At an even more bargain price of around $200, the Hcx is sure to deliver bang for your buck. It comes with a WAAS-enabled receiver, so you’re not sacrificing high-sensitivity for the price point. Like the 60SCx, there is a built in compass and altimeter. Unique among handheld GPS systems is the Vista HCx’s button layout. There are five buttons on each side of the unit, which frees up the valuable frontal real-estate for the display, making it very easy to view your maps at all times. You also get a waterproof housing, and geocaching mode. The HCx can go for up to 25 hours on a couple of AA batteries.

By: Kathleen Windsor

About the Author:

Best GPS Systems Reviewed

The Global Positioning System, known as GPS has become so ubiquitous that we take their presence in cars for granted. Not just cars, we have standalone GPS that can be carried anywhere, which comes in handy when we are out exploring the roads. Most mobile phones come with GPS feature that we consider it mandatory for any mobile phone to possess this feature. The GPS devices in the present times provide additional features and not just positions. They provide us information about restaurants, fuel stations, and details of the nearby police station for our safety. We can even purchase units online that there is a soaring GPS sales online.

Tom Tom and Garmin are considered as leaders in the GPS market. With the rising demand for GPS units, either as standalone or as a part of mobile phone feature, the demand for additional features and enhanced quality has increased. The GPS device screen should be wide to enable easy navigation and they should be easily upgradeable. There must be sufficient internal storage, but the provision of expansion slots for SD is a requirement. It is no wonder that both of these gps systems are leading the market. It is even evident in the GPS sales online with the highest demand for these 2 models.

Both gps systems have 3.8-inch standard screen and 4.3-inch widescreen. It is most preferred to have a 4.3-inch widescreen display because of the convenience it offers in terms of maps navigation. The other important factor to consider is the size and portability. With Garmin 750 about 6.2 ounces and Tom Tom about 7.7 ounces, they are lightweight and portable. Nobody wants to carry a bulky GPS unit.

The worth and quality of any good GPS is measured by how good the maps are, which in turn is reflected in the GPS sales online. Tom Tom as well as Garmin comes with pre-loaded maps that are stored in the internal memory. But, with the rapid growth of concrete jungles, we cannot expect the places to remain the same and we cannot deal with obsolete landmarks in our GPS unit either. Tom Tom and Garmin have understood this importance. So, it is possible to update the maps via just a USB port. What more? We have extra flakes in the form of mp3 and picture viewers.

The unique thing about both the manufacturers is that both of them are pitted very well against one another. In some aspects Tom Tom has an edge over Garmin and vice versa. If total portability is the requirement then Garmin is preferred over Tom Tom. But, Tom Tom has map share feature, which enables users to give updates and point out errors in the map which is a very useful feature what with sudden changes being made to routes. So, basically it comes to either gps system supplies some of the finest gps devices.

The importance of Garmin and Tom Tom is such that most of the sites that do GPS sales online prominently advertise Garmin and Tom Tom. Some of the best deals that are offered online are for Garmin or Tom Tom. Many sites offer a huge array of models of Garmin and Tom Tom and briefly review their features too.

By: Bob D Williams

About the Author:

Read Reviews of the Best GPS Systems Available

Whether you are driving long hours across country or a few minutes across town, you might want to consider getting one of the latest automotive gps systems to save you time and for your safety. Being able to get from point A to point B without getting lost can sometimes is a challenge, but automotive gps systems can help in so many ways. The automotive gps systems use 24 orbiting satellites to triangulate your exact whereabouts and also figure out the distance it will be before you get to your destination. Along the way to ‘point B’ the automotive gps receivers will tell you roads you’ve passed and exit as well. This is so you don’t have to look away from the road, making it much safer.

Automotive gps systems have the same features as many of the handheld portable gps receivers do, however, most of them are larger and stay in the car. But there are a few models that can be taken out of the car and carried around with you as you walk around the city or the woods; it depends on which model you want to purchase. Most of the automotive gps models have a larger LCD touchscreen and come with more maps than the handheld units. Street level maps and millions of POI’s or points of interests such as restaurants, ATM’s and banks, zoo’s, schools and parks are already preprogrammed into the automotive gps systems. Although there are programs in which you can program your own POI’s such as schools and speed cameras so you know to avoid them each time you pass by that way.

There are several software packages available to download onto your automotive gps navigational system through your home computer that will allow you to see more of the United States or Canada, Mexico and even Europe. If you are planning on traveling, it might be a good idea to purchase a CD-ROM with one of these extended countries with the POI’s highlighted for you and your family to enjoy while there.

Some of the other accessories available for your automotive gps systems would be a Bluetooth headset for easy hands-free driving, XM radio – there might be a subscription cost to this, you would have to check and see – a carrying case if you want to take the system out and take it on a walking tour of the city or forest and different mounting options. One of the options for mounting the automotive gps is a round ‘sticky’ disk which you lay the gps navigation receiver on and it stays put as you drive along. Another option is an ‘arm’ mount which can be placed on the dash or adhered to the window so the gps is where it is most comfortable for you to view it while driving.

By: Charlie Lee

About the Author:

Best GPS Systems Available

So you’ve been trying to find a new way to navigate through the world and you heard about these devices that can create accurate maps and even give you navigational instructions to and from locations right from your car. These systems definitely do exist and are called GPS (global positioning) systems. But of course, before you go out and snatch the first one that you see, you need to learn about these clever little devices to determine which one would be best for you. So in this article, we will do the work for you to help you choose the best GPS systems on the market.

Learning About GPS Systems

If you’re still unfamiliar with these systems, let’s take a look back at the movie Enemy of the State. If you remember, there was a scene in the movie where the character played by Will Smith was being tracked by a device his enemies had placed in a bag that he grabbed. By keeping this device with him unknowingly, he allowed the chasers to keep track of his every move on a screen they were watching from another location. At the time, the device seemed very high tech and new age, but now many people take advantage of them in their own homes and cars.

Modern day systems are capable of working in a very similar way as the device in the movie. You can plant a tracking device in your vehicle that allows you to know every move your car makes if your child drives it – or if it is stolen – by watching its activity from a screen in your house, or even on the Internet from anywhere in the world. In addition, these systems can give you driving instructions via a satellite map to a new restaurant in your area, or give you voice-navigation instructions to a restaurant in a new city. However, you have to decide which are among the best GPS systems, not just from reputation on the market, but also according to what will work best for your family. So let’s help you decide what you want.

Decide What You’re Looking For

Some of the decision-making process falls in the laps of the companies selling you their product. But I believe firmly that one way to help you determine which are the best GPS systems on the market is to decide which ones are best for you – and you make this decision by choosing the features you most need.

There are four main categories of systems out there to choose from, however most companies combine at least two or more features into one device for versatility. To clearly learn about the differences though, we’ll view them separately.

Mapping – There are tons of mapping devices that fall under the category of best GPS systems. This is because more people are usually interested in mapping features, which means companies work harder to make sure this feature is especially accurate and reliable. However, do understand that there is a difference between a device with mapping features and a mapping system. The mapping system is different because it is used to collect data for field work such as farming, timbering, and wetlands/marsh work. Instead, you may want to pursue a system with a mapping feature for directions only, because you could find you’ve bought a device with a lot of “stuff” you just don’t need.

Surveying – Surveying devices can be similar to those for mapping in that they can be pretty complex beasts for the everyday person simply trying to accomplish a few minor tasks. Models that focus primarily on this feature are also used more so for professional surveyors in the field who are looking to collect data on property and land. While you can find these devices among the others available, for everyday navigational purposes, these would probably be too advanced for your needs.

Tracking – These systems can come in the more professional version, but many everyday people are finding them to come in handy when they want to keep track of their children, and keep criminals away. These models can come in a variety of forms ranging from a small device put in a car to track its whereabouts at all times, to a cell phone or watch you can give to your child that can be viewed from a remote location.

Navigating – Many people would say the best GPS systems come as standard navigating devices because they are used to help them navigate through unfamiliar territories with simple and convenient voice turn-by-turn instructions. Of course, as mentioned with the above options, you are likely to have more than one feature in one, but the main idea is to make sure you are getting the features you want – and not a lot of unusable features – for your money.

Now What Do I Choose?

Now that you’ve learned about the differences between the systems, let’s look at a few brands with great reputations for being simple to use with a lot of great features:

Garmin – If price is an issue to you, you may want to turn away from this often expensive, yet always reliable company with a reputation for selling the best GPS systems in the world. Most of their products range from $350 – $750, but you’ll always get plenty for your money, including wide screens, long battery life (if portable), extensive mapping and directory options, accurate navigation, and even MP3 and Bluetooth features.

Magellan – Another company known for selling some of the best GPS systems on the market, Magellan offers a wide variety of products for mapping directions and accurate navigational instruction.

TomTom – This company ranks fairly high as well for its features and offers standard options as well as a Map Sharing tool that gives very accurate and up-to-date information on roads around the country.

Learning which companies offer the best GPS systems in the industry takes time and effort on your part. Of course, this means you’ll need to continue your research beyond the Internet and visit stores with representatives who can show you in person what each one offers. But after doing your research, and determining what you want in a system, you’ll be sure to find one of the best GPS systems on the market that best suits your needs.

By: Jeffrey Meier

About the Author:

Read Reviews of the Best GPS Systems Available