The Global Positioning System – or GPS – has transformed how the world finds its way. It’s no secret that the popularity of GPS has made it a standard feature in many a car. But in truth there are quite a number of GPS devices that are used in today’s modern society. What began as a government experiment and then a standard device used by the military, is now more popular than ever in civilian society.
When Russia launched Sputnik in the late 1950’s we had our first glimpse into the role that satellites would play in our future. Those who were monitoring Sputnik found that they were able to pinpoint its location based on the radio waves it provided. The seeds of GPS were born.
In the 1960s the U.S. Navy began experimenting with the technology, using the positioning of six satellites to help missile-carrying Navy submarines pinpoint their location. But the Global Positioning System that we know today was designed and implemented by the United States Department of Defense; the first operational satellite was launched in 1978 and by the mid 1990s there were 24 satellites – all of which are still in operation today.
The byproduct of this new technology has been GPS devices, designed to harness the power of satellite navigation to offer the highest level of convenience. It seems as though every year more GPS devices hit the shelves and in so doing they become part of what’s expected in society. The types of GPS devices are varied and your choice to use them depends largely on your frequency of need.
One of the more popular GPS devices is GPS mapping that allows you to visit any number of websites and enter any address in the world. If satellites have access to this area, you are immediately given a satellite picture showing the precise location you requested. For mapping trips, these GPS devices can take information downloaded from your computer and put it to use in your car, giving you detailed directions for the most expedient trip.
Another one of the more popular GPS devices is a GPS navigational unit. These units can either be mounted in your car or come in a portable system that you can transfer from vehicle to vehicle. Once a destination is entered into the GPS navigational system, it can literally walk you through your trip telling you where to turn and the time and distance relative to each portion of the drive. Some navigational units offer a feature whereby you can find restaurants, shopping, hospitals, and accommodations regardless of where you are; this can be incredibly useful when hunting services in a town with which you are unfamiliar.
GPS tracking, another of the GPS devices, allows you to track another person or thing. Many parents use GPS tracking in the cars of their teenage drivers. Others use this system to help protect precious items that are in danger of being stolen.
No matter which of the GPS devices you choose, you will no doubt find GPS to be an essential part of your life before long.
By: Michelle Bery
Archive for December, 2009
How to Pick a GPS Unit to Fit Your Budget
December 27th, 2009
Knowing how to pick a GPS unit to fit your budget sounds easy, but there’s actually quite a bit to understand about these neat little devices. When you’re buying a GPS unit for the first time, of even if you’re upgrading, you can sometimes feel like you need a master’s degree in electrical engineering just to comprehend what you’re buying.
It doesn’t have to be that confusing! Hopefully, this article will make the choice of the right GPS a little easier for you.
First off, let’s look at what basic features any GPS will have.
All GPS units do the following:
They…
Show you where you are and tell you how to get to your destination Come pre-programmed with a database of Points of Interest (POI’s) Come pre-loaded with maps of at least the lower 48 United States Have a touch screen interface Most can be used as a digital picture viewer, audio book reader, and mp3 player
There are three main manufacturers of GPS units, which in the United States account for almost 90% of the market. They are Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan. GPS units that do these basic functions are currently running less than $150. Some examples are the Garmin nuvi 200, the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition, and the Magellan Maestro 3100.
As far as how to pick a GPS unit from among these three: Garmin is known in the United States for quality; the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition offers a few more features than the other two; and the Maestro 3100 is priced slightly less than the Garmin or the Tom Tom.
You just have to decide what’s important to you, quality, features, or price.
All three of these companies make a great product, by the way. You won’t go wrong with any of the three.
Of course, if you want to spend more money, you can get more features.
Upgraded features include:
Bluetooth for hands-free calling Telling you not only where to turn, but actually saying the name of the street (very helpful!) Choice of larger screen, 4.3-inches More maps Much larger POI database Multiple route calculation capability
All three of these companies, Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan are very competitive in the middle price range ($300 more or less). Tom Tom and Garmin are essentially neck and neck, here. What differentiates between the two are again Garmin’s reputation for quality and Tom Tom’s extra features. Tom Tom has this great thing where you can download map changes that have been generated by real Tom Tom users. Magellan is certainly very competitive, also. Especially with their deal with AAA, where they offer AAA’s Tour Book right in the device’s database. (Great for AAA lovers like me!)
As far as the upper end of the price spectrum, Garmin is absolutely the top dog! The Garmin nuvi 700’s and 800’s dominate the high end market. The Garmin nuvi 880, for instance, sells for right under $1,000. It can do everything except maybe cook your waffles for you. (They’re adding that next year!)
With this information, how to pick a GPS unit should not be all that difficult! You first need to decide on your price range, then check out the specific products offered. To do this you need an informative website where you can browse models and take a look at their current prices.
By: Rick Cole
How to Compare GPS Units For Cars
December 27th, 2009
There are several manufacturers who make GPS units for cars. Some of the bigger ones make a ton of different models with various types of features. You can buy a GPS for anywhere from $150 to $900.
For the consumer, this level of competition is great, but it does make for a confusing marketplace. Sometimes you feel like you need a masters degree in engineering to understand what you want to buy.
I’m going to try to simplify all of this for you.
Consumer Reports recently did an article listing their top GPS units for cars. They listed units made by just three companies, Garmin, Tom Tom and Magellan.
Personally, if I were in buying a GPS unit right now, I’d stick to those three companies. There’s nothing anyone else offers that’s not offered by one of them, and also they’ve sewn up almost 90% of the market. If you want your purchase to be supported a year from now, you’ll want to stick with the big boys.
As far as Consumer Reports’ recommendations…From Garmin, they recommended the nuvi 760, nuvi 660, and nuvi 350.
All three of these are great GPS units for cars. The nuvi 760 currently sells for slightly over $400 and can do everything, including saying street names, Bluetooth for hands-free calling, real-time traffic bulletins, and even multiple point routing.
The nuvi 660 sells for about $50 less, and can do all of that less the multiple point routing.
Both the nuvi 760 and the nuvi 660 are the wide screen versions (4.3-inches instead of 3.5-inches). If you want an excellent GPS unit but you’re not interested in Bluetooth, multiple point routing, or the wide screen, then you might really want to consider the nuvi 350. It’s currently selling at Amazon for just under $200.
The two models Consumer Reports mentioned from Tom Tom were the GO 920T, which is an all-inclusive GPS that sells for slightly over $400, and the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition–probably the best entry level device currently on the market. The One, 3rd Edition sells for just under $150.
The only GPS from Magellan mentioned was the Maestro 4250. For a mid-priced GPS unit, the Maestro 4250 really can’t be beat! It sells for around $250. One thing I really like about it, besides the wide screen, is the deal that Magellan has with AAA where they offer the Tour Book right on the device. (For AAA members, of course.)
These are only a few of the top GPS units for cars. Just the ones Consumer Reports mentioned. There are others, to my mind. Like the Garmin nuvi 880, which can do everything except cook your waffles for you. (They’re working on one that can do that for next year.)
Kidding aside, before you go out and actually buy one of these, you need to find an informative website where you can look at individual models and check out their current prices. That way you’ll get the right GPS for you and your needs.
By: Rick Cole
