Handheld GPS:
Basic GPS Systems:
A basic GPS unit is one that cannot be loaded with detailed maps. It will give you your position in Latitude and Longitude coordinates, save and store waypoints, record your trip log and give you speed, heading and bearing information. Navigation to a stored or user-defined waypoint will be “straight line distance and direction” i.e. as the crow flies. Ideal for outdoor use (hikers, mountain biking, geocachers, hunters, fishermen, farmers, climbing, trekking etc) who just want to be able to save waypoints, record a trip log and navigate directly (straight line) to entered or saved waypoints.

Map Enabled GPS Systems:
A Map Enabled GPS is a unit that can be loaded with detailed maps (the memory space on the older units is usually limited to between 8MB and 24MB whilst the newer units have “expandable memory” capabilities i.e. they have MicroSD memory card slots).

These units are usually ideal for outdoor use (hikers, mountain biking, hunters, fishermen, geocachers, farmers, climbing, trekking etc) who are wanting to see where they are / are going in relation to their surroundings (i.e. it’s all very well knowing that to get to a desired waypoint you have to travel North for example. But what happens if the road you are on runs East / West and you cannot simply cut ‘across country’? In these cases it is always handy to be able to see a map of the area on the screen).

Autorouting GPS Systems:
The ‘Road Warriors Ultimate Toy’, an Autorouting GPS street navigator unit has features that are essential in any city environment. Address lookup, automatic routing calculated according to your preset conditions (i.e. avoid Toll roads, Dirt Roads, U-Turns, Highways etc as well as create routes according to fastest time or shortest distance), Colour screens for optimal viewing in direct sunlight, on-screen turn-by-turn instructions, voice prompted turn-by-turn instructions on some models and on the latest models a POI alert feature enabling the user to enter a series of waypoints and be alerted when approaching these waypoints (can be used for speed trap alerts for example).

Again, this category can be divided into two sections depending on how the unit is to be used. Vehicle based (i.e. more than half of the time to be used for city navigation with only now-and-then outdoor/bush use) and Handheld use (i.e. more than half of the time to be used for outdoor/bush use with only now-and-then city navigation).

Training and Wrist worn GPS Solutions:
Training GPS systems (or wrist worn GPS) are becoming more and more popular as people discover the benefits of working out with an accurate and reliable training partner. Designed for joggers and cyclists these units are also worn by canoeists, mountain bikers, track and field athletes, speed-walkers etc.

Training software is also available and gives you the ability to overlay your data onto a course map. It offers interactive analysis tools that measure your speed, distance, rate of climb and descent against varying terrain, elevation and more. Create and schedule custom workouts or use workout templates and download to the unit.

PDA, Laptop and Notebook GPS Solutions:
Cable & Bluetooth GPS Systems:
GPS solutions for Laptop’s, Notebook’s and the PDA’s have improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years with many of the ‘older’ methods of connecting a GPS to your device (i.e. Cable and Compact Flash Card GPS) being replaced by the more advanced Bluetooth technology and even built in GPS. Rapidly advancing cellphone technology now enables the user to connect a Bluetooth GPS for an “all-in-one” device.

It must be remembered though, that as with all (relatively) ‘New’ technology, there is the inevitable (steep) learning curve for the new user as well as the occasional ‘dropped connection’, complicated setup process and connection settings variable to each and every PDA and cellphone device.

PDA with built-in GPS:
Garmin have cut back on their range of PDA models to only one. The iQue 3000 running on a Palm platform. But even this one is soon to be discontinued.

While the GPS features built in to these systems are excellent, the PDA functions are only ‘average to good’. This is not a top of the range PDA and will not satisfy the office ‘Power User’ but it is more than sufficient for the man-in-the-street user.

The biggest advantage of having a Garmin PDA with built-in GPS, apart from the lack of cables, bulbous cards and connection / setting problems, is that the PDA, GPS engine and map software are all optimally designed to work together. This not only means a seamless integration of routing, search functions and voice commands but also integration of the GPS into other standard PDA features such as the address book and diary (i.e. one button routing to a meeting from an appointment in your diary).

A Note on ‘Built-in’ GPS Systems in Vehicles:
Many of our customers have both a Garmin mobile GPS unit AND a built in ‘SatNav’ GPS system in their BMW, Audi, VW Polo etc (most of them travel extensively and need a portable GPS for their rental vehicles). Every one of them has commented on the lack of functionality and limited map coverage of their built-in GPS compared to their Garmin unit. Apart from commenting on the ridiculously high prices of these built-in ‘SatNav’ systems, need we say more?

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