Sunday 25 October 2009

A Must-Have for Every Outdoor Enthusiast

By Joseph Aaron

Global positioning products are currently popular amongst drivers who prefer to move safely through tangled and congested areas. Although, if you explore the history of global positioning devices, you quickly learn that GPS devices were heavily used by hunters and other people exploring the wild places who want to lower their chances of getting lost. When R&D teams started developing the technology for the most recent GPS devices for car owners, those very technologies were incorporated into the handheld GPS models as well. These updated handheld GPS devices are designed very much like mobile phones thanks to their shape and colored screen. For your car, an excellent unit is the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.

The majority of the GPS devices used in cars could actually be carried by people on foot providing they are at ease with the interface. The majority of the products made by TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan are small enough to carry around in an adult's hand or slip into your pocket. However for the job of working with the appliance while climbing or using merely one hand, helper or two might be needed. Here are a few products to look for.

Magellan Triton Series

The Magellan Triton series is an instructive example to look at seeing as all of the models from the least to most expensive all are outwardly identical. The basic models come with a respectable 2.2" QVGA color monitor while some of the higher end models have a slightly larger screen of 2.7". Each of the Magellan units sport a rugged casing which is waterproof, so you can responsibly carry them with you as you are crossing rivers or during rainstorms.

Some of the Triton series devices have a special AdventurePack label affixed to them which indicates that those models contain some particular software called the TOPO! Explorer. Determined explorers need to absolutely consider buying these packages. The nice thing about Magellan's array of products is that you can find a Triton GPS unit that won't blow your budget with over 5 products to pick from. For your auto, a great option is the Tom Tom GO 740 GPS.

Garmin Series

Garmin manufactures a large collection of handheld products and each different series accommodates various kinds of navigation. As an example, the GPSMAP 7X series units are all marine-friendly and perfect for navigating the open water, and the GPSMAP 6X series models benefit from a more rugged design for heavy duty usage, yet are still affordable and contain a good set of applications including microSD support and competent navigation.

The eTrex series are handheld GPS devices a customer should look for when budget is a serious concern. They are particularly portable with many of them offering a screen large enough to read with ease.

If you happen to be a professional traveler looking for a product which is really durable and equipped with powerful functions, the Colorado or Oregon series might suit you. Both series come with a full touch-screen display, a feature not included in other Garmin series, and they even display different maps depending on the exact model you get. For a great gps unit in your car, consider the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.

Be aware that any handheld GPS devices should never be used for driving unless a non-driving navigator is using it. If you don't need any of the specialized functions and want a single device that is able to function on the city street as well as the trail, it will likely be more sensible to purchase an all-in-one device that you can transport in an automobile or by hand.

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