Features To Look For In A GPS Unit

Author: Neo

It’s true that finding a GPS navigator that suits your needs can be crucial. But what if you aren’t that informed about the things that GPS navigators offer nowadays? It’s easy to make a mistake when buying them, as there are new trends each month in the GPS market and there are, of course, specific features you may want to have in your navigator. This article will try to inform you through the standard features (and more specific ones) that you may want to look for in a GPS device.

The most important feature that all GPS portables, except the really old ones, have is advanced Text-To-Speech (TTS). TTS allows you to keep your eyes on the road, as the computer-generated voice tells you specific names of locations e.g. “Turn into Abbey St. after 500m” instead of “Turn left after 500m”. This feature is crucial, as it dramatically increases driving safety and also makes your life a little bit easier because you don’t have to look at the display for street names anymore.

There are built-in maps in each GPS device, but it’s best to see what maps are inside of the GPS unit, as they’re usually sold with maps for only your part of the world (North and South Americas, Europe, Australia, etc.), that’s why it’s so important to buy one from either a local vendor or with the seller stating that the maps for your area are pre-loaded. Also, you should check whether or not the manufacturer provides updates for the maps and the way they provide them – via internet or via CD’s you’d need to purchase.

Other features are somewhat specific, e.g. if you’re traveling a lot, you may want to get a GPS that has built-in Points of Interest – restaurants and stores are shown on the map. Many GPS units come with a lot of multimedia possibilities, like the ability to watch movies, listen to music, view photos directly on the screen and even play built-in flash games; however, you should keep an eye out for the usability, as many different features don’t necessarily mean that it’s an easy to use GPS device.

All in all, the key features you should look for in a GPS device are Text-To-Speech, built-in maps with POI’s on them; other things like the size of the screen, quality and design are also very important, as the price varies a lot on them, but you should only get a GPS that has the aforementioned key features. The additional features are nice, just make sure that they don’t interfere with the usability and don’t make the device too costly. It’s easy to get lost in the endless offers of the new GPS devices, so if you find an older model that still has everything you need, get that one instead of the newer one that’s stuffed with features.

About the Author:

At Portable Car GPS Reviews, you can find the lowest price on GPS units and read reviews of top GPS models like the Garmin Nuvi 855.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Features To Look For In A GPS Unit

Best Marine GPS Chartplotters From Lowrance and Garmin

Author: Neo

If you plan going fishing or just want to go somewhere by sea, chances are that a marine GPS device might come in handy for you. In most cases you already own one that came with the yacht, however, you may want to get a better one as often the case is that many crucial features are missing on the default units, for example, a chartplotter can be of great need if you are keen on fishing. Most of the new GPS units offer echolocation, sea coordinates, but are almost always stuffed with a lot of unneeded features. In this article, we’ll try to review the two GPS chartplotters that could be deemed the best ones in the market - Garmin GPSMAP 4212 and Lowrance HDS 7, both of which have essential features that every Marine GPS should have, and also a chartplotter to receive additional data, like the speed of the boat you’re on.

Garmin GPSMAP 4212 is a GPS chartplotter that offers high-resolution satellite imagery and can boost your sea-sailing with additional awareness in any situation. It’s perfect for everyone, both for fishing or just sailing. It has an affordable price and stands out with a beautiful quality design and a 12.1” 1024x768 VGA screen. It also offers a 3D perspective of what’s below the boat, so it’s great for fishing. It is also easy to use and comes with detailed coastlines, port plans, restricted areas, gives updates of the current weather and can transmit a signal in case of an emergency.

The HDS 7 is a model that people who are keen on fishing will love, as it offers in-depth coverage of more than 100,000 bodies of water and covers most of the lakes in the U.S. in incredible detail. It is also compatible with many mapping systems and its maps are updated frequently. It is a cheaper alternative to the Garmin GPSMAP 4212 with its design being simpler than the former and the screen size being smaller, but the functions preserved. It, just as the GPSMAP 4212, also offers stereo quality reports of the weather.

The aforementioned chartplotters could arguably be the best on the market, as they offer two extremes – the focus on quality and the focus on price. Which one of them to pick remains solely to you. Just don’t forget to actually use the device on its fullest, as the features they offer are, in the worst case, very interesting, if not useful. Remember that sailing is a great way to relax, but you don’t want to spoil the fun by getting lost. A Marine GPS with a chartplotter can help you a great deal to enjoy the most of your sailing time.

About the Author:

At Portable GPS Reviews, you can learn more about the different chartplotters models and read reviews of the top units, like the Lowrance HDS 7.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Best Marine GPS Chartplotters From Lowrance and Garmin