Using road gps systems may make traveling easier

Using road gps systems

Are you the type of person who hates to ask for directions?  Do you travel a lot?  Do you get lost a lot?  Do you have trouble understanding and using maps?  Have you thought about how much nicer your road trips and traveling could be if you were using a road gps system?  You do know that more and more people are using road gps systems daily?

Why?

They hate to be lost?
They can actually understand how to use the systems.
The systems are not complicated and you don’t have to be a computer genius to use one.
They can be used in a number of light settings, including at night.
The systems have a number of great features including extra features such as audio and video players.
The systems can not only help you find your way, but help you to backtrack your route as well.
The systems can also help you to track your speed, distance and estimate time of arrival.
Some of the systems can alert you of upcoming problems such as traffic congestions or highway construction.
Some of the systems offer turn by turn directions.
Some of the systems offer built in speakers and built in antennas
Some of the systems offer speech to text commands.  This means instead of saying turn right in 400 yards, the system would say turn right at State Street in 400 yards.

Could a road gps system be beneficial to you?  First ask yourself the following questions?

Do you hate being lost?
Do you have to find exact addresses frequently?

If you answered yes to the following two questions, then you should think about buying a road gps systems.   If you don’t understand how they work, it is simple. 

GPS stands for global system positioning.  It works from orbiting satellites and computers.  Together they can find exact addresses or track objects or people through receivers and the help of additional computers. 

GPS was first used by the Department of Defense.  They used it in military operations.  Now the common consumer is lucky enough to enjoy their wonderful capabilities as well.

So you can use a road gps system to help you find exact addresses, now you wonder what else they can do.  Here are few things that a road gps system may do to help make your life easier?

Keep you from getting another speeding ticket, by alerting you when you reach a certain speed limit.
Need to find a gas station quick?  Allow your road gps system to find it with its point of interest search.
Have a flat tire?  You can give your emergency car service company your exact location for quicker service and repair.
Save the history of all your recent destinations, great in case you forget the address.
Saves you time and can even save you money on gas (by helping you pick out the shorter routes)
When shopping for a road gps system, you should keep a few things in mind such as:

Price

How much can you actually afford to spend?  Figure this out, first and then compare this figure with the sales figures of the systems on the market.

Do the higher price systems work better? No, not necessarily.  But they may have more functions and capabilities.

Functions and capabilities

These are important.  If you do not have the actual functions you want you won’t be satisfied with the road gps system.  You should make a list of the most important features that you need and want such as:

Mapping abilities:

How many maps should the system be able to save?
Do you need maps that include all 50 states, plus Canada and Puerto Rico?
How many points of interests are important to you?
How do you wish to download new maps?
How do you wish the system to explain the directions to you?
Do you need a built in speaker system?
Do you want text to speech capability?

What about the size and style of the display unit

Does it need to be a certain size?
Do you need extra big sized buttons, placed in certain positions?
Do you need a unit that is extra bright lighting wise?

Ease of use:

Do you think you will actually be able to use the gps system?
Does it look complicated?
Don’t forget you can ask for demonstrations

Finally, don’t forget about warranties and return policies.  These are important when you purchase anything.

Once you begin using your brand new road gps system, you will soon see why many people are purchasing these.  You will see that they do live up to the hype and that they make traveling and your daily life much easier.

How much do you love being mobile? I lot I bet! Most people have grown completely accustomed to their lives hands-free. That’s not to say that we can’t appreciate the corded phone (sounds weird, doesn’t it?) but with so many options available that allow the convenience of not having to untangle a cord every few minutes, most people say “Yay!” to that option, and “Nay!” to the old days. Catching up to the world of free hands is the global position system (GPS) that can help you keep track of where you are going anywhere in the country. Now there are tons of Bluetooth GPS units on the market that are wireless and offer great features for customers. In this article, we will look at some of these units to see which ones might be a great match for you.

You may not remember or be aware of this, but there was a time that GPS units were installed in cars with wires attached. Because everything is portable and wireless now, it is hard to imagine this is possible. But since those days, of course, companies have found ways to not only create great Bluetooth GPS units that are attractive and compact, but also give you all of the features of a cell phone and entertainment center in one. Here are a few of the more popular models on the market:

TomTom

This company definitely offers some of the more popular Bluetooth GPS units on the market. This is because the company is known for being extremely accurate and reliable under all circumstances. Most of their receivers have similar features – of course, some more advanced than others. Overall, you can count on them offering street-level maps for the entire United States; some even offer maps of Europe. Also, you can get pictures of lifelike 3D maps that show your position on the road and give you icons that represent points of interest in a clear display for those who have vision difficulties. Also, most of their systems have menus that allow you to customize your experience and they also have low-glare night display options.

The TomTom Navigator software adds special features to their Bluetooth GPS units. So in addition to being able to pinpoint your location on one of their maps, you can get door-to-door navigation by simply plugging in addresses you want to travel between. In addition, the software provides a roadblock feature that quickly reroutes your travel to help you avoid any unexpected traffic issues. But probably one of the most impressive features of this software is the Point of Interest database that gives you access to literally millions of locations in the country. But using this database, you can simply scroll through the directory to map out navigation directions. This way, you don’t always have to feel responsible for finding the address to a location before traveling to it – the system will do the work for you.

Magellan

While this company is not as well known and popular as TomTom, it does offer a pretty popular device that is getting good reviews from the experts. The Magellan Crossover is one of the better portable Bluetooth GPS units on the market as it is pocket-sized, offers the ability to listen to MP3s, allows you to view photos, and of course, has great mapping capabilities. While some receivers are only meant to sit on your dashboard, this device is great to take on a hiking trip with you, as it has a battery life that is longer than others on the market (up to 8 hours). But most importantly, it is a great trip planner, helping you determine where you are on a map, and letting you easily navigate your way from Point A to Point B. Most people use these devices if they are interested in boating and fishing, or just taking advantage of the outdoors with the outdoors taking advantage of them. So if you are an outdoorsman, but get lost easily, then the Magellan Crossover might be the device for you.

Garmin

Garmin is probably known as one of the most popular companies on the market for selling Bluetooth GPS units and other systems meant for navigation, mapping, and tracking. They are known primarily for being highly reliable and accurate in the toughest of conditions. And they offer over 30 portable devices as well as tons of others that make it easy for a person in any price range to choose one that will work well for them.

Two Bluetooth GPS units offer by Garmin that hold reviewers’ attention pretty well are the StreetPilot c340 and StreetPilot 7500. Both are portable devices, but one is handheld and one is not. The c340 version is great for those who like to get outdoors but don’t want to carry a bulky, uncomfortable (and potentially unsafe) device around with them. It has great features for any outdoorsman, including a 3D view of the area you’re in, an easy to use touch screen to assist with navigation features, and a battery life that lasts for up to 8 hours. In addition, you can view pictures on this receiver, giving you a great way to have fun while outdoors. 

The 7500 on the other hand was created more so for the person who doesn’t plan to step out of the car except to enter another building. This device sits on the dashboard and has a large 7” screen, which is great for viewing at night, and for those with vision challenges. Like its smaller counterpart, it offers 3D maps and navigational options; and it also has an MP3 player to keep you company on your way to your location.

If you are interested in learning more about Bluetooth GPS units, you might want to consider visiting an electronic store in your area. Because while the Internet can provide great information to get you started, it is important that you view the systems in person to see which one suits your personal tastes. Once you find one you like, you can always get back on line to sift through Bluetooth GPS units until you locate the one you want to buy at a great Internet price. By taking this route, you can get the price you want with the guarantee that you will have device you want.

You may have read some of the advertisements or some basic research articles on GPS units and noticed that many of these also refer to laptop computers in their writings.  Then you may wonder how a GPS unit and a laptop could work together.  The fact is that there are many situations in which a laptop that has a built in GPS unit will come in handy.  Lets think about this for a moment.

What is the best feature about your laptop?  Did you instantly think of the fact that you can take it anywhere?  That is why most people enjoys owning a laptop.  They are not pinned down to one spot or one location.  This is also why a laptop that comes with a GPS unit comes in handy for people who wants a portable unit.

Lets take a look at one particular situation.  You own a laptop that has a built in map feature or one that you downloaded such as MICROSOFT STREETS AND TRIPS.  This is a software program that will show you certain maps.  Now you also have GPS installed onto this laptop.   You take your laptop with you on a trip.  You get lost and have no idea where you are.  You hate asking for directions and when you do get them you have trouble understanding them.  Then you remember that you have your laptop.  You pull over, turn it on, open the mapping program and allow the GPS system to go to work.  Soon you know exactly where you are and how to get back on track.  You feel better and your anxiety level goes back to normal.  Your laptop saved the day!

How does GPS systems work with the laptop you may wonder.  Here is a brief summary of how they work.

GPS stands for Global Position Systems.  It is a satellite navigational system.  It continually works all day long, every day of the year.  It transmits radio signals of the satellite or satellites in relation to the Earth and its position.  The GPS system works with receivers that are position on Earth (in these cases the receivers are actually within the laptop computers).  The receiver will work with 3 or possibly more of these satellites which are orbiting to help find the position of the user here on Earth.  This is how it can find your location when lost.  After finding the user’s position the receiver can go on to calculate such things as:  speed, trip time, distance to destination, altitude, sunset and sunrise time according to how the user sets the unit.  Some receivers can also calculate other factors when prompted.  Did you realize that on average there are always eight orbiting satellites that can help you to pinpoint more satellites.  Of course, the more satellites that are in sight when you need a reading the more accurate the reading is.  There are many uses for using a laptop GPS system and many advantages to using one.

Some uses are:

Finding directions
Figuring out how long a trip will take
Learning of the speed you should be driving (according to highway and interstate laws)
Learning of point of interest in a variety of locations
Finding your own location when lost
Learning of upcoming rest stops

Some advantages of using a laptop GLS system is:

Light in weight
Easy to move from place to place
Has other functions since it is a computer
Easy to use
Takes up little space when packing

The advantages and uses to having and using a laptop GPS computer may be enough for you to consider buying one or having the GPS unit installed in the one you all ready own.  Now you may wonder what system is the best. 

Many people love the Garmin brand.  They have a wide selection of systems you can choose.  They also come in many price ranges.  Yet, some people also will tell you that the brands of Megellan and Navman are just as good. 

Before deciding on which brand to buy think about such things as:  how much money you have to spend, what types of mapping capabilities you need, where you plan on driving the most and the ease of using each system.  These questions will help you in making an informative decision. 

If you are wondering about the prices of the systems, beware of the fact that these come in many price ranges varying from the inexpensive (around $14) to the very expensive ($1200) and many models and styles in between the two.

Should you spend more on additional software for your laptop GPS system?  Again, this will depend on what your needs are.  Sometimes making a list of these needs before going shopping may help keep you from spending more than you actually need to spend. 

Could a laptop GPS system help you in your life?  It certainly could help keep you from getting lost and help you the next time you have to find an address you don’t recognize.  Is this reason enough for you to buy one?  You decide.