These days it seems everywhere we go our laptop computer cannot be far behind. Companies are now realizing that and designing Garmin GPS units that can attach to them. One such Garmin has released the GPS 18 and today we are going to take a closer look at it and see how well it stacks up and what kind of performance we can expect from it. Read further to see if it is a good fit for your personal use as well.

The GPS 18 from Garmin is a product for the laptop computer with auto-routing and voice directions. It has a small hockey puck type receiver with a cable that must be attached to the computer. Software that is used for this unit is nRoute, which is operated by Garmin and included in your purchase as well. The unit comes in two forms the GPS sensor and the USB connection, which transfers data and will power the unit also. The other version has a serial connection and is powered through a 12V connection through your cigarette lighter. The USB is much easier to use and less complicated and is what most people decide to go with because ease of use.

The unit is small not much wider than a Coke can so it will not take up a lot of room, which is something I really do like. It has 12 channels and is WAAS enabled which means acquire times should be very reasonable. The one way to get data from the GPS 18 unit is through your laptop computer so you should be aware of that fact. It will attach to your windshield or a possible magnetic mount to your car hood is also a possibility. Either option the unit seems to work well in both applications when I tested it.

PC vs. USB is something that you will need to decide and I will tell you the USB type is much easier to deal with so I would advise to go that route. Hookup is quicker and much easier and you can get going and getting the information that you need. Here are some things that you should know about the GPS 18. First, you cannot save waypoints on the unit itself, but the nRoute software will let you do that so that should not be a problem. The GPS is really not suitable for hiking for one main reason I do not know too many people who like taking a laptop on long hikes. There just is too much of a risk to a laptop so hiking is really not an option with this model. It is design more for auto use than anywhere else. The GPS 18 is perfect for the person who travels a lot and takes a laptop computer with them in their everyday work.

Overview of the GPS 18 we learn a few things and that is the unit does not work without a laptop and that is where you will get the information that you need. This unit is a low cost alternative to people who want a car navigator similar to the StreetPilot series that is very popular from Garmin. It has many of the features of that popular series and some extras that do not come with those. One of the biggest advantages of using the laptop over other things is the bigger screen and much more detail. You will be able to see over a wider area that you could with 3.5 or 4.5 screens on the StreetPilot series. The other thing is you have much more memory so downloading maps will be quicker and you can access more than you would with those portable GPS systems. The GPS 18 hooked to a laptop just gives you more option than you really can imagine.

The GPS 18 has many advantages and the low cost is probably one of the best selling points of this unit. If you want to give GPS technology a try, but do not want to spend a lot of money than this is an option that you should really look at closely. You can test drive it and see if this is what you really want. After you get familiar with how it works than you can always get a portable StreetPilot series if that is what you want. For now, though the GPS 18 is a good option to use with your laptop until you decide which direction that you will want to go.