Is it Time to Buy a GPS Device?

!±8± Is it Time to Buy a GPS Device?

GPS stands for "Global Positioning System" which utilizes at least three satellites at any given time to help guide you to a destination. In case you've been in a dense fog over the past decade, these devices have gotten smaller and cheaper and very portable. So, why do you need one in the first place? Let's ask a few questions to help you decide:

Do you ever travel to places and rent a car? Do you ever need directions to a new restaurant or business meeting? Do you have a new driver, like a teen, in the house? Do you ever get lost while driving? Do you ever need an alternate route because of construction, traffic, etc. Do you ever need to know how to find the nearest bank, gas station, etc.? Do you like really cool gadgets that are wireless? Me too!

Well, the newer GPS can help you with all those items and more. I researched the net before buying mine and have no stock or investment in the one I'm going to describe. You should chose your own to buy, but let me explain more about my choice. It's called the Garmin Nuvi 360. The following is part of the online review by CNET.

"At 3.8 by 2.0 by 0.8 inches and 5.1 ounces, the Garmin Nüvi 360 is approximately the size of a deck of cards and is truly travel-friendly. But more amazing than its portability is how much Garmin crams into this handheld device. First, as we mentioned earlier, the Nüvi 360 comes with integrated Bluetooth, letting it act as a hands-free unit when paired with a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. Also new is Garmin Lock, an antitheft feature that disables the device until the user enters a four-digit PIN. Other goodies include preloaded maps of North America, a 3.5-inch touch screen, and an SD expansion slot. Its navigation features include voice-guided directions, a points-of-interest database, automatic routing, text-to-speech functionality, and an optional traffic receiver. Of course, the beauty of the Nüvi line is that the devices double as travel guides."

That's pretty cool, right? The guides will show you POI or Points of Interest like local museums, restaurants, hotels, and gas stations. It uses a touch screen and talks you to your destination with your choice of voices and accents. It has a really clear screen and you can place it on your lap or use an adapter to stick it to your windshield. It's small enough to pack for any trip. The only downside is it does need to be charged if you don't use the car power cord and it costs between 0 and 0. But you don't have to subscribe to any additional services or websites and you can download the latest maps as they become available.

As I stated before, I don't own stock in Garmin so I have no vested interest, other than I like this particular model. Other highly rated GPS devices are made by TomTom, Megellan, Lowrance, Navman. Alpine and Cobra. I obviously prefer the handheld because of easy transportability and the fact they contain their own internal antenna. You can do an Internet search on your own and visit your local electronics store like Best Buy to see for yourself. But I will bet that this will become one of your "must-have" tech toys and you will enjoy traveling even more.