GPS devices
see also: information technology index
GPS online resources:
GPS mapping software:
- generally supplied with a GPS device with option to purchase extra map
regions (eg. Europe for $300)
- most street-style software allows:
- display of streets, trains, major geographic features such as rivers,
lakes
- setting of a destination either by:
- entering an address
- searching database for town or a point of interest
- searching for points of interest near a given location (Garmin but
not Navman, Garmin even gives you the phone number of the point of
interest such as a restaurant)
- visual location on a map
- setting a route to the selected destination, either by fastest or
shortest, with option to avoid certain routes. Once traveling, pop
up windows & voice instructions direct you to the destination &
create re-routing if instructions are not followed.
- display of current speed & estimated time to destination
- some have sunrise, sunset, moonrise & moonset data
- personally, I think the touch-screen style Garmin devices with their
better software are much more functional than Navman devices
GPS receivers:
- versatile devices which receive GPS signals from satellites and determine
current GPS location and transmit it to other devices (eg. a PDA, laptop,
mobile phone or GPS-enabled camera) either by:
- Bluetooth wireless (BTGPS):
- Garmin GPS 10 Bluetooth - waterproof; 12hr rechargeable batteries;
- Emtac Trine
& Crux II models - can package with Travroute mapping
software
- Compact Flash card slot:
- Pharos
- Transplant
- TravRoute CoPilot
- SDIO card slot:
- require the device to have mapping software loaded
GPS PDA's:
- GPS embedded into a PDA, but tend to have less GPS capabilities such as no
back-tracking & no transmission of GPS data for other devices.
- Pocket PC PDA's:
- Palm OS PDA's:
Personal GPS:
- portable, battery-operated, standalone devices
In-car GPS navigation devices:
- powered only by 12V power plug.
- Garmin
- Navman
Nautical GPS devices:
- devices with coastal, open water maps
