Tech Expert Segment for 21 March 2008
Heading off for that Spring Break road trip? Before you go, pick up a new GPS navigation system for your car. In addition to providing turn-by-turn directions to get you to your destination -- newer models have traffic details and even gas prices.
The first decision in buying a GPS is what type you're looking for -- but chances you'll fall into the portable navigation category. These sleek units are about the size of a portable music player and have a full-color screen that sits on your dash. The obvious benefit is being able to take it from car car, great for multi-car families or getting around in a rental in a strange city.
Two popular makers in the GPS navigation space are Garmin and TomTom. Both have regularly updated maps (highlighting changes in streets, new routes, and street names) and a variety of models to suit any price range. They start at just a couple hundred bucks for a basic portable and can cost thousands for custom built-in upgrades.
Regardless of which system you buy, you'll want to keep it updated. Usually once a year or so the map makers publish updates. Newer models will update when you connect to a computer, some older models require expensive extra memory cards to load the new maps.
So go ahead, take that road trip... just grab a GPS navigation gadget on your way out of town. You'll never get lost again.
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