Portable GPS Systems
Portable GPS devices place the world at your finger tips. If you travel to new and unfamiliar locations a lot having a portable GPS device can be a life saver. Unlike simple handheld GPS devices, portable GPS devices are full featured GPS units with full GPS navigation capabilities.
Considerations For Purchaseing A Portable GPS System
Unlike their permenantly mounted GPS unit cousins they are designed to be, well, portable and so may not be as user friendly. Some primary considerations when deciding to purchase a portable GPS System are screen size, memory capacity, and how user friendly the menu is, and cost.
Screen size for portable GPS systems can range as small as 2 inches to as large as 7 inches. The larger the screen the less it is truly portable. The screen size is usually dependent on the intended use of the portable GPS system. Some handheld GPS systems are true portable GPS systems that have a full menu of specifications. But, because they are designed as handheld devices they have smaller screens. So, when you decide on the screen size of the Portable GPS system keep in mind what you intend to use it for.
Memory capavity is also a consideration when choosing a potable GPS system. The Memory capacity of a portable GPS system is closely tied to its cost. generally, speaking the more expensive the unit the more memory capacity it will have. Keep in mind, the less memory natively available on the portable GPS system means fewer maps and programming that can be kept on the GPS unit itself. If you do a lot of traveling or use the GPS unit for several different functions you may need to carry small memory cards known as SIM cards for extra capacity. SIM cards can be expensive and will run slower than the memory already on the Portable GPS device.
Having a user friendly menu is a very important factor in choosing a portable GPS device. If the menu is hard to read or you have to fumble back and forth between screens then the lower cost may not be worth the savings.
The final consideration is cost. Portable GPS units can range in cost from several hundred dollare to about two thousand dollars. There is always a balancing act between the cost of a portable GPS unit and the features it has. Just because a portable GPS unit is less expensive does not mean that it is not as good as the more expensive unit and vice versa. If you are on a budget you will have to decide what features are more important.