Where Am I? - Gps Receivers Reviews Explained

Everyone likes to keep abreast of new developments in technology. There's nothing more interesting than leafing through the latest mobile phone or digital camera catalogues, especially if you're thinking of buying, and seeing what's new since the last time you purchased something. So it was with added excitement that I recently found myself reading the latest GPS receivers reviews in several magazines as I had never bought one before and new next to nothing about them.

GPS is one of those gadget and gizmos that I've never felt the need to have. Unlike mobile phones, MP3 players and digital cameras which I've had several of each, I've never owned a GPS so reading the latest GPS receivers reviews was something of a revelation. After reading them I realized how much I'd been missing out.

The reason I decided to buy one is because a new job I have involves a lot of driving, on my own, to different locations around the country. Rather than rely on road signs or stopping ever few miles to consult a map or list of directions I though I'd look into the possibility of a GPS, half expecting to dismiss the idea outright but ending up incredibly surprised after reading a magazine, cover to cover, that contained details of all the latest GPS receivers reviews.

How much should I pay? - The market in GPS devices, particularly Sat Navs which is what I was after, is huge and varies immensely. I read GPS receiver reviews for items that were one hundred pounds and I read reviews for similar items that were as much as six hundred pounds. Sometimes the difference was obvious but not always. The best advice is to set a budget and see what you can get for that. If you try and get as many different features you may as well just say you're going to buy the most expensive at the top end of the range.

If you are going to use it regularly, daily or several times a week, you might feel justified in spending a bit more, but if it's something you'll only use at weekends or even less than maybe spending several hundred pounds is not money well spent.

Is it transferable between vehicles - You need to also make it clear what you are going to use it for as the fittings differ from model to model. If I hadn't read a comprehensive and very useful GPS receivers review beforehand I might have purchased one that I couldn't use on more than one car because the fitting, once attached, wasn't easy to remove in a hurry. You should also take into account where in the vehicle it will be. Some dashboards will not accept suction cups as a fitting and you'll have to look for something which screws into the dashboard.

Updates - All GPS sat nav devices accept updates of some description but the regularity and cost are something you need to consider. Some makes update on a minute to minute basis others do not update until you programme them to by installing new software. Some updates will also cost you as well. If you are on a budget these are best to avoid.

Linked to the updating of the device is the coverage that is included. All models will include UK maps but some will also have the capability of having European and US maps as well. If you check the latest GPS receiver reviews they should tell you how expandable each model is. If you do plan on driving abroad at some point then obviously you'll want to be able to display maps from abroad.

A soothing voice - Finally, and this is the fun part, some GPS devices allow you to download different celebrity voices to communicate the directions you have asked for. It's a fun way of personalizing the device and you can have different voices for different journeys.