subject: Portable Gps Navigation Systems To Fit Your Budget [print this page] Vehicle or car portable GPS navigation is an inexpensive upgrade to any vehicle. After market navigation units use the newest technology and mapping software to get you from one place to another without error. Also, with today's advancing technology, you can get portable GPS navigation for far less than the steep price tag that dealerships charge when including factory navigation.
Many of the portable GPS navigation devices can be used for much more than just getting directions. Expandability features permit for numerous upgrades together with DVD, Mp3, I-pod integration, and Bluetooth. The after market units are really well worth the investment. Portable GPS navigation units are presently one type of navigation available in the market. These sorts of GPS units are mainly made to be suctioned to your windshield and powered from your car's DC outlet. The most important feature of these units is their versatility. The device can be easily unplugged to be moved from one vehicle to another.
There are Garmin portable GPS systems available with built-in batteries to eliminate the need for an external power source. The popular and versatile Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS Navigator's rechargeable lithium-ion battery can last up to 8 hours. It is compact without sacrificing screen size unlike some of the other navigation systems that are available. Moreover, it is not just a navigation system. In addition to providing directions, it also serves as an Mp3 player and audio book player.
Another system for navigation is the in-dash. These units often have touch-screen capabilities. Touch screens make it possible to enter your destination with a finger. Often, you can replace your car radio, in order to gain control of the whole radio system.
With options like Bluetooth, iPod integration, satellite radio, and TV tuners, as well as systems that are designed to fit both standard, and large radios, you can build a system for any vehicle with all the options at a fraction of the cost of dealership installation.
If more points of interest are loaded into the unit the better the chances of you finding a destination with minimal information. Hard drive maps are actually loaded on your unit; updates are as easy as downloading new maps from your home system and loading them onto your hard drive via SD Card or DVD. Actually maps are loaded onto a DVD which must be inserted into the system. New updated DVDs must be bought as time goes by in order to stay current with the growth of your area.
Although they are not always as easy to operate as an in-dash GPS system, the new portable GPS units are small, affordable and include powerful functionality. They include such features as internal, rechargeable batteries and pre-loaded North America map databases. Higher end models can have real-time traffic reporting which is becoming available on lower price units, although those often require additional hardware upgrades.
While they were once expensive, portable navigation systems have become affordable for everyone. Money spent on these systems is more than worth it when you consider all of the utility and fun that you get for the price. Most importantly, however, you will never have to stop for directions again with one of these systems.