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GPS: Use it (or get lost)

Posted on 30 Jun 2004 at 14:26

James Morris and David Fearon navigate you through the world of the global positioning system and show how best to use your PDA as a map reader

Getting lost is one of the most frustrating experiences you can have. This is particularly true if you happen to be driving your car down a motorway or through a big city during a busy time of the day. Finding somewhere safe to stop could in itself be a major headache. And even when you've pulled over and hauled out the map, working out exactly where you are might not be child's play. Maps are all very well, but if you don't know what your current position is, they're not going to be much use.

Luckily, a humble PDA can come to the rescue. By adding a device that receives signals from the GPS (global positioning system) satellite location network and some PDA mapping software, you need never belost again.

In this feature, we'll be surveying what you need to turn your PDA into a navigational aid, explaining how to set it all up, and guiding you through an example road journey. We also explain how to use a GPS off-road for hiking and rambling.

In-car navigation
GPS is still a pretty young technology (see The history and future of satellite navigation). It started to get useful for in-car use when handheld receivers became available that could tell you your position in terms of a standard Ordnance Survey grid reference. However, you still needed a human navigator next to you in order to use it when driving. Real progress occurred when products appeared that could send the co-ordinate information directly to a computer.

Unless you're onboard a ship or have a passenger sitting in the car next to you, however, a notebook isn't really practical - you're unlikely to be able to balance it on your car dashboard. But a PDA is a different story. A built-in car satellite navigation option, if your car model even has one available, will usually set you back more than £1,000, and often twice that. But even if you don't own a PDA yet, the handheld approach is likely to cost less than £500. So it's easy to see why GPS add-ons have been driving PDA sales of late. In fact, analyst IDC has pinpointed the GPS bundle as a major factor shoring up the general decline in PDA sales in Europe compared to the US. Analysts have calculated that 65 per cent of GPS sales are as part of a PDA bundle, and 58 per cent of all PDA peripherals sold are GPS add-ons.

A PDA is the perfect GPS partner, especially now handheld processor speeds are anywhere from 200MHz to 400MHz, with megabytes of memory in tow. The variety of GPS options available is already extensive. Up until recently, you'd need to get a device specifically designed for your PDA model. The first successful designs were aimed at the Compaq iPAQ's innovative jacket connector, such as the original iPAQ Navigation System or Navman's GPS 500. While model-specific units are still widely available, a number of manufacturers have also released Bluetooth-based GPS systems over the past year, and these can work with any Bluetooth-enabled PDA, software permitting.

We've summarised a selection of the most popular PDA GPS add-ons to help you make a buying decision. It's far from a complete list, however, as there are literally hundreds of different models available, especially when you consider all the various bundle deals.

If you already own a PDA, you'll be limited to the GPS add-ons that are compatible with it. Both Pocket PCs and Palm OS PDAs are well catered for, but not every model is compatible, so always make sure yours is before getting out the credit card. As maps can require 20-40MB of space just for a small region like the South East of England, your PDA needs to be able to support removable memory.