How to Buy Map Software For Your Hand-held GPS Device

Introduction

Navigation is not just about buying map software and installing it in a GPS device. My focus will be on GPS navigation on a hand held or a smart phone. Take these steps into consideration while shopping for your GPS map software.

By: BASHARAT SHAH, MD

Length: 2:13

Comments: 0

View more articles by this author

Flag | RSS

(3)

Add to Favorites

URL:
Embed:

Instructions

Text Size: – +

Print Article

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

To get the best price go to Froogle (product search of Google) and search for 'Tomtom Navigator 6'. Arrange the search results by lowest price.
A known seller at eBay with good customer feedback would be your best bet to buy this product safely and at a reasonable price.
Do not buy this software from an unknown website.

Step1

The software should be easy to install. If you spend more than a $100 on your software it better start working right away.

Step2

Periodic free updates should be part of your package. Old maps are worth discarding especially in cities that are rapidly expanding. After spending big bucks we all expect our maps to be up-to-date.

Step3

Maps should be reload-able and have a backup feature. You should be able to reload your maps again and again on a device memory, internal or external. For these reasons, always buy maps that come on a DVD. Avoid the ones that are permanently locked on a memory card. If you lose the card or it gets damaged you lose your maps forever. Most of this software can neither be copied onto another card nor be installed to the internal memory of your device.

Step4

Maps should be easy to use. Once loaded the GPS should guide you easily.

Step5

After researching almost every corner of cyber space I finally found one product that closely matched the critera I set: Tom Tom Navigator-6. It comes on a DVD with a 7GB of data on it. You can install maps of US and Canada, or if memory is an issue and you are not a coast to coast traveler you may only install the maps of your state or group of states. It works on AT&T tilt as perfectly as it works on a tomtom car navigation device. It has all the bells and whistles of a perfect navigation system. It automatically sets the new tracks for you if you miss the exit and it does it in a fraction of a second so that you do not miss the next best route.