Global positioning products are now popular amongst commuters who want to navigate safely through the most confusing areas. Although, if you explore the history of global positioning devices, you quickly learn that GPS devices were initially used by campers and other people wandering the great outdoors who want to lower their chances of being off the trail and disoriented. Once designers started advancing the technology in the most recent GPS devices for road warriors, the same technologies were incorporated into the handheld GPS models also. These updated handheld GPS devices have been styled very much like mobile phones because of their silhouette and LCD screen. For your car, an excellent unit is the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.

Most of the GPS devices made for vehicles may even be useful for pedestrians providing they are comfortable with the interface. Most of the products designed by TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan are unobtrusive enough to hold with one hand or keep inside your pocket. Although if you plan on working with the GPS unit while climbing or using merely one hand, a dedicated solution may be useful. Below you will find a few products to think about.

Magellan Triton Series

The Magellan Triton series is a useful series to think about seeing as each of the models from the least to most expensive all appear identical. The basic models use a respectable 2.2' QVGA color display while several of the more advanced models have a slightly larger screen of 2.7'. Each of the Magellan units have a hardy casing and are waterproof, so you can confidently carry them around when crossing rivers or during downpours.

A few of the Triton series devices have an AdventurePack label affixed to them which means that they are loaded with some particular software called the TOPO! Explorer. Determined explorers will want to sincerely think about purchasing these packages. The nice thing about this lineup is that they probably have a Triton GPS unit that won't blow your budget with such a range of devices to choose from. For your auto, a great option is the Tom Tom GO 740 GPS.

Garmin Series

Garmin manufactures quite a few handheld products and each individual series is made for various forms of navigation. Considering one case in point, the GPSMAP 7X series models are all maritime-friendly and intended for sailing on the open seas, but the GPSMAP 6X series models benefit from a more rugged casing for heavy duty treatment, but are still relatively inexpensive and offer a comprehensive set of functions like microSD support and competent navigation.

The eTrex series are handheld GPS devices a customer want to look for when budget is a primary issue. They are easy to carry with quite a few of them having a screen large enough to refer to with ease.

In the event that you are an accomplished traveler in the market for something really resilient and prepped with powerful functions, the Colorado or Oregon series may live up to your expectations. Both series have a comprehensive touch-screen display, a function not provided in other Garmin series, and they also come with different maps specific to the individual model you get. For a great gps unit in your car, consider the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.

Remember that any handheld GPS devices aren't meant to be used while driving unless your passenger is using it. If you don't need all of the specialized functions and could use one device that is able to work on either the highway or the trail, it will likely be better to buy a less specialized product that you can carry in a car or by hand.

Joseph Aaron is involved with an online project that helps his readers make educated purchase decisions on GPS Navigation Systems. Amongst the highest rated GPS units recommended on his website is the Tom Tom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.