With the explosion in buyer Gps over the last few years, there have only been a few brands that have maintained their leadership in this very competitive marketplace - these are Garmin and TomTom. The fact that they are so competitive is good for you and I because it means that we see new and best features and necessary enhancements on a quarterly basis - in fact, you should not be too surprised to see the latest generation of transported Gps units feature WiFi or 3g preserve with direct updates to services like Twitter and having the Gps Tweet your every mile.
There are some types of Gps units available on the market: vehicle Gps units - generally very portable, handheld Gps receivers, wearable Gps receivers (like wearing a watch), maritime Gps, Gps designed for golfers, and wearable Gps designed for sports enthusiasts like cyclers and runners.
While a unit meant for a vehicle may work for a cycler, that is not what it is intended for and the results may not be what you expect - so no, you cannot use a Gps for one purpose for something else, they just do not work that way - unless they have been designed with that in mind.
Vehicle Gps Units
Most units are very portable, and the newer models are thin and light sufficient to be carried in your shirt pocket. Some of the newer units are multi-purpose, meaning you can use it in your car or walk colse to the town with it to help you find places. vehicle Gps units can range in price from .00 for refurbished units to over 0.00 for a multi-purpose unit that has all the latest features such as voice control pilotage and cameras.
Handheld Gps Receivers
These are built a limited more rugged that what you would use in your car and are used by hikers and cyclists. For example the Garmin Gps 60Csx Handheld Gps Navigator is actually meant for hikers and population that spend a lot of time in the outdoors (the rugged outdoors). Many of these units are also waterproof, and with a high-sensitivity Gps receiver by SiRf you can track your position even in tree cover and canyons. Handheld Gps receivers are not meant to be used in vehicles.
Wearable Gps Receivers
These are ideally distinguished for runners, and cyclists as many contain heart rate monitors as well. The Garmin Forerunner 305 Gps Receiver comes with a Heart Rate Monitor. In expanding to cycling, and running this type of receiver is ideal for cross-country skiers, and windsurfers. There are many developed features in this singular Gps receiver such as the ability to download workout data for detailed analysis.
Marine Gps Units
There are two types of maritime Gps units - one that is used to find fish, so ideal for the fisherman and the other is for chart plotting - so you don't get lost on the open seas. These units will only appeal to a definite niche and most maritime Gps units are worth some hundred to thousand dollars due to the type of functionality needed. For example the standard Horizon Cp180I Chartplotter sells for colse to 0.00 and is extremely rated among sailors.
Golf Gps Units
You would think that a golfer knows where they are, and would not need a Gps. Golf Gps units are designed to help enhance a golfers policy supervision skills. Most will provide the golfer with aerial or satellite photographs of their beloved golf courses, the built-in Gps will search golf policy hazards and flagsticks and most will be able to join together to a central server to gather golf policy downloads. Like maritime Gps units, golf Gps units are a specialized niche so these will be a limited more expensive. A beloved unit, the Garmin coming G5 Gps-Enabled Golf Handheld sells for colse to 0.00 and is rated extremely by golfers.
While it may seem a waste having many Gps units for dissimilar purposes, it's no dissimilar than having the right tool for the job. When conception of in this manner, it makes exquisite sense to have the right Gps distinguished for the right purpose.
What Are the distinct Types of Gps Units Available?