GPS Tops Consumer Shopping Lists

Maybe they're tired of fighting about which way to turn, or maybe they're feeling a bit fragile and lost, but this holiday, GPS is topping many shoppers' lists. Amazon Electronics, the bellwether of who's buying what, just sent me a list of its top 25 most-purchased items last week. The Garmin Nuvi, in various models, appeared four times on the list. (Other repeated top sellers included Canon and Apple.)

Why the run on GPS now? The technology is finally mature enough that it really can get you where you need to be and keep you safe while driving at the same time. The price is reasonable enough. In addition, it's become a one-stop dashboard topper that can tell you where you are or where you want to be (as in the nearest gas station), let you talk wirelessly to others, or entertain you with photos, music, and more. And the new bells and whistles just keep getting better.

One of the reasons Garmin is so popular is that there's a perfect unit for everyone. (Or, looking at it another way, you may find the 35 different models of Garmins available just for automobiles a bit mind-boggling.) According to numerous shopping reports, Garmin's entry-level Street Pilot 550c was a huge seller on Black Friday.

If it's small you need, the Garmin Nuvi 350 (shown above) is one of the most compact global positioning systems ever. It weighs just over five ounces and is not much bigger than a pack of index cards, but its screen is bright and easy to navigate. It has a built-in music player and displays photos as an added extra. Many of the bells and whistles—like the free traffic alerts, travel guides, and downloadable audiobooks—require additional purchases.

The heftier big brother is the new Garmin Nuvi 700 series. Some of these models offer special tools for world travelers, such as maps of Europe. They include Bluetooth so that you can talk on your wireless phone through the GPS. The screen is bright and the maps beautifully rendered. Extras such as an FM antenna let you play music, hear turn-by-turn voice directions, and even download and play new audiobooks through your car stereo. One of the best reviews is at GPSReview.net.

David Pogue reviewed the Magellan Maestro 4040 and others in a recent New York Times roundup. He enjoyed both the low price and new features, such as being able to say, "Magellan, nearest ATM," and have the results appear. Magellan also carries the AAA database of restaurants, lodging, and travel blurbs. He gives the thumbs-up to the new traffic and accident alerts, but says the maps are not as pretty as some of the others.

One of the newbies on the market is part of our Last Gadget Standing competition at CES this year: the Dash Navigation System. Think of it as a GPS meets social network. Your GPS and others can share traffic information in real time as you're driving. Recently Dash announced its Express Model. It's opened up its application to developers, which means you could be doing anything from shopping for real estate to finding the best bar in town on your GPS.

Trying to figure out how much memory your device should have for maps or whether you need an antenna to pick up a stronger signal from the satellite beaming location information to you? There's a nice list of features on GPSInfo.