What is a GPS laptop?
Open your laptop, and there you are, and there is where you’re going. A laptop with a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver is a handy way to accurate get from where you are to where you want to be. GPS is actually not built into laptops, so a “GPS Laptop” does not exist. What turns an ordinary laptop into a computer with GPS is the addition of an accessory GPS receiver and GPS-based mapping software.
A number of manufacturers make plug and play GPS receivers for laptops. These can plug into USB 2 slots or PCMCIA slots. The peripherals’ costs are a reflection of accuracy, but a basic receiver can be added to the laptop for under $100.
The GPS receiver by itself does not provide any information to the laptop. To create and follow routes, a mapping software package must be added. There are two considerations when selecting the mapping package. One is the major use of the GPS tracking, the other is the manufacturer of the GPS receiver.
For those using the GPS to travel off-road, to dispersed campsites, or for hunting and fishing, a topographic (topo) map-based software program is a necessity. Most of these programs can be used for regular road travel, but the topo maps also identify terrain, natural features, and “unmarked” or unnamed government roads. The major publishers are National Geographic and DeLorme.
Mapping regular travel between or within towns, such as a delivery service, less-expensive a road mapping software is sufficient. Publishers identify public and private roads used by regular passenger and commercial vehicles. Some natural features are identified on these maps, but these are primarily address and intersection-based maps. Random House, MicroSoft, and DeLorme are among the major publishers of road mapping software.
Some software is hardware-specific. DeLorme, for example, make matched hardware a software, and its software will not work on a unit by Garmin.
A GPS laptop is a portable computer configured with a global positioning system (GPS) device and mapping software, allowing the user to track his or her position anywhere on the earth. While some laptop computers, or notebooks, are now available with built-in GPS devices, the most common way to configure a laptop to use GPS technology is by purchasing an external device. This external device usually connects to the computer through a USB port or by taking advantage of Bluetooth® wireless technology. GPS laptops are most commonly used by boaters and motorists, particularly RV drivers or others who frequently make long trips. There are a number of advantages to using a GPS laptop rather than a stand-alone GPS system. One is screen size. Since a laptop display, generally between 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) and 17 inches (43.2 centimeters), provides a level of clarity and detail not available on stand-alone GPS displays which are typically between 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) and 5 inches (
