This technology can tell you where you are, how far you are from your destination and, combined with specialty software, even where the next rest stop is.

GPS Hardware

There are several types of GPS systems that you can chose from. I prefer Garmin, although there are several just as worthy, including Magellan and NAVMAN. You'll have to decide how much you want to spend and go from there.

If you want an inexpensive unit, consider the NAVMAN e Series GPS receiver for $139.00. It includes a receiver with mobile GPS direction and mapping capabilities that connects by a USB port to your laptop. It also comes with Rand McNally's StreetFinder software, which contains detailed street maps for the contiguous United States and Hawaii, plus over a million points of interest and business locales.

Magellan offers a good mid-range model called Meridian Color, which in my opinion is the ultimate handheld GPS receiver. It costs about $550 and offers 3-meter accuracy and an extensive, 16 MB built-in mapping database. It also stores up to 20 routes, 500 waypoints, and 2,000 track points to make finding your way back as easy as finding your way there. There are additional perks too: data about sunrises, sunsets, phases of the moon, and even a fish and game calculator to tell you if the fish are biting. It's a great GPS tool for the money.

A good high-end GPS is the Garmin StreetPilot III. It costs about $1,200 and offers voice-prompted directions, estimated time of arrival, distance from destination, and the nearest gas stations, exits, restaurants, ATMs, hospitals, and rest areas. It is a full-color model like the Magellan and comes with specialized software that allows you to download maps from your PC and then use the portable system from the dash of your car.

Additional Travel Software

You can use the software included with the GPS and/or purchase additional software for your laptop that will enable you to locate specific destinations such as hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, and shopping malls. For RV and truck drivers, personalized software can be purchased that includes up-to-date information about construction zones, restaurants and shopping centers with large parking areas, and highway exits that have large off and on ramps. Most software allows you to download updates from the Internet for free too, providing you with the most up-to-date information.

  Microsoft Streets and Trips is great because of its 16.7 million miles of mapped roads. Figure 2 shows what the software looks like when first opened. Using this software, you can plan the trip, decide on a trip route, add rest stops, and locate places of interest. This software includes over a million points of interest, search-by-address capabilities, customizable maps, and GPS system support among other things.

Rand McNally Street Finder and Trip Maker Deluxe Suite is also a good option for mapping software and is reasonably priced. Before purchasing anything though, visit GPS Information.Net to read reviews on all kinds of hardware and software; this site is a great place to look for information.

There are several freeware and shareware programs available on the Internet including GPS Utility, EasyGPS, and GPS Positioner Smart. Each of these work with various GPS receivers and can be used for mapping routes, sorting waypoints, and filtering GPS data on your PC or laptop. Although I haven't tried them myself, they seem to be quite popular.

Visit GameFreaks.net and scroll down to the GPS section for a list of almost 100 links to great GPS sites, including hardware, software, and GPS communities.

Travel with Windows XP

If you are thinking about getting a GPS, make sure you have a laptop with Windows XP installed. Check Mobile Computing with Windows XP for a complete discussion of the benefits of using Windows XP while on the road. Windows XP makes a great traveling companion for many reasons, including the following:

•	Windows XP offers advanced power management options.
•	Windows XP offers support for mobile devices.
•	Windows XP offers a warning alarm when the battery gets low or is in critical condition.
•	Windows XP includes the Offline Files feature that lets you store files on your laptop and access them while on the road. On your return, you synchronize these files with your network.
•	Windows XP includes built-in wireless support, making it easy to connect to public Internet services while traveling.