How to Turn Your Laptop Into a GPS
By Palmer Owyoung
GPS or Global Positioning System is a device that receives a signal from a network of orbiting satellites to pinpoint your geographical position, accurate to within a few meters. With the right tools
you can transform your laptop into a GPS device. This way you can use it to navigate and insure that you never get lost.
Buy a GPS device and software that connects to your laptop. These GPS receivers connect to your machine via a USB port and work with the software to give you your location on the map. Thus as you move in the real world the dot that represents you on the map will also move. A few programs that you can choose from include EarthMate, Garmin Mobile, and Microsoft Maps. As of 2010 these programs cost between $50 to $80.
Buy Earthmate GPS Street Atlas. This is a laptop-compatible GPS receiver unit with a Street Atlas of the United States and mapping software. The GPS receiver plugs into the laptop via a USB port. There are verbal navigation cues and a 3D rendering of your route.
Purchase Garmin Mobile Laptop GPS. This GPS receiver can connect to your laptop via wireless Bluetooth or USB technology. The package comes with the Garmin nRoute navigation software. This program has address lookup and turn-by-turn voice directions. You can also create points of interest and create routes and particular points of interest.
Buy Microsoft Streets & Trips GPS. The GPS receiver plugs into your laptop's GPS port. The software has a few unique features like automatic re-routing, a perspective map that gives you an overview of your route, day and night backlight modes, and turn-by-turn voice directions.
Writer Bio
Palmer Owyoung holds a Master of Arts in international business from the University of California at San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a trained molecular biologist. He has been a freelance writer since 2006. In addition to writing, he is a full-time Forex trader and Internet marketer.