Which Manufacturer?
Chances are, you have already heard the name 'Garmin' when talking GPS anywhere in South Africa. This is due to the fact that Garmin have by far the largest chunk of the GPS market share in this country. When we started this business in 2002, we did extensive research into the recreational GPS market from a GPS dealer's point of view. We weighed up factors such as the backup and support from the distributors, the quality of the GPS systems themselves and the availability of map software.
Garmin have a rock-solid reputation for their customer service and support as well as being light years ahead of the competition with regards the map software technology and even with GPS systems themselves.
A bit of research into the 'Civilized' world (Europe or the USA) however, would really blow your mind. The choices available to our overseas brethren are astounding. Understandably, with so much competition over there, Garmin have a much smaller market share and manufacturers like TomTom, Navman, Magellan and DeLorme are well represented.
It is important to remember that while it is relatively easy to buy and import one of these 'other' GPS units from elsewhere in the world, none of them produce maps of South Africa for their systems. Since most of their systems utilize, like Garmin and Magellan do, proprietary data formats; no other map products will work on these units. To be clear - THERE ARE NO SOUTH AFRICAN MAPS AVAILABLE FOR TOMTOM, NAVMAN OR DELORME GPS SYSTEMS!!!
Local vs. Import - Why you should choose an Authorized Dealer:
I have lost count of the number of 'resourceful' buyers who, upon seeing the relatively cheap prices of the Garmin GPS's on US websites, have purchased a GPS unit and had it shipped from the states only to find out that A) the unit/accessories were different to those advertised in South Africa, B) the map software packaged with the unit only covers the USA and they then still have to purchase SA maps locally, thus bringing the price up to what they would have paid in SA anyway, C) the power plugs, cables are all different and D) they are not getting any joy from any of the local dealers (or even the South African distributors themselves) that they have contacted so far....
I can assure you that we, as authorised dealers, are not out to rip anyone off (it simply doesn't make good business sense) but we cannot afford to spend time and money (service) on a customer who chooses not to support the South African GPS industry with their business.
If you plan on buying from overseas anyway, then there are a few things to take note of:
Firstly, when comparing the prices of a GPS package in South Africa to those advertised on a US website, make sure that you are indeed comparing 'APPLES to APPLES':
Some Garmin GPS units have different specs depending on where in the world they are sold (the US version Garmin Quest I sold in the USA, for example, only has 115Mb of built-in memory while the Atlantic version which we get here in SA has 243Mb of memory).
The US versions have USA map software packaged with the units - SA map software will set you back at least another R 1,900. SA GPS units have the SA software (and in some cases European maps as well) included in the package already.
The USA generally use 110v AC power plugs and cables (and this is what will be packaged with the unit) while we use 220v in SA.
Secondly, remember that the legendary 1yr free warranty on all Garmin GPS units is held by the dealer that you purchase the unit from. If something does go wrong with the unit, which granted is rare, or you manage to damage the unit in some way, you will have to send the unit back to wherever you bought it from to get it repaired. The Garmin distributors in South Africa will (with the blessing of Garmin International) not even look at a 'Grey' imported unit, never mind repair it. They won't even consider a 'Paid' repair.
What are my requirements?
We would suggest sitting down and going over the list of questions below, then taking a look at our Comparison Charts on our website before making a decision. If you are still stuck, please feel free to give us a call... It's what we do!!!
First look at where you will use the GPS - Will it be in a City or do you plan on using it outdoors?
How will you use it - Will it be mainly vehicle based or will it be handheld?
Do you have specific needs - Area calculations, electronic compass, accurate altitude readings (relative), lookup addresses of clients or even obtain accurate speed-readings?
Do you have need for a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) with address book, diary, word documents, excel spreadsheets, photo's, music and other handheld computer features?
Are you looking for a specific functionality like a training manager for athletes, marathon runners, cyclists or canoeists?
Will you need to use it in an environment where you will need an external antenna?
Do you need to connect the GPS to a PC, Notebook or Laptop to upload and download waypoints, tracks or routes?
Would you prefer a colour screen that is easier to see in direct sunlight or will a grayscale screen be sufficient?
Do you need specific mounts or other accessories (bicycle mounts, marine mounts, cigarette lighter adaptors etc)?
Do you require additional map software (African Road Atlas, SA Topo & Recreation etc)?
What sort of memory would you require for all the maps you would intend using?
What is your budget (including accessories and additional map software)?
Comparing the different GPS models:
Since most Garmin GPS units were designed for a fairly specific purpose in mind it should easy to compare 'like with like' for those particular applications. For instance when looking for a handheld GPS for hiking, one would only need to compare those units that are small, rugged units with basic functions, a good battery life and enough memory capacity for a small number of local maps. This narrows down the number to choose from rather nicely.
It is only when you start comparing units for use over a number of different applications that it all starts looking rather complicated...
"I want a small waterproof handheld GPS with a reasonable sized colour screen, excellent battery life, with a huge memory capacity for loading multiple large maps to be used for hiking, biking, boating (it must float), fishing and micro-lighting over weekends. It must also have search & lookup features, autorouting features with voice prompts for finding addresses and routing me to my meetings during the week. I want to load marine charts, detailed streetmaps and Topo maps for hiking and I want the whole bundle for under R4,000"
Yes, and I would like Telkom to offer free (uncapped) ADSL to everyone with a phone line!!! Sorry folks... it's not going to happen.
Choosing a GPS is always going to be a compromise between competing objectives. Whether you want a GPS for outdoor and city use, marine and outdoor use or any other multiple combined applications, it is always going to be difficult to select the right one. We would suggest trying to figure out the percentages of each application that the unit will be used for (i.e. 80% city and 20% outdoor - this makes it a bit easier to possibly sacrifice some of the portability if you are going to use it as a handheld only for limited periods of time).
Price vs. Functionality:
As with all technology, the more bells and whistles the GPS unit has, the higher the price is going to be. First look at the basic functionalities needed and make a choice. If your choice is still nicely within your budget, then only start looking at the 'nice-to-have' features. For those of you just trying to stay ahead of the pack with the latest and greatest gadget on earth - be prepared to upgrade at least twice per year. More bells and whistles are added every year and although most of these new features are not necessities (the necessities were sufficiently covered a couple of years ago), they are still VERY useful and 'nice-to-have'. | 
