The future of the GPS

Regardless of technology available, GPS is still a system based on coordinates. Your needs should dictate where you look for tech advances. If you're only out in the sticks, then you don't need street names with software updates to include McDonalds and Exxon gas stations. If you plan to use it for backcountry and road navigation, find or wait for the one that's right for you. You will not find a single GPS unit that best fits the need for all possible uses, but you may find that owning two GPS units will allow you to have the best tool for each task at hand.
From my view, the need to adapt to new technology is only if it makes the older technology obsolete (which GPS has not done) or includes new features that may be of use to you. Because I don't like to be dependant on a pair of AA batteries to save my bacon, you will always be able to find a map and compass in my pack… as least as long at magnetic north pole technology is still supported by Mother Nature.

GPS is indeed creeping into many, many consumer devices, and I'd guess we're only beginning to see the effects of this convergence.

The good news is GPS chips are dramatically shrinking in size, cost, and power consumption while increasing in capability. In the meantime, Google maps and competing online resources are becoming the equivalent or even bettering consumer map products.

I envision a dedicated handheld GPS similar to the iphone or ipod touch with an OLED touchscreen, or perhaps a large, flexible display that rolls up like a paper map when not in use. IMHO GPS's biggest limitations at present are the display size and power consumption, all of which can be overcome using existing and forthcoming technologies. OLED touchscreens and miniature fuel cells can completely revolutionize the GPS as we know it.

All that said, current GPSs have plenty of capability and can now operate in the toughest of reception conditions. The PC mapping-GPS interface remains clunky, and the screens aren't really large enough to replace a paper map for routefinding and trip planning purposes.

The bulk of the pda's that offer gps are using cellular towers to pinpoint location as opposed to sattelites. I don't know what kind of service you get while you're in the woods, but I'm betting it will be a while before i'm willing to count on that platform to get me back home.

"The bulk of the pda's that offer gps are using cellular towers to pinpoint location as opposed to sattelites."

This may have been a true statement 2 years ago, but this is no longer the case. Most PDA phones selling today have actual GPS chips in them that track to the meter. Both my Blackberry and my HTC Touch have GPS chips in them. The new iPhone also does real GPS.

Garmin must think touch screen is the way to go too.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=14906

My take is this. The PDA will replace the standalone GPS. It takes a fair amount of computer power to and storage to handle the mapping functions. Given the available power there's no reason not to add additional functions. This is all done in software and doesn't add significantly to the cost of the unit. In fact it lowers it since the phone companies subsidize the price. The iPhone is 200 and the garmin touchscreens are 400+. IMHO there's really no reason to by a handheld standalone gps at this point. Once a voice based turn-by-turn navigation feature is available for the iPhone it will be the killer app that gets me to buy it. That alone nearly justifies the price even counting AT&Ts inflated service charges.

That being said I'm not replacing my compass with an iPhone any time soon. The battery life is just not good enough. Maybe if solar chargers dramatically improve and become significantly lighter this can be overcome, but that's a ways off if at all. Also, too many other things can go wrong with electronics to rely solely on them to save my life.

Now the other question is what will people do. I've already met a number of people on the trail that carried a gps but no map. The PDA doesn't really change this.

as most people on this site sgree, GPS is not a replacement for map D compass skills. However, it has value: it can augment a map & compass. It is a handy data collector. I really have fun downloading my tracks to my computer, then transferring them to Google Earth! That really gives me a perspective for what I've accomplished including all the statistical measurements. I can also store an exact point where there is an interesting feature and send that point to another hiker. So, the GPS enhances my fun factor.

I trully do appreciate ther recentadvances in processor technology with the new SIRF3 chip. I hike in the green tunnel of the eastern forests and the old GPS units would get a fix here and there. The new ones track me underground!

My two cents are for movile phones…. there are several phones that had camera (5mp) gps, mp3, radio most of them are smaller, simple to use and cheaper ….

I can see all the features of the SPOT PLRB combined with the best mapping GPS technology for field use. This also means we should soon have far better LCD screens and user customizable features such as background color, multiple displays on the screen and Garmin Rino-like locating of friends/kids using similar compatable devices. Maybe even walkie-talkie features built in. More necessary features & less space & weight. What's not to like?

But many companies will (unwisely) try to push cell phones with topo GPS functions. Why carry a cell phone and not a sat. phone???

Eric
P.S. The SPOT -type PLRB/mapping GPS feature will become a "necessity", especially for such uses as solo backpackers and winter backcountry travellers in avalanche country.