If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You can find us on Twitter here. Thanks for visiting!

And speaking of geeks in the real world, there’s a gadget that’s trying hard to bring the real world into the geek. I’m speaking of the GPS, the greatest single effort to convince non-geeks to embrace the gadget. So how does a GPS turn a non-geek into a believer?

Good maps. Let’s face it, the point of a GPS is to use maps. You’ll want a system that provides good maps that are easy to load. Maps find their way to the GPS in basically two different ways. 1. Internal memory or hard drive 2. CD/DVD. Geeks probably won’t mind uploading maps from theinternet or the included DVDs through their computers to their GPS units (particularly in the case of portable GPS units the need to go jogging with you), but non-geeks will probably want a device that comes with the mapsthey’llneed preloaded.

Points of interest (POI). A good map will not only get you where you know you want to go, it will also get you where you don’t know you want to go. What do I mean? A good GPS will help you find points of interest nearby in the form of local business, landmarks, parks, schools, etc. Most commercial brandGPSs come with a vast number of POIs already programmed into their maps.

Readable display. This is where it really gets personal. Everyone has different taste, different eyes, and different needs. Whether you’re hiking, biking, or driving does make a difference to the type of GPS you’ll want, so think about your primary needs when you buy and buy accordingly. Thatwidescreen display looks pretty, but it’s going to be awful heavy when you’re meandering up Mount Everest.