3. Portable Navigation Devices (PND)

In my opinion, the single most important reason to own a PND is self-confidence. If you've never driven with a dedicated navigation system, then you won't be familiar with the inner peace it can provide as you drive into the unknown, or into the dark. The truth of the matter is that a navigation system will be eye candy most of the time, giving you directions only part of the time. To have a moving map display that pinpoints your place in the world literally frees you to pay attention to the rest of the world, the road, and your own thoughts.

What's that worth to you? It all depends on your personality. Is your sense of direction missing? Are you always late? Do you not like night driving? Have trouble finding a gas station when you need one?

Whatever your reasons, it matters not which PND you choose; for 2007, you'll be making your decision based mainly on lifestyle. It's a given that spoken turn-by-turn directions, arrows, ETA, automatic reroute on missed turns is part of the package. What you'll be looking for are the extras and the looks.

Important Features To Look For

While slight differences remain in how routes are calculated among different brands of devices, these discrepancies are starting to disappear. The characteristics you'll be looking for are: color, shape, size, user interface, durability, and whether the overall look of the device fits your lifestyle.

Do you want an uber-portable 2.5" navigator, but find that your vision is not as good as it used to be? Or perhaps you love doing tours on your Goldwing but occasionally get caught out in the rain? Some devices are so cute, they'll go right into a woman's purse - but will they belong on your lifted monster truck?

This year, you'll have no trouble finding GPS navigators in any manner of colors, shapes and sizes, at least if CES 2007 is any indication. Here are some that caught my eye.

The Globetrotter Recommendation

If you travel frequently, any flavor of Garmin nuvi is going to be at the top of your list. With its built-in travel tools, music player, audio books, svelte profile and light weight, the nuvi is a good fit for your travel bag. This year, in particular, the nuvi 680 catches my eye with its slightly wider 16:9 display. The smaller, original sized nuvi, is the one all your traveling friends already have - so if you need to be different, look to the 680.

The Style Verdict

You are a no-nonsense business traveler with an appreciation of simple aesthetics, often seen in a rental car in a strange city, rarely have time for research but need all the facts in arms' reach. The design is clean and the colors are muted, making it a fairly gender-neutral device that will look low-key in an average-looking car.