"Let's get lost," sang Chet Baker. "Let's not," says the growing legion of GPS navigation devices. When you have a GPS navigator, getting lost is just a bad memory, as are wrong turns, unmarked roads, and fruitless searches for nearby gas stations. GPS devices are useful in so many ways, we're surprised they're not mandatory equipment.
 
The still-young GPS market has grown and matured so quickly that it's like watching a time-lapse movie of a plant bursting from the soil and flowering in seconds. In only a few short years GPS devices have gone from expensive luxuries to affordable extras to bargain-priced essentials.
 
Last year you needed to pay around $500 for a full-featured device. Now, most of the action is south of $400, and you can get a powerful navigator for that money. Spend a little more and you'll get a larger screen and media playback capabilities. Other features that are quickly becoming mainstream are real-time traffic (which typically involves a monthly fee) and Bluetooth for hands-free calls.
 
If you're a driver and haven't bought yourself a GPS yet, now is absolutely the time. The prices are right, and the 3D maps look great. Best of all, getting lost will be a thing of the past.

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