There are many factors to consider when choosing a handheld GPS. The price, the receiver, and the accuracy of the maps are the main factors to consider.

Route accuracy is the most important. What good is a GPS if you get lost and have to ask for directions anyway? The Garmin Nuvi is rank by most to be the best in this area. The Garmin produces consistently accurate routes. The Magellan Maestro systems come in a close second. The TomTom One is the least accurate of the three top manufactures.

There is a new receiver out. The SiRF's high performance SiRF Star III chipset is a must have. This receiver enables you to get reception in areas you have not in the past, like behind tall buildings and in canyons. I have seen units with out it in the top 10 GPS sales on Amazon. So be careful just because the unit is new and selling well does not mean it has this receiver. Here are a just a few of the units I have seen that do not have the SiRF Star III chipset:

· Garmin StreetPilot c310

· Garmin StreetPilot c320

· Garmin StreetPilot c330

· Garmin StreetPilot c340

· Magellan RoadMate 300

· Magellan RoadMate 3000T

· Magellan RoadMate 3050T

· Magellan RoadMate 360

· Magellan RoadMate 700

· TomTom GO 300

· TomTom GO 700

Garmin, TomTom and Magellan all utilize the new receiver in their new models. But as you can see there are still many units out their that don't have it.

The last but not least factor: Price. Price goes up as the bells and whistles are added on. But in general terms Garmin is the most expensive. Magellan is next and TomTom is the least of these three. Garmin's added price buys you the most accurate routing and a generally well made unit. Magellan can save you some money and deliver a get a high performance GPS (powered by SiRF's Star III chip), and Magellan's outstanding 2D or 3D map display. TomTom tends to be the least expensive. Their units seem to work well, but the accuracy of the routes is less than Magellan and Garmin units. The TomTom maps can be corrected from your computer and points of interests added. This is a good feature but will not server you well if you have never been there before.

When you have narrowed down your search be sure to check customer reviews. Garmin, Magellan and TomTom are capable of produce lines of units that have problems. Checking customer reviews is your best defense against this.

All three manufactures make some quality units. They all make different units to meet different price ranges and needs. Remember to look for the SiRF Star III chipset, and check the customer reviews. If you do these two things, no matter which price range or manufactures you choose you should have the Handheld GPS that is the best for you and your situation.