My head is spinning with all the new GPS products hitting the market. GPS systems have been very popular all over the world and now they're catching on in the U.S.A. Why? In other countries, (Asia, Europe) the way the cities have expanded has created confusing street grids. For example, in Tokyo, the building numbers are out of sequence — the lowest number is on the oldest building while the newer buildings have higher numbers. So it's understandable that every taxi driver in Tokyo uses a GPS.

America is a different story. We've been slower to adopt commercial GPS technology. One reason is most of us don't think it's necessary. Another is that the devices have been traditionally expensive. But GPS systems have been selling better the past few years, and they're now approaching critical mass. According to CEA GPS sales in America should reach 4.1 Billion dollars in 2007. Functions such as traffic alerts and finding points of interest (POI) have improved, and prices are dropping like a rock. Finally I think we are getting more comfortable with the technology. And if you personally want to get comfortable with GPS, I'd recommend getting your feet wet with Garmin's StreetPilot c580. Find out why by following the link.

The c580 has a display that's bright and anti-glare (very good even in sunlight), and its touchscreen is very responsive. It's more than just a GPS, though: The c580 has Bluetooth technology for hands-free calling with both a microphone and speaker. You can transfer your phonebook to the c580 (it has a USB port), and it's easy to make calls to, say, a restaurant you've just looked up on it. It even plays MP3s, muting them when there is an incoming/outgoing call or a driving prompt comes up.

The Garmin has an SD card slot for extra maps and optional software like travel guides. I used a card (not included) to load in some speed zones and MP3 files. Battery life is rated at 9 hours.

One cool perk is the Garmin Lock — an anti-theft security feature that renders the c580 useless to unauthorized people. It works two ways, either with a four-digit security code or by location. To unlock, you simply take it to a prearranged (secret) location, and the GPS will know to unlock it there. Very James Bond.

The c580 has MSN Direct receiver (same service as smart watches) integrated right into the charger. (One year free service is included). MSN gives you real time traffic and weather conditions. This service isn't available in all areas so make sure you check this out before you buy the c580. If MSN Direct isn't available then consider the c550, which is essentially the same unit but without the MSN Direct. The subscription cost of MSN Direct is $50 yearly or $130 for a lifetime. The question is whose life — Garmin's, MSN's or yours?

It's the weekend and my girlfriend is bored. We jump in the car, and I take out the c580. Once it's out of the box, I notice there's a windshield mount and an adhesive disk to attach the mount to the dash. I really like the mount; it brings the 3.5-inch screen closer to me. The StreetPilot is ready to go with preloaded 2D and 3D City Navigator NT street maps. On the screen there are two choices: "Where To" or "View Map." Once you enter an address (or pick a POI) just hit Go — the c580 finds the satellite pretty quickly.

My girlfriend punches in her friend's address. It gives us a route and off we go. The text-to-speech was excellent. I was able to listen to the directions and I didn't have to look at the screen. At one point, she sees a shoe store so I hop off the highway. After shopping, the route recalculation was really fast and we arrive at her friend's place with no problems. Wouldn't you know it, she wasn't home.

Now she wants to go to the movies, and I need gas. While we're sitting in the car bickering, I use the icon MSN Direct feature to find the cheapest gas and the closest cinema. It took about 7 minutes for the gas information to come back, but this time it didn't give me the name of the filling station. At least I only needed to press Go to get directions. After filling up, the movie info finally came in (25 minutes). According to MSN, this service gets faster once all data is loaded. All smiles now — I push the Go button and we're off to the movies.

The c580n is a solid and well-put-together GPS. The screen and voice capabilities are first-rate. It's fast, responsive and easy to read in the sunlight. Garmin isn't new to this game — the company has 18 years of experience making GPS devices and trust me on this: They get it. — Ken Sander