GPS Storage: Flash vs. Hard Drive

I've been doing a fair amount of research lately into which GPS unit to purchase. From my reading, it seems like just about all the units will get one from point A to point B with a minimum of fanfare.

One of the features that differentiates the lower end units from the higher end gear is the type of memory. The cheaper GPS stuff utilizes flash memory, while the more premium units store the maps on a hard drive. Flash versus hard drive? Haven't we heard this all before? When discussing MP3 players, this has been the perrenial debate as to which is the better format to store the music and other entertainment files. In my mind, with MP3 players, there really is no clear answer, it entirely depends in what you plan your needs, and activities (or lack of thereof). However, in GPS units, there appears to be a winner.

Many users, myself included, are voting for a flash based unit. While a hard drive unit promises to have the whole United States on it ready to go right out of the box, this can really be done without a hard drive. While the unit I purchased uses a 128 MB flash card, the format is Secure Digital. There is a more expensive version of the same unit that uses a hard drive. The plan is to swap out the included puny 128 MB card for a 1 GB Secure Digital card. I've seen them going for around $20 lately so this is hardly a major expense. Apparently, users have stored the entire United States on the one gig card with no problem.

When you factor in some other issues, the hard drive looks even less attractive. Consider that the GPS unit is intended to sit on the dashboard, exposed to hot sun, and freezing nights. Also, the car transmit vibrations to the hard drive. In the rather harsh environment of a car dashboard, flash memory should be more reliable than a hard drive.

With the above said, this is all theory for the time being. I should be able to verify this research in the near future as I've ordered a Garmin 320 unit, and it is reportedly en route.

--Jonas

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