GPS mapping usually refers to GPS navigation devices used in cars, not GPS tracking units. The geographic landscape is constantly being updated, new roads built and so on… Therefore you cannot use the same old navigation system in your vehicle or handheld GPS device as it becomes outdated. You need to update your GPS mapping software constantly. While most GPS navigation systems/devices come with preloaded GPS mapping software already, as mentioned you still need to update it once in a while. You can do that by purchasing update card from a store or download software updates via internet.
When digging deeper in the topic, you may stumble upon base maps and details maps terms. Let’s try to figure out what people mean by that when talking about GPS map software.
- Base Maps – These are built-in GPS devices or navigation systems. Straight from the factory. These preloaded maps reside in the internal memory of your device.
- Detailed Maps – These are much more detailed maps than the basic “base maps”. You can even drill down to local street details using these GPS maps.
