ToughBook computers and GPS receivers

I am not a big fan of the integrated GPS that one can purchase as an option on the ToughBook for about $300. In my experience, the GPS does not perform as well as cheaper add-on units. But, I will lay out my thoughts and you can make the call.

Benefits

The obvious benefit is that you have an integrated GPS so you will never lose it, forget to bring it to the field, or neglect to charge the battery. Also, there are no USB cables to get tangled in. If these are issues for you, and the extra one to two hundred dollars isn’t an impediment, than buy the integrated GPS. Why not? Regardless of the company’s claims, I would not rate this GPS for better than + / -15 meters accuracy. Is that important? For reference, remember that the standard USGS 7.5’ quadrangle maps that form the basis for most off-the-shelf high resolution software are at a scale of 1:24,000. Since a dot on that map is about 1 mm across, the dot represents 24,000 mm on the ground, or 24 meters. That is about the resolution of the integrated GPS. So, no problem. But, if you want to display your locations on a higher resolution map, it will be a problem.

Drawbacks

Beside the coarse accuracy, the biggest drawback is the price. It costs about $300 to add a GPS onto a computer from the factory. In comparison, I use a USB-driven device (GlobalSat) that costs about $70. I have been very, very pleased with the accuracy, quick start-up, and ruggedness of this unit. I have also used a Bluetooth-enabled device (GlobalSat) that costs about $115. Both of these options also allow for using the device with another computer—including a Macintosh or PDA! Folks who have read my other blogs will know I am a big fan of modularity. The GlobalSat units, in my testing, get closer to 3-5 meters of accuracy, or a dot on a 1:10,000 scale map.

For my ToughBook mapping, I use a USB-driven receiver and bundle the cord and tie it to the handle of the tablet. As a geologist, I have worked in many terrains with this set-up and have never felt burdened or been trapped on bushes. However, if I was to buy a ToughBook on a grant and could spare the few extra hundred dollars in the budget, I would likely get the GPS for when I was doing coarse mapping, or forgot the USB GPS, or forgot to recharge the Bluetooth GPS…

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