Windows Mobile-based GPS is especially flexible, and the following feature rich GPS applications and receivers offer distinctive values. GPS receivers originally cost thousands of dollars and were permanently installed in ships, airplanes, and other vehicles. But prices have come down considerably and GPS receivers have become thinner and more mobile. Although they have been available for handheld devices since before the introduction of the first Windows Mobile handhelds in 1997, the removal of Selective Availability (SA) by the Clinton administration sparked widespread adoption of GPS in May 2000. This eliminated the scrambling of satellite signals, thus making GPS feasible for commercial use. In addition, it improved accuracy from the previous 100 meters or more to 10 meters or less! (The WAAS, Wide Area Augmentation System, in North America has a series of about 25 ground reference stations that further improve the accuracy of GPS positioning to less than 3 meters on WAAS-equipped systems.) There are three main components to a GPS solution:
- The first is the system of satellites and ground stations, which are maintained by the U.S. government.
- The second is the GPS receiver, a physical device capable of receiving signals from the GPS satellites and translating them into useful data.
- The third is the GPS navigation software that you install on your Windows Mobile device. This software allows the GPS receiver to interface with your Pocket PC and provides road maps, directions, and POI (Point of Interest) information.
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