If you're a person with no sense of direction, as many people admittedly do, having a portable GPS can really help them get out of a "lost" situation. Not only are these devices very affordable, but one can get low-cost or even free GPS software which they can use – provided they heed all the warning bells and whistles.

The following takes you on a brief overview of portable GPS navigators and software with the aim of guiding prospective buyers where to look and what to look for with such devices. While many just dive right in and download all the free software that they could get their hands on, there are certain considerations that you should know before making moves – and avoid the risk of getting into trouble.

** Understanding Portable GPS Navigators

A portable GPS navigator is a handheld device equipped with a navigation system that can track the position of the user. While the inner workings of such device may seem too technical for many, its many features in getting you to where you're going are truly remarkable. It can also give street-level information of establishments and landmarks in your vicinity, particularly useful if you're in an unfamiliar part of town or in another city.

These devices have become so popular due to their high portability that makes them useful for hikers and mountain climbers. The latest devices are packed with a lot of features including text-to-speech capabilities, with the device literally telling you where you are, as well as other features like video and mp3 playing capabilities.

** Wholesale Chinese Portable GPS Providers and Copyright Infringement

The emergence of Chinese wholesale sources have brought an avalanche of low-cost but fully featured portable GPS devices in the market, giving higher-end brands like the Dutch Tomtom GPS products a run for its money. People availing of such devices enjoy the convenience of shopping online at wholesale prices, a wide variety of products to choose from, and with many distributors offering free shipping.

In terms of functionality, features and hardware, Chinese wholesale portable GPS units are not much different with the more popular brands. Aside from the significant difference in price ranges, one major difference lie in the navigation software, with devices like Tomtom running on proprietary software while Chinese counterparts don't usually include an installed software to minimize cost. This is where the problems would usually start.

Many of these wholesale products are guilty of software infringements or running on unlicensed copies of operating software. Software infringement is still commonplace in China, with most of these manufacturers operating without restraint. The government however, is now making efforts in cracking down offenders.

If you bought a China-made portable GPS device, chances are you will need to install the appropriate GPS software to make it work. There are two options available for you: download and purchase proprietary licensed software; or download one from free resources.

** Sources and Warnings when Getting Free Portable GPS Software

In most cases, software offered by branded portable GPS device manufacturers comes with a free trial period. You can try out which application would be best suited for your needs and if you're satisfied you can purchase the full version and keep on using the software.

If you want to save money, there are free GPS applications available which you can use. There is one offered by Waze Mobile although it is not guaranteed to work on all China-made models. You can also make use of open source alternatives. These applications will work well with your devices although some may be limited in features like the availability of certain maps. Just type in "open source portable GPS software" on your browsers and get a good listing of open source applications that you can use.

Still, there are other resources that offer free downloads of cracked or hacked versions of commercial applications. Most of these cracked software applications are available on warez, torrents, and file-sharing sites. Just type in "free portable GPS software" or "cracked portable GPS software" on your browsers and get a listing of download links.

Downloads can either come as a stand-alone application which you can use right away, or it can come with a separate key generator which will unlock the full version of the application. However, users considering such approach would be vulnerable to malware risks which can bring it a load of viruses and Trojans into their system. Aside from that, choosing this path will get you involved in a criminal activity like piracy!

** Making Your Move

There are several options for you to choose from when you consider getting yourself a portable GPS device or software. You can spend a little more and get genuine, high quality products, or you can opt to go cheap and go for the pirated route – as long as you are ready to face all the risks!