Top Picks: High-tech Handhelds That Will Wow You

It's not surprising that DeLorme, the company that made its name in maps, offers a handheld GPS that takes mapping and imaging to the next level. The Earthmate PN-20 is a color mapping GPS that can display not only topo and street maps, but also color aerial imagery and Sat-10 satellite color imagery (think Google Earth in your hand), so you can get a very useful bird's eye view of the terrain. We also like the PN-20's very logical and useful button layout. DeLorme bundles terrific and extensive map packages for this unit.

Ever wish you knew the exact location of friends and family while on a skiing or hunting trip, or at an amusement park? Now you can, with the Garmin Rino 530 HCx, which provides full color map handheld GPS functionality, plus powerful two-way radio, plus NOAA weather radio, and more. But its position reporting feature is its wow factor. Press the "call" or "talk" keys to automatically send your exact location to other Rino users in your group, or "poll" other's locations from the menu to appear on your map. The Rino's sturdy, waterproof, rubber-armored construction helps it stand up to rough outdoors treatment. Lower-cost Rino models that still include the position reporting feature are priced as low as $194 each (Rino 110).

Magellan's Triton series makes its mark with multimedia and a color touchscreen. The top-of-the-line 2000 includes an MP3 player, 2-megapixel camera, voice recorder, and an LED flashlight, making it a well-rounded travel companion that can help you cull other electronic devices from your packing list. Its 2.7-inch touchscreen is large and bright and menus and commands are easy to navigate. Round it out with some of the features you expect from a high-end handheld, such as a high-sensitivity receiver (3-meter accuracy) and SD card expansion, and you have a powerful, state-of-the-art device. Lower cost models (four) down to the $140 Triton 200 have the color touch screen.