Garmin have produced a useful GPS Guide for Beginners, while a little dated, explains the basics behind GPS, the benefits and applications and why it is as, if not more, important than purchasing a new washing machine!

Hillwalking and climber enthusiasts may find the following two guides useful; Introduction to Geocaching and Using a Garmin GPS with Paper Land Maps.

While most people now associate GPS with car satellite navigation systems, the uses of GPS is extensive and GPS technology has been around for decades.  For example, in North America, Garmin kit out 65,000 aeroplanes each year with Garmin navigation devices.  GPS is used in aeronautics, marine navigation, fleet management & tracking, recreational uses include hillwalking, climbing, geocaching, golf, hunting and the construction industry make wide use of GPS in survey and measurement instrumentation.  Safety applications include personal location beacons and GPS wrist watches for monitoring children.