BRUSSELS – Sales are booming in Belgium for the mobile satellite controlled navigation systems known as GPS devices, new figures show.

The new gadgets, which are generally used to find directions when driving, are promising to be a Christmas favourite this year on the high street.

Adverts promoting leading brands TomTom and Garmin are already flooding the market in the run up to the festive season.

GPS – the acronym stands for Global Positioning System – with its ability to find precise directions, could bring an end to driving couples warring over which road to take.

The latest system is portable and can be used in any car.

“Rather than giving someone four or five useless things for Christmas, why not club together for a portable GPS,” said Didier De Vuyst, director of MB Communication, a specialised shop on the outskirts of Brussels.

“The new devices are simple, practical and easy to use. There is no need to install them,” he said, adding that the gadget would be ideal for a family with two cars.

However, the mobile GPS systems are more expensive than the fixed model, which remains the recommended method for those using GPS frequently.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news