New Garmin GPS loses its buttons in the wilderness

As adventurers head further into the wilderness, GPS maker Garmin launched a new line of handheld GPS devices designed for outdoor, fitness and marine enthusiasts, including one that's both buttonless and waterproof.

The Oregon line is the predecessor successor to the Colorado line of GPS units, with several key improvements added for adventurers. This new waterproof GPS unit has become buttonless -- a major difference between the Oregon line and Colorado line, with Garmin choosing a touch screen interface.

The earlier generation of touch screen, outdoor GPS models was unimpressive. But as the durability of the screens has improved, the ability to use one out in the wilderness has gotten better, even when thinking about sweat, dirt, and other elements explorers encounter. GPS owners have made numerous requests for touch-sensitive screens where they don't have to pound on the screen to make it work, while still having it be durable enough to withstand punishment.

Each GPS in the Oregon line has an integrated compass and altimeter, and can work alongside any Garmin heart rate monitor and cadence sensors. All of the units in the Oregon series are powered by AA batteries. The unit weighs 6.8 ounces and the two AA batteries will provide up to 16 hours of battery life when turned on. A microSD slot also makes it possible to load maps and other saved information directly into the GPS unit, while also providing a location to save information.

The 400t in the Oregon line has topographic maps of the United States and a 3D elevation feature so it'll be easier for hikers to determine what routes they wish to climb. The 400i is designed for boaters, as the GPS features shoreline details, depth contours and boat ramps for all inland lakes and rivers in the US. The 400c has a focus on open ocean water, with coastal regions of the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas featured. The 300 has a worldwide map, altimeter and compass, but does not have the 3D elevation feature.

Any Garmin owners who have a GPS from the Colorado series will be able to easily transfer waypoints, terrain information, descriptions, and other information from the Colorado to an Oregon product.

Customers interested in the Oregon line will, however, pay a premium for the waterproof, buttonless GPS device. The GPS units will be available early this fall with the 200 series sporting a $479.99 price tag, 300 series shipping for $533.32, and the 400 series shipping for $639.99.

Although many mobile phones now have integrated GPS features, stand-alone GPS units offer additional features that simply are not available through a smartphone's built-in GPS. Garmin's biggest competitor to the Oregon line will likely be the DigiWalker line of GPS units from Mio, which have PocketPC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, among other features.