Product: Upro Golf GPS

Developer: Callaway Golf

Developers Official Domain:

http://www.uprogps.com

Retail Price: $399.99

Review By R N Catherwood

uPro Golf GPS"/>

The Upro Golf GPS, a modern technology-driven GPS system, is a serious challenger to its competitors in spite of being a relatively newer candidate in the Golf GPS market. With a rich feature set, a size as tiny as a mobile phone or an iPod, an awesome quality of graphics and display, an on-demand course data download and a provision of up to three different views, the Upro Golf GPS system is one of the winners in today’s market.

The Upro Golf GPS has two different modes. The basic mode – the normal option – is equipped with the hazard and green views. It can show an accurate distance to the different hazards to the current hole and the distance required to clear these hazards. It also shows the distances to the front, back and center of the current green. The pro mode – the advanced option – is equipped additionally with smart view. This provides three distinct views to the golfer. The first one is, for the current hole in play, the preferred landing area. The second one is a focused view of the current green in play. The third one is the Eagle’s eye view of the entire track right from the current tee up till the green, enabling one to formulate an overall game plan.

Compared to its other competitors, the Upro Golf GPS system does not require one to pay an annual fee. Instead, as and when needed, it provides a facility to download the course map as required by the user against a fee. This results in a considerable cost saving.

With other finer technological ingredients forming a part of it, the Upro Golf GPS system is a proposition hard to resist for an avid golfer.

There has been so much talk about the uPro Golf GPS that I thought I would do a review on this unit.

What makes the uPro GPS stand out amongst its competitors? Several things actually.

Graphics

The most obvious difference between this and other Golf GPS models is the incredibly high quality and detail provided in the graphics.

The uPro comes with what they call the ProMode which is in effect a video view of the green taken as if you were flying over it. Very similar (I almost said exactly the same as) to the view you get when one of the TV stations takes a helicopter flight over a hole and shows you the complete layout. This is graphics at its best and it is sure to change the way Golf GPS models are made in the future.

This high resolution aerial photography combined with satellite imagery not only gives you the layout of the entire hole in play but also shows slope and elevation variances before ending with a close up view and detail of the green you are about to play.

Basic Mode.

This is the standard option. Graphics are sexier and clearer with the 2,2 inch high resolution 320 X 240 color screen than any other GPS I have come across and the screen is easy to read in any lighting conditions.

In basic mode you have “Hazard” and “Green” views. The Hazard View show distances to various hazards on the hole in play as well as the distance needed to clear them.

The Green View shows distances to the front, centre and back of the green in play.

Pro Mode.

In addition to the video flyover and hazard and green view modes already referred to the Pro Mode features Smart View which provides three distinct views of the hole in play. The first is the probable and preferable landing area of the current hole in play. The second is a zoomed in view of the green you are bout to play and the third is a zoomed out view of the entire hole from tee to green.

Pro mode also includes Mark Shot view which enables you to measure any particular or all shots that you have played. So with the press of a button you can measure exactly how far you hit each club.

As if that isn’t enough to convince you that this is the only GPS to get the Pro Mode includes Measure Mode which uses “anypoint”technology. With Measure Mode you can select a point anywhere on the hole and the uPro will tell you how far it is from that point to the green as well as from where you are to that particular point. The benefit of this feature is obvious when you want to lay up to a certain distance so that your approach shot can be taken with your favourite club.

This particular feature is like having a Rangefinder without having to have line of sight. This is definitely a feature that is going to change the technology or set the standards for the competition to strive for.

Pricing.

The basic unit comes with one free Pro Mode course pre loaded. This would be the course of your choice and one supposes that would be your home track.

All other courses are priced dependent on the mode selected. Basic mode courses are cheaper than pro mode – obviously.

The following fee structure applies:

Basic mode:

• All course downloads are free in Basic Mode.

Pro Mode:

• 1 course for $ 10.00
• 5 courses for $ 40.00
• 10 courses for $ 60.00
• 20 courses for $ 80.00
• 50 courses for $ 120.00

At first glance this pricing structure seems expensive but realistically if you consider the number of courses you play and work out your costs it is not expensive at all. For those people who play a lot of golf at a number of different courses the added cost will be insignificant.

Other Features.

The uPro comes with a built in lithium battery that provides over 12 hours of power. It gets it signals from more satellites (24) than any other golf GPS, making it an extremely accurate unit.

The unit is sexy and slim. There is simply no other way to describe it. Small and compact and easy to use with one hand – but if both your hands are busy it does have a voice activated option that comes with the software!

The uPro can be used as a digital score card and will have built in analytics in the near future. This will mean that you can look back on your previous games and scores and work out exactly what part of your game needs to be improved upon.

uPro have promised a range of unique features for the future that will be charged for on a user pays basis. With what they have produced so far I believe all the add-ons will be well priced and useful features.

Likely Customers.

uPlay have done their homework well and are targeting the discerning golfers who knows what he wants and is willing to pay for it. They are also targeting the snobs amongst us (and I willingly confess to being one) who simply want the best to show it off.

Other likely customers also include those lovely wives who may want to spoil their husbands and buy them something in the golf line that they would not ordinarily but for themselves.

Playing a round of golf with the uPro Golf GPS was certainly an enjoyable experience. This golf GPS is definitely something you can get used to.
Not only was the uPro fun and easy to use but boy did it impress my golfing mates! I hate to say it but I am a bit of a materialistic person, well what’s wrong with liking nice things? If you’re like me then you should spoil yourself with the best graphics available in Golf GPS models – get yourself a uPro Golf GPS today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Bredenkamp
http://EzineArticles.com/?UPro-Golf-GPS-Review&id=1333387