Garmin Announces Mobile PC

Garmin has announced the availability of Garmin Mobile PC, a navigation package that turns laptops and other mobile PCs into powerful navigators. It comes packed with a whole lot of great features that gives you good navigation experience in addition to the traditional PC functions. Garmin Mobile PC features the same easy-to-use "Where to?" and "View map" interface found on the Garmin nüvi and StreetPilot. With a few clicks, customers can quickly search and route to addresses or nearly six million points of interest like restaurants, hotels, attractions, gas stations and more. In addition, customers can navigate to Outlook contacts stored on their laptop. Garmin Mobile PC is available in two configurations – a software only package and a bundle with software and Garmin's new GPS 20x sensor. The software only version is compatible with broadband modems, as well as internal or third-party GPS receivers that provide the industry standard NMEA GPS data via serial or Bluetooth connections. The bundled version includes the new GPS 20x, a high sensitivity GPS sensor with a USB connection. The lightweight GPS 20x has non-skid pads for dash mounting and is less than two inches in length. Thanks to the route shaping feature, users can select specific roads they want to travel and customize their route to avoid certain roads and geographic areas. Drivers wanting to keep track of their previous route can utilize the track log feature and see an electronic bread crumb trail that shows exactly where they traveled. Garmin Mobile PC also includes a trip computer automatically records trip data. Garmin Mobile PC also provides free access to Garmin Online services. This real-time, internet data service simplifies trip planning by providing live weather, flight status, hotel rates (U.S. only), fuel prices (U.S. only) and safety camera data (Europe only, with subscription). The Garmin Mobile PC with GPS 20x bundle will be available in April for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $99.99. The software only version of Garmin Mobile PC is expected to be available for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $59.99. For more information, visit www.garmin.com