Proof That Big Things Come in Small Packages
OLATHE, Kan., July 12 — Garmin(R) International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , today announced the Quest — an ultra-portable, easy-to-use, versatile GPS navigator.
"The Quest combines features from several of our most popular Garmin GPS navigators into one compact unit," said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s director of marketing. "The Quest is extremely easy to operate — anyone with a home computer will find the icon-based menus familiar and easy to understand. From salespeople to summer vacationers, the Quest is ideal for people who haven’t yet experienced the benefits of GPS and automotive navigation."
The Quest features auto-routable, turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation with fast automatic off-route and detour recalculation. With the brilliant 256-color backlit TFT display, the Quest is easy to read in any light. The unit has a rechargeable internal lithium-ion battery that provides up to 20 hours of use. Smaller than a standard television remote, the Quest provides an ample screen viewing area, but it won’t demand a lot of room on the dashboard or in the briefcase. The unique antenna folds flush with the unit when not in use and users can connect an optional external antenna as well.
The unit ships with MapSource(R) City Select(R) CDs, which provide full coverage of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico — including more than five million points of interest like gas stations, ATMs, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. With 115 MB of internal memory and a fast USB connection, loading a large amount of detailed map data from a PC is easy.
For weekend warriors who want to use the unit on a camping or fishing trip, the Quest is waterproof and fully compatible with the entire line of MapSource outdoor cartography, including U.S. Topo, 24K Topo, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots(R), and BlueChart(R).
Key features of the Quest include:
Sunlight-readable display: 2.2" W x 1.5" H, high-resolution 256-color TFT display
Built-in basemap: Coast-to-coast general map showing highways, major roads, and borders
GPS: WAAS-enabled GPS receiver with accuracy of 10 feet (or better) in North America
Waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX-7 standards — submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes
Lightweight and compact: Weighs just 5.5 oz. and measures 4.5" W x 2.2" H x 0.9" D
The Quest is expected to be available in August 2004 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $642.84. The unit ships standard with fully unlocked MapSource City Select North America maps, PC/USB cable, AC adapter, external speaker with 12-volt adapter cable and suction mount, owner’s manual, and quick reference guide.
Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information devices — most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at http://www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. GARMIN, MapSource, City Select, and BlueChart are registered trademarks, and Quest is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Fishing Hot Spots is a registered trademark of Fishing Hot Spots Inc.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Any statements regarding the company’s future product introductions and expected product availability dates are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of risk factors affecting Garmin. Information concerning risk factors that could affect Garmin’s actual results is contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2003 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form 10-K can be downloaded from http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html .
Source: Garmin International Inc.
CONTACT: Ted Gartner, or Pete Brumbaugh, both of Garmin International Inc., +1-913-397-8200, or media.relations@garmin.com
Web site: http://www.garmin.com/