Laptop GPS World

YARMOUTH, Maine — DeLorme, the leading digital mapping, software, and GPS provider, today announced it will release the Earthmate GPS LT-40, its next generation GPS for laptop PCs, in the spring of 2008. The LT-40 will feature the STMicroelectronics Teseo chipset, for superior satellite signal retention and positional accuracy, even in challenging urban environments.

DeLorme made the announcement at the Pepcom Digital Experience! 2008 press event in Las Vegas, held annually on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Along with the new detail and datasets, users will find new photo GeoTagging, superior geocaching support, plus unique support for popular GPS wrist computers.

In addition to laptop PCs, the LT-40 will also support ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs). New with the LT-40 is a driver’s view map perspective, using DeLorme’s renowned 3-D mapping engine to display a more horizontal look at the streets and roads ahead.

One of the LT-40’s primary strengths is its new high-sensitivity, Teseo-driven ConstantLock signal retention. Signals as weak as -159dBm are routinely acquired and maintained without sacrificing accuracy.

Building upon STMicroelectronics and DeLorme’s groundbreaking Kalman filtering, the LT-40 will maintain its fix even amid tall buildings, and in high radio frequency (RF) areas (e.g. close proximity to cell phone towers).

The LT-40 is WAAS-enabled for accuracy within three meters, and features a redesigned RF front end. It utilizes STMicroelectronics’ Galileo-ready STA5620 chipset based on advanced low power BiCMOS SiGe technology.

While after-market PND GPS systems have been growing rapidly in popularity, a great many serious users still prefer the large-screen perspective and powerful software that a laptop enables.

“The LT-40 is a very practical GPS solution for anyone with a laptop PC,” said Caleb Mason, Director of Marketing at DeLorme. “It will offer advanced GPS capabilities at a very low cost—just $69.95 with Street Atlas USA® 2009 software included. We are finding that many customers already traveling with a laptop PC prefer the large screen for GPS navigation and also the ability to plan trips and utilize the full computing power of a laptop versus what after-market PNDs can provide.”

Indeed, the LT-40 and Street Atlas USA 2009 offer a broad array of high-end trip-planning features, including automatic road routing, interactive voice technology, (spoken directions with street and road names and numbers, and responses to a user’s spoken questions and commands), automatic back-on-track routing if detours or side trips take the user off course, and GPS radar to locate nearby restaurants, lodgings, and other places of interest.

The LT-40 is expected to be available in April 2008 at electronics stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available direct from DeLorme at www.delorme.com, or by calling 800-561-5105. OEM inquiries are encouraged.

FRYS.COM has the LT-40 on sale for 59.99 with a20.00 and a10.00 rebate until 4/08/08 I believe. What A Deal. Be sure to read rebate forms carefully!