1) What is the iFinder? Answer: Ifinder is Lowrance's
first new consumer model GPS receiver since the breakthrough GM-100 model
which first brought user uploadable maps to the consumer GPS Marketplace.
2) Does the iFinder have fixed memory or a memory cartridge?
Answer: The iFinder has the industry standard MMC card. As
of Feb 2002, 128 megabyte cards (largest available), 64 megabyte
MMC street price is in the range of $50.
3) Does iFinder include user uploadable maps? Answer: Yes,
optional MapCreate 6 maps cover the entire USA using two CDROMs.
4) Does the iFinder have an input for an external amplified antenna?
Answer: Unknown
5) What is the battery life of the iFinder? Answer: Unknown
6) How many AA batteries does the iFinder require? Answer:
two AA cells
7) Does the iFinder have the ability to use NiMH and NiCad AA cells?
Answer: Yes.
8) How many TRACKS and TRACKPOINTS does iFinder have? Answer:
10 savable plot trails with up to 10,000 points per trail.
9) How many WAYPOINTS does iFinder have? Answer: 1,000 waypoints
and 1,000 event marker icons.
10) How big is the display and what is the resolution? Answer:
120x160 pixels and 1.7"x2.2"
11) Can you really get iFinder in multiple color cases? Answer:
Yes, Optional Faceplates in red, blue, yellow, black, and camouflage
are available.
12) Does the iFinder have a USB connection? Answer: No, just
a standard RS-232 compatible serial port, but a MMC card writer
is available with a USB port for map loading.
13) Is the iFinder submersible and will it float? Answer:
iFinder is water resistant to IPX-2 (not submersible) and it will float
only if it is placed in the accessory watertight pouch.
14)
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The following is a Lowrance press release on the iFinder's
MapCreate 6 mapping software.
Tulsa, OK - Lowrance Electronics has added new navigation aids with
Points-of-Interest and Interstate Exit Services databases in the
new
MapCreate(tm) Series 6 software release that includes two CDs: "USA
East"
and "USA West" covering the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii. MapCreate
custom mapping is designed to enhance the exclusive, detailed background
map
provided with all Lowrance mapping GPS products.
Coupled with the Lowrance
innovation to create and save high detail mapping
data to memory cards for chartplotter display, the new MapCreate
Series 6
gives navigators greatest latitude in detail, control, flexibility
and
versatility in creating custom electronic charts. Most of all, MapCreate
affords incredible economy, allowing the user to create unlimited
custom
charts of any region, of any size, anytime - without unlock codes
or added
cost - for an extremely affordable one-time price.
The new MapCreate Series
6 now includes an expansive, searchable
Points-of-Interest database to easily locate/identify marinas and
boating related services, airports, hotels, restaurants, emergency
services
and more. The new Interstate Exit Services feature includes important
inland
travel stops for such as dining, lodging, fuel and auto/truck services.
The new databases compliment
the comprehensive, detailed MapCreate mapping
features that include rivers, lakes, tributaries, as well as over
60,000
critical navigation aids and 10,000 wrecks and obstructions in U.S.
coastal
and Great Lakes waters. Land based features covering rural roads,
cities and
towns, railways, interstate/federal/state highways, searchable street
intersections or addresses, and even national parks and wildlife
preserves
are included for truly versatile navigation applications.
MapCreate Series 6 is
compatible with all Lowrance mapping GPS units with
slots that accept ultra small, rewritable Multi-Media Card or Secure
Digital
memory cards, which are widely available in stores and online, in
up to
128 MB memory capacities.
Using a personal computer
and card reader/interface, users simply create any
custom electronic chart, save it to memory card, and load it into
any
compatible Lowrance chartplotter for navigational display. MapCreate
also
features a unique "cookie cutter" map chooser feature that allows
users to
carve out mapping regions in virtually any size or shape, which
serves to
maximize the usability of memory card space.
For additional information
and dealer locations, visit Lowrance at
www.lowrance.com or call 1-800-324-1356. ###
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And a but more information from Lowrance's PR Department
addressing features in the iFinder
MapCreate is the only GPS software that gives users a voluminous
database of
high-detail mapping and functions where users can create customized
mapping
to their needs and preferences for navigational display.
A unique "cookie cutter" feature allows users to carve out any map
region of
any size and virtually ANY shape.
Users can also select from a lengthy list of map features to be included
(or
not included) for display in the maps they create. Features like
water
bodies, streams, railroads, city streets, highways, names for
water-cities-streets-rural roads, highway symbols, marine nav aids,
marine
wrecks and obstructions, ad infinitum.
Plus, in MapCreate Series 6, the selectable Points-of-Interest features
list
that users can choose to include in their custom maps is mind-boggling.
Including Zoos, museums, hospitals, police stations, post offices,
churches,
banks, ATMs, shopping centers, auto parts dealers, auto repair,
marinas,
restaurants by type (e.g. Chinese, Barbecue, Mexican, Steak House,
etc.),
golf courses, resorts, hotels, airports, stadiums/arenas/athletic
fields,
emergency medical service, and lots lots more.
Another major feature of MapCreate is that for one affordable price,
users
get two CD-ROMS ("USA East" and "USA West" covering the continental
US and
Hawaii) from which they can create all the custom, high-detail maps
they
want without limit! Users can make any map of any area at any time
without
unlock codes or any other usage cost whatsoever.
MapCreate users just need a compatible personal computer, Multi-Media
Card
or Secure Digital memory card reader/interface with USB connector
(parallel
port connectors use MMC cards only), and one of the two-mentioned
memory
cards. They create their map on PC, load that to memory card, and
insert
into the iFINDER for custom map display.
What this means is that mapping memory available to handheld users
is not
limited by internal memory any more with iFINDER. Just match the
memory card
size (from 8MB to currently 128MB) to the size of the custom map
created,
then insert into iFINDER for display.
And another thing...these memory cards come from SanDisk, which means
they
are widely available in (particularly) electronics stores and online.
This
is not proprietary media, so users are not forced to buy them only
from
Lowrance (but we do have them available as a convenience). Couple
that with
the unlimited mapping feature, and users can literally build their
own
library of electronic charts for the one-time cost of MapCreate
software,
interface, and the cost of each "blank" memory card they buy.
Also, applying the use of memory cards to such as GPS mapping is
a Lowrance
innovation, introduced with the premier of the 2001 product line-up
in
summer 2000.