DeLorme Earthmate
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By, Mike Cohn "TXJEEPER"


DeLorme Earthmate and Solus Pro 1.5

Earthmate & PalmIf you do not own or intend on owning a Palm or Windows CE device then read no further (but be forwarned that you'll miss out on something really cool).

OK, you're still reading. Great! Let's assume that you already own a Palm or similar device. For this article, we'll focus on the 3Com Palm. Our evaluation was done on a Palm IIIx. Palms are very popular now and can be had for as little as $99. Let's also assume that you already carry your Palm with you on a daily basis to and from work.

Now think about these following scenarios:

  1. Had to go somewhere right after work that you've never been to and need directions
  2. Wanted to take a long trip and, again, needed directions
  3. Maybe you own a low-end GPS which does not have maps, but simply position data.

EarthmateWouldn't it be nice to be able to use your Palm to get from point A to point B? Now you can! DeLorme has long been well-known as one of the top Atlas & Gazateer manufacturers. Now that people are getting more high-tech, DeLorme has brought out software solutions to better serve their customers.

Enter the Earthmate®

The Earthmate is nothing more than a GPS receiver that can be plugged into a computer to use appropriate software to display it's data. DeLorme makes many products that do this, like Topo USA, 3-D TopoQuads, and others. The Earthmate is simple to use and fits in a shirt pocket. The yellow receiver is powered by 4 AAA batteries and comes with a plenty-long cable which ends at a serial connector. If you are using a laptop, it would plug right in. The best way to buy the unit is in a package with various other DeLorme products, for example, their Road Warrior package, which includes Street Atlas USA, Solus Pro and an adaptor cable for $199. On DeLorme's website, they also sell blemished Earthmates for just $89.95.

Where are we going with all of this, you may ask?

Enter Solus Pro 1.5®

3COM CableSo let's now assume you've bought a blemished (scratched, etc.) Earthmate for $89.95. What do you do now? You will still need to buck up another $19.95 for an adapter cable to get the Earthmate into your Palm or Windows CE device. Lastly, you will need Solus Pro 1.5 software. This $39.95 program is very simple to install and use and is what will make your Earthmate talk to the Palm.

Note: You do NOT need to buy an Earthmate if you already own a GPS unit. In this case, you will just need to get the $19.95 cable and the Solus Pro software. Total cost is then under $60.

 

So...how does it work? --->>>

 

 

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