Magellan, a leader of innovative GPS devices for vehicles, fitness, outdoor and mobile navigation, celebrates the 25th anniversary of its NAV 1000 handheld GPS. The NAV 1000 was the world’s first commercial handheld GPS receiver that entered the market in 1989. Developed for the marine market, the NAV 1000 made the accuracy of GPS available to a large commercial and recreational boating community.

“Magellan was built on innovation with the NAV 1000, the first handheld GPS to be available commercially,” said Peggy Fong, president of MiTAC Digital Corporation. “We are proud to continue this tradition of innovation with current products such as Echo, the Smart Sports Watch, and SmartGPS, a cloud-based connected car navigator.  The latest version of the SmartGPS Eco System will be showcased at the Telematics Detroit show June 4-5.”

Stewart Wolpin at Mashable has posted a great article on the 25th anniversary of the NAV 1000 (http://mashable.com/2014/05/25/commercial-gps-25-anniversary/) delivered to retailers for the first time 25 years ago. The NAV 1000 is on display in the “Time and Navigation” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Its significant contribution to the development of GPS technology has been recognized by numerous publications, including:

• TIME Magazine “All-TIME 100 Gadgets”
• Popular Mechanics “101 Gadgets That Changed the World”
• Outside Magazine “The Most Influential Gear of All Time”
• Maximum PC “The 50 Most Important Handheld Devices of All Time”
• Complex “The 80 Best Gadgets of the ‘80s”

The Magellan NAV 1000 revolutionized marine navigation with its unprecedented size, portability, price and, in particular, its ability to compute GPS information while consuming very little power (running off of 6 AA alkaline batteries.) In approximately four minutes, the NAV 1000 provided the user with an LCD readout of latitude and longitude expressed in degrees and minutes.

The handheld unit measured 8.75 inches by 3.5 inches by 2.25 inches, and weighed only 1.5 pounds. In addition, the unit was waterproof, non-corrosive, buoyant and constructed of a durable compound to withstand shock, vibration, humidity and temperature extremes.

The Magellan NAV 1000 was publicly introduced at the International Marine Trade Exhibition Conference (IMTEC), Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 1988 in Chicago and at the Fish Expo, Oct. 12 – 15, 1988 in Boston, before entering the market in May 1989.

For more information, visit www.magellangps.com.

Image courtesy Magellan