Rand McNally, the company known for 150 years for helping travelers safely get to and from their destinations, has introduced its latest mapping and navigation tool: the Rand McNally GPS Navigator. The Rand McNally GPS Navigator is the first portable navigation device from the provider of America's most trusted maps and directions. Rand McNally has combined its leadership in navigation, its extensive understanding of travel needs and the latest technology to create an intuitive GPS navigation system that is simple enough for everyone to use. GPS Built on Trust and Experience As with all other Rand McNally products, the trusted mapmaker leveraged its experience and consumer research to develop a product with features consumers want. "With 150 years' experience helping tens of millions of customers plan trips and get safely to and from their destinations, we were not surprised when recent independent research concluded that drivers trust Rand McNally more than any leading GPS brand for accurate directions," said Robert Apatoff, president and chief executive officer of Rand McNally. "As with all Rand McNally travel tools, the GPS Navigator will help get drivers where they need to go quickly, easily and safely." Improving on Basic GPS The Rand McNally GPS Navigator provides a rich feature set at an affordable price. In addition to features drivers would expect in a leading GPS device -- such as an easy-to-read 3.5-inch color touch screen, clear and accurate voice-prompted directions, and automatic rerouting for missed turns -- Rand McNally has included travel tools drivers won't find anywhere else. In response to extensive consumer feedback, the Rand McNally GPS Navigator comes with a specially designed, companion printed road atlas and trip planner to help overcome the limits of any small device screen in providing the "big-picture" perspective drivers want. To further help travelers decide where to go and what to do along the way, the travel experts at Rand McNally loaded the GPS Navigator with 26 Rand McNally award-winning Best of the Road(TM) trips. Each Best of the Road trip provides a specially selected driving itinerary complete with attractions, restaurants and shops, all created by Rand McNally's award-winning editorial staff. Recognizing that GPS technology is new to many consumers, Rand McNally wants to make sure it doesn't leave drivers stranded. Rather than providing technical support only during regular business hours, as other leading GPS providers do, Rand McNally will dramatically increase the number of hours per week technical support is available -- including well into the evenings and on weekends, when drivers are most likely to make their purchases. GPS Navigator Compact, Easy to Transport Travelers who prefer to pack light need not worry: The Rand McNally GPS Navigator has a slim, lightweight design that is an inch thinner than many GPS devices in its class. As a result, it occupies less space on the dashboard and easily fits in a briefcase or purse. To enhance the user's experience, the GPS Navigator also features a new, highly sensitive GPS receiver -- the SiRF III chip -- as well as multi-stop route planning, a detour button to route quickly around traffic and a "Go Home" button that directs the driver home from any location. The Rand McNally GPS Navigator will be available for $499.99 exclusively at www.RandMcNally.com/gps and Amazon.com starting Sept. 18 before being made available more widely in October. About Rand McNally & Company Rand McNally is North America's largest commercial maker of national and local maps, street guides and atlases. The company's print and electronic products include America's No. 1 Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide map books, custom-made wall maps on the Web, navigation solutions and online maps, directions and trip planning at www.randmcnally.com. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2006, Rand McNally offers the most trusted tools to discover, map and navigate your world. The company leads the way with innovative products and services for the consumer, business, education and commercial transportation markets. For more information, visit www.randmcnally.com or call (800) 333-0136.