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Garmin International today introduced the iQue 3200, which joins its iQue 3600 as the only Palm-based handhelds that offer fully integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Two weeks ago, Garmin competitor Navman two weeks ago unveiled the Navman PiN (Personal Interactive Navigation), the first Pocket PC with an integrated GPS receiver.

Like the iQue 3600, which earned a Best of Innovations award at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show, the iQue 3200 features Garmin's Que technology. This set of applications provides the user with the benefits of GPS navigation, including pinpoint location awareness on an electronic map, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance.

In addition, Que technology fully integrates organization and navigation capabilities in the iQue 3200, allowing users to attach a "location stamp" to a contact in their Address Book or an appointment in their Date Book. The user can then follow voice prompts along a series of turns to the selected location.

In terms of hardware specifications, the iQue 3200 features a 320x320 pixel and 65,536 color high resolution display. Unlike the iQUE 3600, which features a virtual Graffiti area, the iQUE 3200 uses a dedicated Graffiti area for data input. This reduces the amount of screen real-estate for other applications, including navigation. The usable screen areea on the iQUE 3200 measures 3.0 inches. The iQUE 3600's display resolution is a higher 320x480 pixels.

The iQUE 3200 runs on Palm OS 5.2 and a 200-MHz Motorola DragonBall MXL processor. It has 32MB of RAM and an SDIO-enabled Secure Digital slot for memory and peripheral expansion. The unit measures 2.8 x 5.0 x 0.8-inches, the same as the iQUE 3600, and weighs 5.2 ounces. It appears that its lithium-ion battery is rechargeable but not replaceable.

According to Garmin, the iQUE 3200 should hits stores sometime in early August for about $536. It will ship standard with a MapSource City Select CD, USB recharging synchronization cradle, AC adapter, automotive windshield mount with integrated charger and speaker, installation CD with owner's manual, and quick-reference guide.