Yesterday I ordered a DeLorme PN-40 SE GPS with Topo USA 7.  It should arrive tomorrow.  This is significant for me, as I’ve been a Garmin user since I first started using a GPS back in 1995.  A friend asked me what GPS receivers I own/have owned and the list I came up with was:

• Garmin GPS 40 (December, 1995)
• Garmin GPS 12
• Garmin GPS 12XL
• Garmin GPS II
• Garmin GPS III
• Garmin GPS III+
• Garmin GPS V
• Garmin eTrex Vista
• Garmin Rino 120
• Garmin GPSMap 60CS (May, 2004)
• Garmin GPSMap 60CSx (January, 2006)
• Bluetooth hockey puck (June 2007)
• Garmin Colorado 400t (January, 2008)
• DeLorme PN-40 SE (December, 2008)

As you can see, I’ve not strayed from Garmin with the exception of a cheap Bluetooth receiver I got for use with my HPC.  Why the choice to go with DeLorme and the PN-40?

• As a map kind of guy, I am eager to explore the many map layers (aerial imagery, topo maps, vector data, etc.) that are supported by this unit.
• Even with constant upgrade to the latest technology, I’ve always considered my GPS receivers to be underpowered: slow to redraw, slow to update, etc.  The initial reports are that the PN-40 with its dual processors, one dedicated to GPS functions and the other dedicated to display and other user interface functions, flat-out screams.
• Various frustrations with the Garmin Colorado and no indication of solutions on the horizon.

I’ll post an initial review of the PN-40 once I have had a chance to play with it some.