4-MAY-2004, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tripod Data Systems Offers $400 Trade-in on HP 48 Survey Cards
Promotion gives survey professionals additional incentive to upgrade to the TDS Recon

Contacts:

Amy Urban
Tripod Data Systems
541-753-9322
amyu@tdsway.com

Julia Oliver
Sanda Communications
503-445-2400
jo@sandacom.com

Corvallis, Ore.—May 4, 2004—Tripod Data Systems (TDS) announced today a new offer of $400 cash back when customers turn in an HP 48GX surveying data collection software card and buy a new TDS Recon^TM data collector with TDS Survey Pro software. The promotion follows the announcement that Hewlett-Packard will no longer produce the HP 48 calculator, which many surveyors have used to run Survey Pro, the top-selling software in the industry.

"We realize that the HP 48GX calculator has been an important tool for surveyors, and the discontinuation of that product puts them in a difficult position," said Eric Hall, TDS survey software manager. "With this offer, we're doing our part to make the transition to new technologies easier. And surveyors who have been using Survey Pro on the HP 48 will be very pleased with all the new capabilities they get with the Recon."

For surveyors who take advantage of this promotion but still want to use the HP 48 calculators for basic COGO calculations, TDS has an additional offer of $100 back on the purchase of a new TDS COGO card.

The rugged, lightweight TDS Recon runs Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, and for surveyors comes bundled with a choice of Survey Pro software. TDS Survey Pro software, the #1 choice of surveyors since 19951, gives surveyors a set of comprehensive tools to collect, work with and organize their survey data.

The trade-in promotion is valid for Recons purchased between May 3 and June 30, 2004. Additional information and promotion rules are available at www.tdsway.com/promotions.

About Tripod Data Systems

Tripod Data Systems (TDS) develops hardware and software for mobile computing applications. TDS produces rugged handheld computers for extreme outdoor and industrial environments, software for land surveying and construction applications, and GIS systems for field data collection and automation. TDS is also the U.S. distributor for Nikon survey products. TDS software has been the #1 choice of surveyors since 1995-more surveyors use Survey Pro software than all other competitors' software combined.¹

TDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble. The company is headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., and was founded in 1987. For more information about TDS, visit www.tdsway.com, e-mail survey@tdsway.com or call 541-753-9322.

¹Business News Publishing Company, "Surveying and Mapping Industry Study" 1995-2003. Includes TDS software sold by dealers and TDS partner companies.

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Tripod Data Systems, Recon and Survey Pro software products are trademarks of Tripod Data Systems. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Windows and the Windows logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.