EXHIBIT 99.1

        Trimble Announces Transition of Chief Financial Officer Position

SUNNYVALE,  Calif.,  Aug. 9, 2004 - Trimble (Nasdaq:  TRMB) today announced that
Mary Ellen Genovese,  chief financial officer,  will leave Trimble on August 13,
2004 to become chief financial officer of a privately-held  technology  company.
The  Company  has  begun  a  search  for her  replacement  and  has  named  Mark
Harrington,  who joined  Trimble in January  2004 as vice  president of business
development and strategy, as its interim chief financial officer.

"We wish Mary Ellen the best of luck in the  future,"  said Steven W.  Berglund,
Trimble's president and chief executive officer. "She has been an important part
of Trimble's  turn-around over the past few years,  playing significant roles in
acquisitions,  cost cutting  initiatives  and the  restructuring  of our capital
structure.  She has  also  built a  strong  finance  team  for  Trimble  and has
increased Trimble's visibility in the investment community."

Berglund continued "We are fortunate to have Mark Harrington available to assume
the interim CFO role. His extensive experience as a senior financial officer for
several companies should help ease this transition period as we conduct a search
for a permanent CFO."

Mark Harrington  previously  served as vice president of finance for Finisar and
chief financial  officer for Cielo  Communications  and Vixel  Corporation.  His
experience  also  includes  11 years at  Spectra-Physics  where he  served  in a
variety of roles including vice president of finance for Spectra-Physics Lasers,
Inc. and vice president of finance for Spectra-Physics Analytical, Inc.

About Trimble
Trimble is a leading innovator of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. In
addition to providing  advanced GPS components,  Trimble augments GPS with other
positioning  technologies,  as well as wireless  communications and software, to
create complete  customer  solutions.  Trimble's  worldwide  presence and unique
capabilities position the Company for growth in emerging applications  including
surveying,  automobile navigation,  machine guidance,  asset tracking,  wireless
platforms,   and   telecommunications   infrastructure.   Founded  in  1978  and
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Trimble has more than 2,000 employees in
more than 20 countries  worldwide.  For an interactive  look at Company news and
products, visit Trimble's Web site at http://www.trimble.com