GPS & Mac

[rreffner]

I'm new to GPS and just became a "switcher" less than a year ago. Having said that, I adore my Mac and hope to never go back to Windows. I want a state-of-the-art GPS and use my Mac platform. Anything available now, should I wait OR should I fire up my P4 notebook?

[bpeterson]

the short answer is fire up the p4 notebook. there's really no elegant solution out there for us Mac users. Even virtualPC doesn't cut it.

do a search on the forum for "MAC GPS" and you'll find a bunch of threads that discuss the problem in greater detail.

oh, and welcome to the asylum!

[dirtypumpkin]

I use Virtual PC with the Garmin Mapsource Topo sotware.
Its bareable/functional, but not great.

There are several free/shareware programs out there that I have not
taken to time to fool around with. Tray a search for GPS under OSX here:

www.versiontracker.com

[RL Lemke]

I've been using Mac since the original with everybody’s signature inside the case. However, for Garmin GPS use, I bought a cheap windows machine. I only use it for Mapsource, and leave it unconnected to the Internet. No viruses that way.

Garmin doesn't seem interested in changing any time soon. So, the $400 windows set up works fine for me.

[Donkey Hotey]

Umm...yeah, me too. I got a Pentium 100 with Win 95 to load my GPS III+. That's all I used it for. It was GIVEN to me by somebody upgrading. It was far easier to get a minimum configuration PC to load the GPS than to load Winblows on a Mac.

Garmin had some copy protection scheme that looked for the GPS on the serial port. The emulated port didn't send whatever signal the software was looking for an it wouldn't launch on my 8.1/7600 Mac.

[PozoRider]

Forget Windows and Virtual PC. Check out MacGPS Pro.

MacGPS Pro

Rich

[RL Lemke]

Originally Posted by PozoRider

Forget Windows and Virtual PC. Check out MacGPS Pro.

MacGPS Pro

Rich

This is great software for laying out detail rides from your computer. A lot like the Touratech software for windows. However, for loading the Mapsource maps into your Garmin GPS, you have to use the demon spawn windows machine.

[DoctorIt]

Originally Posted by RL Lemke

This is great software for laying out detail rides from your computer. A lot like the Touratech software for windows. However, for loading the Mapsource maps into your Garmin GPS, you have to use the demon spawn windows machine.

Unfortunately, yes. Please search the advrider (many threads), we've attacked this from many angles including serial/usb adapters, Virtual PC, other emulators, etc. Bottom line, the code that dictates communication from computer to Garmin GPS unit is IMPOSSIBLE via Mac. Many, including me, have contacted Garmin directly to get some help, there simply is none.


Yes, there are great Mac GPS solutions for routing, but none for getting any info over to your handlebar mounted unit.

Put me down as another owner of a super cheapo windows laptop whose only purpose in life is to run Mapsource.

[DoctorIt]

I may be eating my words, but if this is true, I'd be happy to...

from MacGPS pro, there is a list of specific Garmin units which they sell as "Mac packages", for example, mine, 60cs on this page:
http://www.macgpspro.com/html/newhtm...psmap60cs.html

Accepts detailed map data (transfer with Virtual PC)
from Garmin Map Source CDROMs such as:

City Select CDROM $ 119.99
U.S.A. Topo Map CDROM $ 99.99

I sent them an email trying to get clarification on: am I an idiot, will Mapsource work with this on VPC and I'm doing something silly wrong? or do you need to somewhere install MacGPSpro to make it communicate?

I await a reply with bated breath...

[markgsnw]

I'm another "cheap PC for loading the Garmin" user. Wish I didn't have to, I wince every time I connect it to the internet for a Garmin update.

[Mr.Grumpy]

I also use my girlfriend's laptop to store my maps and stuff. When I first got my GPS, about six months ago, I talked extensively with a rep a Garmin who said that they were working on a Mac port of thier software. They had a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of cvomputers and dedicated Mac programers working in them. I guess it isn't out yet.

[dlew]

After days of experimentation and purchase of different USB adapters I finally got my 276C to interface with Virtual PC on an older mac running classic and it even worked through the USB.

I can limp along and add routes and change maps but it's such a pain and so tempermental I rarely do it.

If I had to do it all over again I'd buy a PC laptop just for the Garmin.

[Fool4Buell]

I have to echo the consensus: get a PC for loading MapSource.

BUT! Apple will be releasing Macs on Intel chips (MacIntels) in the next six months (maybe January). These will be able to boot Windows. Doesn’t get you around having to run Windows but you can have one machine do it all.

[Guaglione]

Originally Posted by DoctorIt

I may be eating my words, but if this is true, I'd be happy to...

from MacGPS pro, there is a list of specific Garmin units which they sell as "Mac packages", for example, mine, 60cs on this page:
http://www.macgpspro.com/html/newhtm...psmap60cs.html



I sent them an email trying to get clarification on: am I an idiot, will Mapsource work with this on VPC and I'm doing something silly wrong? or do you need to somewhere install MacGPSpro to make it communicate?

I await a reply with bated breath...

thank god the 276c is not listed there. OTherwise I wasted a bunch of money on a PC...

Yup, I am Mac user with a PC that I use only for the GPS/Mapsource stuff.

[Ron Seida]

...I've been studying the mac option for the last few weeks now, hate PC and all the filthy vermin that comes with it. As far as loading mapsouce with VPC i came up with this link worth reading: www.macosx.com/content/faq.php/q277/garmin-gps-60cs-and-virtual-pc-7.

www.macwindows.com/VPC6.html#garmin

Haven't tried this myself, don't even own a Mac, but i'll buy one if i can do my gps stuff with it!



...Sorry, the second link doesn't work, but is the most valuable. After opening and reading the first macosx link, hit the macwindows link on that page.