One of the things I'm researching as a Christmas gift for my husband is a handheld GPS. I know he's wanted one for some time now--and after having wandered around lost in a marsh while deer hunting with the boys this fall, it's a critical piece of equipment in my eyes.
I was considering the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color GPS HOWEVER we are a purely Mac household. Can anyone tell me if they are Mac compatible? I haven't been able to find a conclusive answer.
Do any of you have other recommendations for Mac users (we're running OS 10 Leopard)?
Thanks very much.
Sarah
Mapping handheld GPS
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Dave Quindt
- Rank: 5X Champion
- Posts: 876
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:22 pm
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Dude
From the Garmin site
"By the end of 2006, Garmin intends to have made all its popular hardware and software applications Mac OS X compatible. This includes the ability to load MapSource map data to Garmin units via a Mac, as well as waypoint and trip planning applications. Additionally, the Garmin nRoute application will allow Powerbook and iBook users to turn their laptop into a powerful street navigation tool with Garmin’s GPS 10 or GPS 18 sensors."
The full press release can be seen at:
http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/011006.html
"By the end of 2006, Garmin intends to have made all its popular hardware and software applications Mac OS X compatible. This includes the ability to load MapSource map data to Garmin units via a Mac, as well as waypoint and trip planning applications. Additionally, the Garmin nRoute application will allow Powerbook and iBook users to turn their laptop into a powerful street navigation tool with Garmin’s GPS 10 or GPS 18 sensors."
The full press release can be seen at:
http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/011006.html
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prairiefire
Thanks very much to you both.
I actually did see the release and was hopeful that, in late 2007, they'd be there. But after a lot of digging I've found that Garmin has fallen far, far short of it's goals. You can use a Mac to upload maps, but not waypoints, routes, etc... You lose a lot of functionality. I've also heard that their customer support for Mac users is poor. While I'd love to get one, I think I'll put the GPS off until they get their ducks in a row. We shouldn't have to buy and install Windows--and then switch to that platform just to use the device. Grrrr... Seems like there's a niche market here and no one is seriously interested in tapping into it.
I actually did see the release and was hopeful that, in late 2007, they'd be there. But after a lot of digging I've found that Garmin has fallen far, far short of it's goals. You can use a Mac to upload maps, but not waypoints, routes, etc... You lose a lot of functionality. I've also heard that their customer support for Mac users is poor. While I'd love to get one, I think I'll put the GPS off until they get their ducks in a row. We shouldn't have to buy and install Windows--and then switch to that platform just to use the device. Grrrr... Seems like there's a niche market here and no one is seriously interested in tapping into it.
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rstbkt69
- Rank: Master Hunter
- Posts: 240
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:05 am
- Location: Ridgecrest Calif.
I know that this answer is way past Christmas but I thought I'd give you some input anyway. I too got lost in an unfamilliar area with my son then 10 yrs old and bought a garmin unit right after that. This unit didn't have any map support and didn't have a base map either and it was very easy to use. Just turn it on mark the spot I was parked in and then to save batteries turn the unit off. If I found a spot I wanted to get to later I would turn it on and after a minute was able to mark and label that spot. When I wanted to see where the truck was and how far away it was I would use the goto function and have the bearing and distance from my truck. It was also very easy to teach my son how to use. It has a trail/route making ability but who wants to hunt in the same spot you just walked.
I have the very e-trex unit you were asking about now, birthday gift, and have the software for the topo maps and I guess the maps are ok to have with you but I can see what the land and terrain looks like when I am in the field, I always use a map site on the internet to look at the terrain before I go someplace. All I want to know is which way to the truck. My point is I think if you want piece of mind out in the field or marsh any GPS with even a base loaded map if you need a map is better than a few hours lost with your kids.
JIm
I have the very e-trex unit you were asking about now, birthday gift, and have the software for the topo maps and I guess the maps are ok to have with you but I can see what the land and terrain looks like when I am in the field, I always use a map site on the internet to look at the terrain before I go someplace. All I want to know is which way to the truck. My point is I think if you want piece of mind out in the field or marsh any GPS with even a base loaded map if you need a map is better than a few hours lost with your kids.
JIm
Being the tech junkie that I am, I have several different navigation devices I use. GPS is great, I have a couple of different ones, and my next acquisition is going to be the Garmin Rino 530 HCx (I got my dad one for Christmas).
But despite possessing a well-honed sense of direction, I never wander out in unfamiliar territory without a compass. The batteries won't go dead in a compass!
And while I don't want to turn this into a "survival in the wilds" post, if your batteries go dead and you break your compass, just remember the cardinal rule of getting un-lost: Find a stream, and follow it downstream until you come to a road. If it sounds simple, it is!
But despite possessing a well-honed sense of direction, I never wander out in unfamiliar territory without a compass. The batteries won't go dead in a compass!
And while I don't want to turn this into a "survival in the wilds" post, if your batteries go dead and you break your compass, just remember the cardinal rule of getting un-lost: Find a stream, and follow it downstream until you come to a road. If it sounds simple, it is!
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Phil Kelly
Garmin and Mac
Garmin has come a VERY long way with Mac.
Garmin announced that it has expanded its suite of Mac compatible applications to include waypoint, track, and route management. As with other Garmin applications, this new trip planning application is compatible with Mac OS X on Intel- and PPC-based Macs and may be used in conjunction with all Garmin USB devices. Maybe not as cool as a MacBook Air, but still good news for Mac folks.
It's pretty good to see more and more applications coming for the Mac from Garmin. It was just 2 years ago when they announced that they were going to launch Mac compatible programs and devices. Since then we've seen a steady stream of news that they've converted one more application. It started with fitness based items first, and continues to the management of their main navigation device lines.
Thanks to this new application, Mac users will now be able to transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes between their Mac and Garmin device and manage their data using Garmin's rich catalog of map products.
Users can search for points of interest from the convenience of their Macs and then send the locations to their Garmin GPS via a USB cable. These favorite points of interest will then be available for quick and easy reference on their Garmin GPS. In addition, customers who want to save and view all of their favorite waypoints or tracks on their computer, rather than their GPS, can send these with a few simple keystrokes.
This new Mac trip planning application is being debuted as a pre-release version in time for the Macworld Conference & Expo. Garmin plans to include additional features to this application by the end of 2008 -- such as route editing and find by address function.
Garmin, the world's leading GPS manufacturer, has released MapInstall, POI Loader, Training Center, WebUpdater, Garmin Communicator and Retail Map Update for the Mac. In addition, Garmin released a utility MapConverter, to convert your legacy PC based Garmin map products to Mac format.
Garmin will distribute a complimentary copy of its current suite of applications at the Macworld Conference & Expo, January 15-18, 2008, in San Francisco. Those unable to attend Macworld can download the Mac compatible software for free immediately at http://www.garmin.com/macosx
Garmin announced that it has expanded its suite of Mac compatible applications to include waypoint, track, and route management. As with other Garmin applications, this new trip planning application is compatible with Mac OS X on Intel- and PPC-based Macs and may be used in conjunction with all Garmin USB devices. Maybe not as cool as a MacBook Air, but still good news for Mac folks.
It's pretty good to see more and more applications coming for the Mac from Garmin. It was just 2 years ago when they announced that they were going to launch Mac compatible programs and devices. Since then we've seen a steady stream of news that they've converted one more application. It started with fitness based items first, and continues to the management of their main navigation device lines.
Thanks to this new application, Mac users will now be able to transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes between their Mac and Garmin device and manage their data using Garmin's rich catalog of map products.
Users can search for points of interest from the convenience of their Macs and then send the locations to their Garmin GPS via a USB cable. These favorite points of interest will then be available for quick and easy reference on their Garmin GPS. In addition, customers who want to save and view all of their favorite waypoints or tracks on their computer, rather than their GPS, can send these with a few simple keystrokes.
This new Mac trip planning application is being debuted as a pre-release version in time for the Macworld Conference & Expo. Garmin plans to include additional features to this application by the end of 2008 -- such as route editing and find by address function.
Garmin, the world's leading GPS manufacturer, has released MapInstall, POI Loader, Training Center, WebUpdater, Garmin Communicator and Retail Map Update for the Mac. In addition, Garmin released a utility MapConverter, to convert your legacy PC based Garmin map products to Mac format.
Garmin will distribute a complimentary copy of its current suite of applications at the Macworld Conference & Expo, January 15-18, 2008, in San Francisco. Those unable to attend Macworld can download the Mac compatible software for free immediately at http://www.garmin.com/macosx
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prairiefire
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Phil Kelly
Prairefire; that was copied and pasted from GPS Lodge. Why the acknowledgement did not post I don't know, but their reviews have been very helpful, both good and bad. So far they have steered me in the right direction. http://www.gpslodge.com/