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Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / May 2007GPS Handhelds That Work with OS X
Is there a list of GPS receivers that will a) work easily with OSX b) use USB, not a custom adaptor c) use a non-proprietary format, say NMEA or gpsx? I see that GPSy has just been updated. Do folks have other software recommendations once I get the hardware? I know for a long time Garmin refused to support Macs so my first preferernce would be for a non Garmin handheld. Thanks for the assistance. > Is there a list of GPS receivers that will > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Thanks for the assistance. I have a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx. It has a USB interface that the Mac immediately recognizes (unlike Widows). Garmin now has (in beta) both the WebUpdater and POI Loader apps and they seem to work well. I also use MacGPS Pro and it, too, works well with the 60CSx. I don't know off-hand of a list of GPS receivers that meet you needs, but I wouldn't be surprised that there's one out there somewhere. Good Luck! BR On 5/6/07 2:31 AM, "Bream Rockmetteller" <breamdotrockmettelleratmacdotcom> wrote: >> Is there a list of GPS receivers that will >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > the WebUpdater and POI Loader apps and they seem to work well. I also > use MacGPS Pro and it, too, works well with the 60CSx. Good information. I have long looked for a handheld GPS that works well with a Mac. It sounds like there is progress on that front. Do you know if the Garmin units support the use of desk-top topographic map software for planning hiking trails and then downloading to the GPS device? > On 5/6/07 2:31 AM, "Bream Rockmetteller" <breamdotrockmettelleratmacdotcom> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Do you know if the Garmin units support the use of desk-top topographic map > software for planning hiking trails and then downloading to the GPS device? Yes! I can plot waypoints in MacGPS Pro then load them into the 60CSx with the POI Loader app. The waypoints and tracks can also be saved as .kml files and displayed in Google Earth. Useful and lots of fun! BR On 5/6/07 5:09 PM, "Bream Rockmetteller" <breamdotrockmettelleratmacdotcom> wrote: >> On 5/6/07 2:31 AM, "Bream Rockmetteller" <breamdotrockmettelleratmacdotcom> >> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > with the POI Loader app. The waypoints and tracks can also be saved as > .kml files and displayed in Google Earth. That is not quite what I was looking for. The built-in topo maps installed in most GPS systems are very crude, large scale. If I use a product like TOPO! To view maps on my desktop, I design a complete path, not just way points. On a Windows system, I can download the higher resolution map for the area of interest as well as the path that I have selected to a GPS device. Is there anything that works similarly with the Garmin GPS units? I looked around the Garmin websie and could find nothing except a beta version of the software the updates the GPS firmware. > The built-in topo maps installed in most GPS systems are very crude, large > scale. If I use a product like TOPO! To view maps on my desktop, I design a > complete path, not just way points. On a Windows system, I can download the > higher resolution map for the area of interest as well as the path that I > have selected to a GPS device. You did this with a Garmin GPS, or some other? Back when I was looking at this, only maps in the proprietary Garmin format could be downloaded to the unit.  SignatureBill Mitchell Dept of Mathematics, The University of Florida PO Box 118105, Gainesville, FL 32611--8105 mitchell@math.ufl.edu (352) 392-0281 x284 >> The built-in topo maps installed in most GPS systems are very crude, large >> scale. If I use a product like TOPO! To view maps on my desktop, I design a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > looking at this, only maps in the proprietary Garmin format could be > downloaded to the unit. Well, at least with the unit I have, I can only install a Garmin-provided map which is, indeed, pretty crude. Not being familiar with Garmin's Windows offerings, I don't know if hi-res maps can be loaded on to any of their devices. I just use the lo-res display as reference then transfer the tracks and waypoints to the hi-res maps on my Mac. BR > I know for a long time Garmin refused to support Macs so my first > preferernce would be for a non Garmin handheld. Robert- I would agree, but then I might not have a GPS at all. I currently have the Garmin Nuvi 350. Connecting via USB, it shows up on the Mac desktop as a hard drive. If it has an SD flash RAM card installed, that also shows up as a separate HD. Using advice from here and the forums at http://www.gpspassion.com, I've been able to download firmware updates and install them using the Macintosh, in spite of Garmin's lack of support! Let us know if you find one that does claim to support Macs. Fred > Is there a list of GPS receivers that will > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Thanks for the assistance. all garmin units support nmea; some units have usb, others have serial and some have both usb and serial. garmin announced full mac support at macworld expo, 2006. they missed their claimed ship date of late 2006, but they still plan on bringing full support for their gps units to the mac (finally). some already exist, such as poi loader, but the one most people want, mapsource, is still vaporware. until that happens, garmin gps units will work fine with virtual pc, parallels (minor quirks, depending on gps unit) and vmware. i've been using garmin gps units for over 7 years on a mac without a problem. >> Is there a list of GPS receivers that will >> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > parallels (minor quirks, depending on gps unit) and vmware. i've been > using garmin gps units for over 7 years on a mac without a problem. As the original poster I want to thank everybody who gave advice. As to this poster, it seems strange to say you've used Garmin on Macs and then name 3 virtual PC environments. Not exactly what I meant. > > all garmin units support nmea; some units have usb, others have serial > > and some have both usb and serial. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > As to this poster, it seems strange to say you've used Garmin on Macs > and then name 3 virtual PC environments. Not exactly what I meant. i realize that. as i said, garmin is planning on full mac support for all of their software (some of which have already been released). however, in the short term, windows emulation works fine. > Is there a list of GPS receivers that will > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I know for a long time Garmin refused to support Macs so my first > preferernce would be for a non Garmin handheld. I got a Garmin GPSMap60, which had all kinds of USB problems in that most of the time it wouldn't recognize that I had plugged it in to the computer. It's now back at the store. I've pretty much decided on replacing it with the Magellan explorist 500, which apparently shows up in the Finder as a file system when you plug it in. I haven't gotten it yet, though, and I might decide on something else. When the Garmin was working, I was using GPSbabel+ to get data to and from it, and to translate files to, for instance, kml. gpsbabel's home page: <http://www.gpsbabel.org/> And this person has put together some stuff: <http://chimbisimo.googlepages.com/resources> HTH. Signaturehttp://www.xoverboard.com/cartoons/2007/070416_argument.html My TomTom 910 works with the Mac, permitting me to load POIs with its Home program for Mac. But the combination falls short: PC users can manipulate their TomTom's screen from their computer for such things as trip planning. I can't. But I don't think PC users can print out, for example, a route prepared on their TomTom through their computer. SignatureBob Ball If you want to think positive thoughts, surround yourself with positive people. If you want to email me, eliminate the negative. |
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