Map software for Mac OS X, with support for GPS

I feel compeled to provide a review of it, since i posted it. I will attach my gps to my iBook on the way home tonight and write a review of this software.

It's always been my understanding that getting a Garmin or Magellan GPS to work with a Mac has been a fairly dicey undertaking--requiring Virtual PC or other modifications. Does this do anything to solve that "problem."

Also, I thought all GPS units were still stuck in the 90s and don't support USB. Has that changed too?

I'd be very happy if there were now an easy GPS solution for Mac owners.

Bluetooth GPS

My dad just purchased this software this week and I helped him set it up.

He's got a 15" PowerBook, so he also bought a BlueTooth GPS receiver. http://www.devbuzz.com/mp/87622.asp

After setting it up as a serial device using the Bluetooth Serial Utility and configuring Route 66, it worked perfectly.

Didn't get a chance to drive anywhere with it and test it, but if you zoomed in on the map and walked across the room, you could see the GPS crosshairs follow your movements.

I was impressed. Gotta save up some money and get it for myself now.

Sorry for the delay

I finally got aroung to testing it in my car with my iBook.
iBook dual USB
Garmin GPS V
Keyspan Serial to USB converter

After installing the Keyspan drivers.
and setting my GPS to use NMEA communications. And setting Route 66's GPS pref.'s to use the same baud as the Garmin. Communications was established.
This software provides the functionality that old StreetAtlas used to. And it has a ton of locations, like restaurants and gas stations, etc. But I have found that the Garmin GPS itself is a better navigation tool than Route 66. It tells me when to turn, ex. <beep, turn left on Main St, in 200 feet>

However, as a companion, the large screen makes Route 66 a very nice tool as it follows along with the GPS.

Route 66 is rough in its GUI, resizing the window may cut off the calculate button used to create a route. And it isnt completely straight forward in the way that it is to be used.
However, it has successfully bridged the gap from Classic to OS X. Delorme StreetAtlas 6 (1999 running in Classic) and Route USA 2004 (running nativly on Panther) seem mostly like equals. StreetAtlas was more rifined and intuitive, but had many actual road errors. Route USA is up to date with maps and has many more points of interest.

In summary, I think the Mac street map software scene is years behind Windows. StreetAtlas for Mac was abandoned at 6, on Windows it is 4 generations beyond.
Route USA 2004 picks up where StreetAtlas left off, but it has a ways to go. Let's just see how soon it is updated, or if it will be abandoned like StreetAtlas.

Ultimately, we need a GPS manufaturer to sell their GPS with Mac OS X software. Because you still need a windows machine to load in the maps. The day a Garmin or Magellan puts a Mac OS X friendly GPS on the market....this entire thread is pointless.

What I need is a way to install the MAP data on to my Garmin iQue... because I had some weird problem and now my map of New York is gone...

Arg...

PM me if you can find a way to get the map on it...

Re: Sorry for the delay

Originally posted by settledown
Ultimately, we need a GPS manufaturer to sell their GPS with Mac OS X software. Because you still need a windows machine to load in the maps. The day a Garmin or Magellan puts a Mac OS X friendly GPS on the market....this entire thread is pointless.

Click to expand...

Yeah. Here this stupid Garmin?

Make your Mapsource program and firmware updater be able to run on OS X?

point taken

i own 2 gps's right now, but if garmin came out with a new mac friendly one, id buy it, sight unseen, without reservation.

the GPS world is uncharted territory for Macs, with Apple entering "niche" markets with garageBand...maybe they could enter another "niche" market with "iGPS" or GarageMap.
By the way Garmin and Magellan sold $8 Billion worth of GPS's last year. That is Billion with a B.

settledown said:

I finally got aroung to testing it in my car with my iBook.
iBook dual USB
Garmin GPS V
Keyspan Serial to USB converter

Click to expand...

Is the GPS V usable without a Windows box? I'd like to buy a GPS receiver for use with my PowerBook, but I don't want to have to track down a Windows machine for the sake of the GPS V :-/.

To my knowledge, none of Garmin's products, and I mean, NONE, have Macintosh support.

I have sent multiple emails to Garmin, asking that they support the Macintosh with their software packages like Mapsource, or their firmware updaters for the GPS units, but the answer is the same old 'Sorry, we currently do not have plans to support the Macintosh'.

Frohickey said:

I have sent multiple emails to Garmin, asking that they support the Macintosh with their software packages like Mapsource, or their firmware updaters for the GPS units, but the answer is the same old 'Sorry, we currently do not have plans to support the Macintosh'.

Click to expand...

So, is my best bet, then, to simply buy a "dumb" GPS that doesn't download map data from a computer? Maybe something like the Garmin eTrex? At least that way I could buy the PC cable along with a serial-to-USB adapter and I could use it with regular mapping apps.

Alex Bischoff said:

So, is my best bet, then, to simply buy a "dumb" GPS that doesn't download map data from a computer? Maybe something like the Garmin eTrex? At least that way I could buy the PC cable along with a serial-to-USB adapter and I could use it with regular mapping apps.

Click to expand...

yes, but then you are limited to Route USA or another package running via Virtual PC (why have a mac? ). So Route USA is really your only mac mapping software, which for some reason the 2004 edition, recently got pulled from the Apple store's shelves. Also note that it is a "map up" (north always) not a "track up" application, so if you are an individual like moi who cannot tell your right from your left...

Pretty much all GPSes and map software are for the PC. If they touch the Mac, its in passing or as an afterthought.

You could go on a letter-writing campaign, one letter a week to the Garmin CEO asking for a Mac version. Or, how about a protest/picket line at the Garmin HQ. If the security guard asks what you are doing outside the Garmin HQ, you can tell them that you are lost because Garmin hasn't made the Mac version of their software.

And that you are gonna stay 'lost' until they do.

rdrr said:

yes, but then you are limited to Route USA or another package running via Virtual PC (why have a mac? ). So Route USA is really your only mac mapping software, which for some reason the 2004 edition, recently got pulled from the Apple store's shelves.

Click to expand...

So, do the map apps mentioned in this thread (Delorme 2004+, MS streets + trips, Rand McNally, Route 66...) also only work through Virtual PC or are they Mac-native but don't support GPS?

Alex Bischoff said:

So, do the map apps mentioned in this thread (Delorme 2004+, MS streets + trips, Rand McNally, Route 66...) also only work through Virtual PC or are they Mac-native but don't support GPS?

Click to expand...

Route 66 is mac native with gps support(the navigation is map up rather than track up), but as I mentioned there is something up with it. I had a problem installing it. Disk 3 of 3 was bad and wouldn't mount up. When I returned it to the Apple Store here in Salem NH, they told me they couldn't exchange it for another package because they had just taken all remaining copies off of the shelf (Mar 19, 2004). My inquires to Route 66 as to the reason why it has been pulled from the shelves, have gone unanswered.

i have heard this page works well
http://www.chimoosoft.com/gpsconnect.html
though i have not bought a serial adapter and tried it myself.

National Geographic just came out with software for topo maps that work with mac. . . though again you run into the serial to USB problem.

http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/mapstore/software.cfm

i have sen a couple of new GPS (from garmin) that have USB native hardware (you dont have to buy a serial adapter) so maybe that will mac it easier to develope mac software. until then i will use my antient P2 wintel box for my garmin GPS V

How do I know what GPS systems can hook up to the mac? I'm looking for a low cost way to have GPS in my car and I thought that using Route 66 and some gps reciever would be the best bet.

I'm also interested in this.

I'm taking a road trip in August, and I figured I'd take my 15" powerbook with the Route 66 software. I'd like to use a GPS unit too.

Any recomendations what I can use with my mac and this Route 66 software?

Thanks.