Mapping program for Mac?

[canucklehead-biker]

Hi all,

I picked up a 2730 from another forum member last year: great unit, I like it a lot. The one issue I'm having is finding a program for the Macintosh to do trip planning, then upload as a route to the GPS. Garmin has done a decent job of releasing versions of most of their software for the Mac, but Mapsource isn't one of them (yet?).

Does anyone know of a Mac equivalent to Delorme's Street Atlas, MS Streets & Maps, etc that can save a route in a format that can be uploaded to a Garmin GPS? I've heard it's possible to do something using Google Maps, but that is only an option if you have an internet connection available, and I'm looking for something that would work in a stand-alone/offline configuration.

Thanks,

Griff

 

[daddyman]

I have only recently really started looking at route planning, and have a Mac and a 2730.

You are probably already aware, but Garmin does offer a Mac product called RoadTrip. There is also a convertor available to ah, convert, pc info.

It is located here:

Clicky

Not sure if it will do what you want, but it might be worth a shot.

Good luck.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

I have only recently really started looking at route planning, and have a Mac and a 2730.
You are probably already aware, but Garmin does offer a Mac product called RoadTrip. There is also a convertor available to ah, convert, pc info.

It is located here:

Clicky

Not sure if it will do what you want, but it might be worth a shot.

Good luck.

Yes, I've got a copy of Road Trip, and have been playing with it some, but have to say I'm seriously underwhelmed by it. It may be an an option (heck, it might be the ONLY option) but I was hoping for something with a bit more horsepower.

 

[copterchief]

I love my Mac but there are a few PC only applications that I can't live without. I use Parallels and run a copy of XP on my Mac. It works great. A free option is to run BootCamp on your Mac. That too works very well but you must choose to boot to Windows or OS X when you power on. When you decide to access applications on the other side (back over to the other OS), you reboot into that OS. You also can't cut and paste between Windows and OS X applications like you can with Parallels. I have the best of both worlds and very happy with the functionality. Give it a go and you can use MapSource or any other mapping program in the Windows environment without giving up you Mac. Only drawback is, since they are native Windows apps, you lose the Mac OS look and feel. It really magnifies how clunky Windows apps can be.

 

[Khunajawdge]

I love my Mac but there are a few PC only applications that I can't live without. I use Parallels and run a copy of XP on my Mac. It works great. A free option is to run BootCamp on your Mac. That too works very well but you must choose to boot to Windows or OS X when you power on. When you decide to access applications on the other side (back over to the other OS), you reboot into that OS. You also can't cut and paste between Windows and OS X applications like you can with Parallels. I have the best of both worlds and very happy with the functionality. Give it a go and you can use MapSource or any other mapping program in the Windows environment without giving up you Mac. Only drawback is, since they are native Windows apps, you lose the Mac OS look and feel. It really magnifies how clunky Windows apps can be.

Now "that" my good man, was to the point, and very well described! :clapping:

 

[Ian Stephens]

I've been using RoadTrip on my Mac for a couple of years now, used it to plan a trip from Calgary to Montreal in 2008, and a trip to Victoria last year. Did all the route planning and waypoints, then downloaded the routes into my Zumo 550. I was even updating routes each night on my MacBookPro, then downloaded the updated routes into the Zumo. Worked like a charm.

I recently got a cheap Garmin for the car, and thought I'd try it with RoadTrip - no luck, it seems only the higher end GPSs will interface with RoadTrip (or MapSource). Does the 2370 for sure work with MapSource?

ian

 

[tmc]

I've been using RoadTrip on my Mac for a couple of years now, used it to plan a trip from Calgary to Montreal in 2008, and a trip to Victoria last year. Did all the route planning and waypoints, then downloaded the routes into my Zumo 550. I was even updating routes each night on my MacBookPro, then downloaded the updated routes into the Zumo. Worked like a charm.
I recently got a cheap Garmin for the car, and thought I'd try it with RoadTrip - no luck, it seems only the higher end GPSs will interface with RoadTrip (or MapSource). Does the 2370 for sure work with MapSource?

ian

RoadTrip works with almost all of the newer units, but you can't upload routes unless your device allows custom routing.

I use it with my 755t no problem.

Canuklehead - do you have the full basemap installed? Also, both MapSource and RoadTrip are quirky, so there is a bit of a learning curve to work out the kinks. Once you do, they work quite well I think.

 

[happyPuppy]

Roadtrip is OK,i have been using it since it came out. However both Mapsource and Roadtrip suck IMO. I am running Bootcamp and Win 7 and using S&T 2010 to do most of my routing. I then pull into mapsource and double check it. Works pretty well so far.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Thanks for the advice folks. I've got a copy of Delorme Street Atlas, and I do have Parallels 3.0 kicking around somewhere... just not sure i have enough hard drive space on a Macbook to run it all

I'll give it a shot and report back.

Cheers,

Griff

 

[RaYzerman19]

If it helps, MS Streets & Trips 2010 can now export or import .gpx files....... and can load to a compatable GPS.

 

[wfooshee]

Since he's already got Street Atlas, he can already export GPX files (unless he's got a REALLY old one.)

I was going in here to say that the best bet is to run a Windows emulator on the Mac and use the Windows software, but that's been pretty well covered now.

I was also going to suggest the Google Maps with a conversion utility like TYRE, but you're back to the Windows emulation to run TYRE.

If interested, have a look at my thread here, comparing the various PC mapping programs with a Garmin GPS in mind.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Since he's already got Street Atlas, he can already export GPX files (unless he's got a REALLY old one.)
I was going in here to say that the best bet is to run a Windows emulator on the Mac and use the Windows software, but that's been pretty well covered now.

I was also going to suggest the Google Maps with a conversion utility like TYRE, but you're back to the Windows emulation to run TYRE.

If interested, have a look at my thread here, comparing the various PC mapping programs with a Garmin GPS in mind.

Yeah, it looks like emulation is the answer. I've got Street Atlas '09, I'll just have to find enough real estate on the hard drive to load up it, Parallels, and a copy of XP. Shame that they haven't ported one of the good mapping/planning programs to the Mac yet.

Thanks all for the advice and help... I'll let you know how it goes.

Griff

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Ok... this is turning into a bigger job than I anticipated. Here's where I'm at:

1) Not enough drive space on the existing hard drive to load Parallels and XP. Did a hardrive-ectomy on the macbook, replacing the 80 GB stock drive with a new 500 GB drive. Works fine.

2) Loaded Parallels Desktop 3 (which I got when I bought the Macbook), eventually managed to get XP loaded as well. So far so good.

3) Loaded and tried to run Street Atlas... which crashed anytime I tried to create a route. Parallels 3 isn't the most stable platform either...

4) Bit the bullet and upgraded to Parallels 5.

5) Reloaded Street Atlas... which still crashes whenever I try to do anything with it.

I can see this is going to be more fiddling than I wanted... hopefully when all is said and done it'll work...

Griff

 

[happyPuppy]

Give Streets and Trips 2010 a try, it has a 60 day trial. I know it works , I am running an iMac Snow leopard and Vista under Parallels 5. Look if you have the most recent update to StreetAtlas. It is the best of both worlds IMO, I like Final Cut Express and S&T and a Mac is the only way I can have both on the same box. Make sure you have 4 megs in the Macbook as well. It could be crashing due to lack of memory.

Ok... this is turning into a bigger job than I anticipated. Here's where I'm at:
1) Not enough drive space on the existing hard drive to load Parallels and XP. Did a hardrive-ectomy on the macbook, replacing the 80 GB stock drive with a new 500 GB drive. Works fine.

2) Loaded Parallels Desktop 3 (which I got when I bought the Macbook), eventually managed to get XP loaded as well. So far so good.

3) Loaded and tried to run Street Atlas... which crashed anytime I tried to create a route. Parallels 3 isn't the most stable platform either...

4) Bit the bullet and upgraded to Parallels 5.

5) Reloaded Street Atlas... which still crashes whenever I try to do anything with it.

I can see this is going to be more fiddling than I wanted... hopefully when all is said and done it'll work...

Griff

 

[wfooshee]

You said you had Street Atlas 2009. Did you load Service Pack 2 for that after you installed it? It's gonna need it.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

You said you had Street Atlas 2009. Did you load Service Pack 2 for that after you installed it? It's gonna need it.

Yes. I also wound up doing a TON of updates for XP. Street Atlas seems to be stable now, so I'm hoping that was the problem.

I've got 4 GB on the Macbook (as much as it can hold)... you can never have too much RAM

Thanks for the advice folks... looks like I have a solution, now to play with it and learn.

Griff

 

[wfooshee]

Yeah, I didn't think to mention XP updates, in my work that goes without saying. Even with a recent XP CD you'll still have 80-some megabytes of updates to download.

Glad you're in business!