Forums | MacLife

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 3:39 pm

I want a GPS.. But I use a Mac. I know that most of the companies now are Mac friendly. But which is the best?

I'm leaning towards a Tom Tom. My dad has one. But how friendly is its software?

What are all your favorites? Mac users of course. I want the software to be as Mac friendly as possible.

I searched, but "GPS" turns up nothing... which is weird.

resedit · 2008-12-09 4:29 pm

What do you want it for?
If you want it for driving - don't bother with a sattelite based GPS - Verizon and others have really good fake GPS in their higher end phones, will route you around traffic jams etc. and closed roads etc. via data they get over the cell phone network.

If you want to go backpacking etc. then I would suggest a Garmin.
I do not know if Garmin has Mac OS X compatible software yet, but you can use gpsbabel to get data on/off it - except for maps, maps you will probably need a windows system to load.

resedit · 2008-12-09 4:49 pm

This is how I get data on/off my garmin in Linux - in OS X /dev/ttyS0 will probably need to be something different.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
#/usr/local/bin/garmin_off.sh

DEV=/dev/ttyS0

gpsbabel -o garmin,power_off -F ${DEV} 2> /dev/null

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/garmin_down.sh
DEV=/dev/ttyS0
OUT="`date +%Y%m%d-%H%M-%S`.gpx"

gpsbabel -i garmin -f ${DEV} -o gpx -F ${OUT}

echo "Output: ${OUT}"

sh /usr/local/bin/garmin_off.sh

exit 0

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/garmin_up.sh
DEV=/dev/ttyS0
IN=$1

gpsbabel -i gpx -f ${IN} -o garmin -F ${DEV}

exit 0

I don't call the power off script in garmin_up because sometimes there are multiple gpx files I want to load waypoints from.

You can use similar scripts with almost any kind of GPS .
gpsbabel also lets you convert to/from google earth format.

Here's how I convert from gpx to kml -

Code:

#!/bin/bash
IN=$1
if [ ! -f ${IN} ]; then
  echo "File ${IN} Not Found"
  exit 1
fi
if [ `echo "${IN}" |grep -c "\.gpx$"` -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Please give me a GPX file ending in .gpx"
  exit 1
fi
OUT="`echo ${IN} |sed -e s?"\.gpx$"?".kml"?g`"

gpsbabel -i gpx -f ${IN} -o kml -F ${OUT}

echo "Output: ${OUT}"

exit 0

Really nice for viewing your waypoints in google earth.
You can modify the resulting kml file to include images you took at the waypoints.

Kind of nifty.

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 5:55 pm

I want it to take me from the East coast to the West coast, but still fix itself if I happen to take a detour.

Seriously.

And no, phones are NOT an option. I can't afford a plan on any phone. I use a freaking $15 a month Net10 prepaid. It has to be a real GPS, and I'd really like to avoid having to write silly scripts just to use it. Which is why I want something with Mac OS X software for planning and plotting directions and routes.

I kinda like the Tom Tom, is it not compatible? I thought I heard it was. But Garmin is my other choice if it has software.

Last edited by Jasoco (2008-12-09 5:56 pm)

resedit · 2008-12-09 6:05 pm

The problem you will have with real GPS is that in major cities, it will lose tracking of the satellites and not know where you are. This is due to tall buildings. I had that problem when I went to Sacramento - I put the GPS coordinates for the hotel into my Garmin and was unable to use it to find the hotel because it rarely could get satellite tracking. Cell phone triangulation works much better in large cities.

It also will not be able to adjust your route based upon traffic/construction/accidents - but that's minor.

Other than running Windows in bootcamp, I suspect you will find there is very little that has any kind of real functionality in OS X.
I wonder if Tom Tom or any of those can use the cell network to get maps etc. w/o needing to be a cell phone w/ a cell service plan.

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 6:08 pm

Someone here must own a Tom Tom for input... well, my dad does but he uses Windows. But I wonder how it performs in the city. I'll ask him when he comes home from travelling... with his Tom Tom of course. He uses it for work. He's a consultant and is in a different city all the time. So who else would know about one than him?

The main question is software.

resedit · 2008-12-09 6:20 pm

Tom Tom does have something called "EPT"

EPT is a feature that I think will become more and more popular in portable GPS devices in the near future. This feature works by sensing your car's acceleration and deceleration to give an accurate "prediction" of where you are on the map when there is no GPS signal. This feature comes in handy when driving through tunnels, through the mountains, or in cities with tall buildings. EPT effectively eliminates problems caused by dropped GPS satellite signals.

http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Mobile-D … -Review/2/

Apple seems to be hosting some software for it -

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/p … mhome.html

Apparently some people have trouble getting it to work on USB 2.0 -

http://www.silentpenguin.com/archives/2 … _love.html

-=-

http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/

Garmin also has mac software.

How good it is - I don't know. But that "EPT" feature of tomtom seems pretty cool.

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 7:05 pm

How about maps and updates. What is the charge, and is there a monthly fee or just pay when maps are updated?

justine · 2008-12-09 8:22 pm

UltimateMacUser is always recommending his Garmin Nuvi to people. He said it works great and he loves it.

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 8:25 pm

Well get him on in here!

justine · 2008-12-09 8:33 pm

I'll send him the link to this thread. smile

Macskeeball · 2008-12-09 8:44 pm

I've not used GPS myself, but I did a Google search and found an app called RouteBuddy which you may like.

Other GPS apps

Last edited by Macskeeball (2008-12-09 8:46 pm)

Jasoco · 2008-12-09 8:52 pm

I think what I need mainly is just a way to input destinations. Let the GPS tell me how to get there. For the most part.

resedit · 2008-12-09 10:02 pm

justine wrote:
UltimateMacUser is always recommending his Garmin Nuvi to people. He said it works great and he loves it.

I've been tempted - Garmin's developer site has some native Linux software for the Nüvi - it's a hopeful sign to me that someday I may be able to buy Garmin maps and use them in Linux. But I really need hand held GPS I can easily attach to my belt or bicycle, and I don't need fancy colors.

What I like about Dad's verizon fake GPS - you can specify roads you don't want it to use, so if I need to get from point A to point B on my bicycle, I can exclude the freeways that do not allow bicycle's and get a workable route. I don't know if Garmin navigation can do that. The cell phone also has audible instructions and works with a bluetooth ear piece.

TheUltimateMacUser · 2008-12-09 10:06 pm

justine wrote:
UltimateMacUser is always recommending his Garmin Nuvi to people. He said it works great and he loves it.

Justine is right, i looooooove my Garmin Nuvi. It's super easy to use thanks to a large touchscreen, with easy to read, and intelligently laid out controls. It's inbuilt database of waypoints is very good, and can be updated via your Mac. It's very easy to set up, and comes with both windscreen and dash mounting solutions.

Im off to bed now, but, i'll check back here in the morning. If you have any questions regarding the Nuvi, post them here and i'll answer.

Cheers!
-Emu

smile

Jasoco · 2008-12-10 12:03 am

The nüvi looks cool. Which one do you have?

I should add, I don't need it until next Summer, but I would like to ask for one for Christmas just in case. But if the price is too high it wouldn't be in the cards. (i.e. I'd end up buying it myself using the money I was going to need for the trip.)

I see the 200 is $200, and the 200W is $250 with the W being widescreen. Does the widescreen really make a difference?

I guess the real question is which ones should I avoid? In the Garmin category of course.

mrreet2001 · 2008-12-10 7:49 am

I love my tomtom .. they do have mac software .. but I have only used it to update the software / maps ... i do all route planning on the device it's self ... I have not lost a connection in a big city yet ...
I have a TT one ... my wife has the ONE XLs. I would recommend the XL or the XLs.. the screen is sooo much nicer.

I would also like to add that if you want a GPS get it NOW ... there are HUGE sales on them around xmas and hardly any during the summer. Last year I go the XLs for not much more than I had payed for my ONE

mrreet2001 · 2008-12-10 7:51 am

I would also recommend you go to best buy and test them out. Granted you won't be able to do some stuff but you can play with the interface.

mrreet2001 · 2008-12-10 7:54 am

Oh and res... I and friends have gotten pretty lost using Cell Phone GPS software, but have never had a problem with the Stand alone car units.

TheUltimateMacUser · 2008-12-10 8:56 am

Jasoco wrote:
The nüvi looks cool. Which one do you have?

I should add, I don't need it until next Summer, but I would like to ask for one for Christmas just in case. But if the price is too high it wouldn't be in the cards. (i.e. I'd end up buying it myself using the money I was going to need for the trip.)

I see the 200 is $200, and the 200W is $250 with the W being widescreen. Does the widescreen really make a difference?

I guess the real question is which ones should I avoid? In the Garmin category of course.

I have the Garmin Nüvi 660. The 660 (which i don't think Garmin brought back for this year (it isn't on their website)) uses the widescreen format. Personally, i prefer it to the smaller screens, as i think it makes it easier to hit the button you intend to hit when inputting addresses and such, but it isn't a necessity.

As for things to avoid... I'd say you could safely get any of the Nüvi range, and it would work very well. Garmin has been a big player in the GPS industry for a while now, they know what they are doing, and they stand behind their product.

mrreet2001 wrote:
I would also recommend you go to best buy and test them out. Granted you won't be able to do some stuff but you can play with the interface.

I'm going to second what mrreet suggests. Go to best buy, or any electronics store and play with the display models. And remember, just because you play with the displays in a particular store does not obligate you to buy from that store. Your mission here is just to find a unit you like, and that has the combination of features and ease of use that is right for you. You can then go home and look online for the best price on that particular unit.

mrreet2001 wrote:
Oh and res... I and friends have gotten pretty lost using Cell Phone GPS software, but have never had a problem with the Stand alone car units.

That's because most of those cell phone navigation programs don't use GPS. They use cell tower triangulation to figure out where you are. The accuracy of CTT varies from "very inaccurate" to "'okay, we are somewhere in north america' inaccurate" depending on cell tower density in your area.

As i said above, my Nüvi has never steered me wrong (except for one instance, when it tried to lead me down a road that didn't exist anymore, a simple map update fixed that). Oh, and it did get me where i was going, once it saw i hadn't taken the road it wanted me to.

As for the accuracy of the Nüvi. My unit takes a minute or two to get an initial GPS fix when i first turn it on in my driveway, however, once it's got that, it is very accurate.

davic3 · 2008-12-10 9:08 am

resedit wrote:
The problem you will have with real GPS is that in major cities, it will lose tracking of the satellites and not know where you are. This is due to tall buildings. I had that problem when I went to Sacramento - I put the GPS coordinates for the hotel into my Garmin and was unable to use it to find the hotel because it rarely could get satellite tracking. Cell phone triangulation works much better in large cities.

I have a Magellan and have used it in San Francisco, San Jose, NYC, Philadelphia, Buffalo and a couple of other cities without any problem from the buildings. i have actually never connected it to my mac so I have no idea if it is at all mac friendly. All I have ever done is put in the address of where I want to get to and follow the directions

Aaron_R · 2008-12-10 9:09 am

Jasoco wrote:
How about maps and updates. What is the charge, and is there a monthly fee or just pay when maps are updated?

I have a garmin and they do have free software for mac users to download that does let you use the gps on your mac via usb and manage maps. My garmin told me my maps were outdated and needed to be updated, it showed me the date of the maps it was using every time it powered it self on and urged to get newer one. I was on 2 yr old maps! But yeah it was easy to do the map upgrade with the garmin software i mentioned.
Here is the link for all the Garmin Mac software http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/
and the link for what I use from them, it is beta version still http://www8.garmin.com/support/download … sp?id=3886 < nevermind I just noticed that Bobcat is now the Roadtrip software

Last edited by Aaron_R (2008-12-10 9:11 am)

ScifiterX · 2008-12-10 9:28 am

TheUltimateMacUser wrote:
That's because most of those cell phone navigation programs don't use GPS. They use cell tower triangulation to figure out where you are. The accuracy of CTT varies from "very inaccurate" to "'okay, we are somewhere in north america' inaccurate" depending on cell tower density in your area.

It'd probably take a lot of money to do (so obviously they wont) but that could probably adjust that ran to inaccurate to decent if they further calibrated the triangulation calculation algorithm using the GPS system's data as a base. Taking such steps with an increase in cellular infrastructure and/or phone capable of both CTT & real GPS would only enhance the total accuracy of the system.

mrreet2001 · 2008-12-10 9:52 am

I don't have a problem with "accuracy" on my blackberry pearl I have a problem with piss poor directions and roads that don't exist.

zeitgeist · 2008-12-10 10:14 am

Aaron_R wrote:
Jasoco wrote:
How about maps and updates. What is the charge, and is there a monthly fee or just pay when maps are updated?
I have a garmin and they do have free software for mac users to download that does let you use the gps on your mac via usb and manage maps. My garmin told me my maps were outdated and needed to be updated, it showed me the date of the maps it was using every time it powered it self on and urged to get newer one. I was on 2 yr old maps! But yeah it was easy to do the map upgrade with the garmin software i mentioned.
Here is the link for all the Garmin Mac software http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/
and the link for what I use from them, it is beta version still http://www8.garmin.com/support/download … sp?id=3886 < nevermind I just noticed that Bobcat is now the Roadtrip software

WOW! I only have the webupdater. Thanks for that link.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2008-12-09 3:39 pm

Best GPS for OS X?

#2 2008-12-09 4:29 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#3 2008-12-09 4:49 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

Code:

Code:

Code:

Code:

#4 2008-12-09 5:55 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#5 2008-12-09 6:05 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#6 2008-12-09 6:08 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#7 2008-12-09 6:20 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#8 2008-12-09 7:05 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#9 2008-12-09 8:22 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#10 2008-12-09 8:25 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#11 2008-12-09 8:33 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#12 2008-12-09 8:44 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#13 2008-12-09 8:52 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#14 2008-12-09 10:02 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

justine wrote:

#15 2008-12-09 10:06 pm

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

justine wrote:

#16 2008-12-10 12:03 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#17 2008-12-10 7:49 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#18 2008-12-10 7:51 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#19 2008-12-10 7:54 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#20 2008-12-10 8:56 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

Jasoco wrote:

mrreet2001 wrote:

mrreet2001 wrote:

#21 2008-12-10 9:08 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

resedit wrote:

#22 2008-12-10 9:09 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

Jasoco wrote:

#23 2008-12-10 9:28 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

TheUltimateMacUser wrote:

#24 2008-12-10 9:52 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

#25 2008-12-10 10:14 am

Re: Best GPS for OS X?

Aaron_R wrote:

Jasoco wrote:

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