Question: GPS and the Mac?

I’ve talked about using a GPS with a Mac before, and even — back when this blog’s audience was a fraction of what it is now — solicited my readers’ opinions on which GPS I, as a Mac user (or hadn’t you noticed?), should use: see Which GPS? and GPS Replies.

Sean Fulton asks something similar: “I’m doing a Masters in GIS and Remote Sensing and I’m also a Mac user (mostly). I want a GPS for work and play. What GPS device are you using? For what applications?”

I can’t help him, because, believe it or not, I still don’t have a GPS. But we’ve got a healthy minority of Mac users reading this blog; maybe you can offer some advice. And I think I’d be helped as much as Sean by your answers. Hardware recommendations particularly welcome. I’ve blogged about Mac GPS software before (see below); what I’m looking for is what you can personally recommend. Thanks!

See previous entries on Mac GPS software: Route USA 2004; GPSNavX; GPS Connect for OS X; Route 66; Mac Software Updates; Mac Mapping Software.

Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 9:14 AM
Categories: GPS, Macintosh, Mobile Devices, Questions

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Comments

I’ve got a Rayming TN-200 which I’ve used with various PowerBooks. It’s the kind that only works when connected via USB to a computer. The advantage of this is that you don’t need to replace any batteries, but the downside is that your computer has to be running all the time.

I’ve tried it with the demo of TrueNav/GPSandGo, but I ended up buying Route USA. The solution works well enough as a navigation system that I’m thinking about ways to build a computer into the car.

But as a general purpose GPS, it misses.

Casey Bisson | 07/20/2005 at 7:45 PM | #

www.hiketech.com for software. Download (with adaptor), some analysis, mapping with scanned maps and he’s working on GeoTIFF. If you’re interested in the time dimension, this software saves it and does speed analysis. MacGPSPro doesn’t. Time is useful for linking to photos too (using GPSPhotoLinker).

MacGPSBabel for downloading.

Using Garmin eTrex. Good for biking and hiking. Not a car route finding gizmo. I don’t think the color eTrex works with a Mac because Garmin doesn’t support USB on the Mac (check this out for yourself, I’m repeating what I remember reading).

Greg | 07/20/2005 at 8:12 PM | #

For Mapping I’ve had good luck with a Garmin II+ and GPSY software as well as a usb connector to the GPS data cable, a power data cable can power the Garmin from the cigarette lighter.
Today I would research wireless or bluetooth GPS units and find the appropriate software for the Mac. Another opton are PDAs or Palm pilots, you can run them with a connected unit on a power data cable and save the data to the mac when back from the field.
A wireless PDA might be fine with GPS on board. To save your data from a Palm Pilot get Cetus GPS freeware and install Debian linux with the Fink package system (mac developers site)and set the compile to “testing” you will then be able to use linux GPS and GIS software packages on the OSX desktop, get ready to learn Unix command lines.
Depends on what you want to do I suppose, Linux also has “Navigation” software vs tracking that is usefull for data for GIS mapping and display and data collection.

waban_star | 07/21/2005 at 1:00 AM | #

I’m currently using the eTrex LegendC with MacGPSBabel on my powerbook. You can use the supplied USB cable with MacGPSBabel for uploading and downloading waypoints and track info to/from the GPS.

Unfortunately, VirtualPC still doesn’t support downloading of maps (or anything else) from Garmin’s MapSource application to my GPS receiver. I don’t know of any Mac-based method for getting map data to the LegendC.

Scott Kovatch | 07/21/2005 at 9:39 PM | #

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