dumb newbie

[+bravehearts]

Hi I am new to all this and very bad with computers,

I have a mac book which trolling through gps web sites seems that everything is for pc and microsoft .

I am looking for a gps to buy but don't want to buy something I can't load maps onto.

I would also like to use the unit on motorcycle trips to europe as well.

I am using my nuvi sat nav a the moment which takes coordinates but its not robust enough for too much outdoors use.

was looking at colerado or oregan or etrex vista hcx, also looked at altenatives like garmin zumo, satmap active 10 or road angel adventure.

Help confused

[+Bear and Ragged]

Welcome!

 

Macs can be used, there is software out there.

 

Is your Mac a Pentium chip?

 

If it is, there are others out there that can tell you the software for Parrallels etc. that allow you to use PC software.

[+bravehearts]

Welcome!

 

Macs can be used, there is software out there.

 

Is your Mac a Pentium chip?

 

If it is, there are others out there that can tell you the software for Parrallels etc. that allow you to use PC software.

yes it is dual core intel what ever that means,

I do have trouble with some stuff that is pc I keep getting messages that I need a plug in I follow the links but it just takes me to links to download sites and I can't tell which is the one I need .

anyhelp to run pc stuff would be appreciated, as you can tell I am not very techy

[+Bear and Ragged]

I'm a Mac user, but not with the intel chip...

I put up with a pc laptop to do the non-mac stuff.

 

However. There are a few intel Mac users on the forum, and I'm sure they will help out.

See who's about later.

[+bravehearts]

I'm a Mac user, but not with the intel chip...

I put up with a pc laptop to do the non-mac stuff.

 

However. There are a few intel Mac users on the forum, and I'm sure they will help out.

See who's about later.

 

cheers B&R

[+keehotee]

Welcome!

 

Macs can be used, there is software out there.

 

Is your Mac a Pentium chip?

 

If it is, there are others out there that can tell you the software for Parrallels etc. that allow you to use PC software.

yes it is dual core intel what ever that means,

I do have trouble with some stuff that is pc I keep getting messages that I need a plug in I follow the links but it just takes me to links to download sites and I can't tell which is the one I need .

anyhelp to run pc stuff would be appreciated, as you can tell I am not very techy

 

Silly question I know.... but if, by your own admission, you're not very techy, why on earth did you choose a Mac???

[+bravehearts]

Welcome!

 

Macs can be used, there is software out there.

 

Is your Mac a Pentium chip?

 

If it is, there are others out there that can tell you the software for Parrallels etc. that allow you to use PC software.

yes it is dual core intel what ever that means,

I do have trouble with some stuff that is pc I keep getting messages that I need a plug in I follow the links but it just takes me to links to download sites and I can't tell which is the one I need .

anyhelp to run pc stuff would be appreciated, as you can tell I am not very techy

 

Silly question I know.... but if, by your own admission, you're not very techy, why on earth did you choose a Mac???

 

Two reasons really, first my old laptop took ages to start up , and the mac just turns on like a tv or stereo,

second all the pc worlds and other stores I went in to enquire about buying a new one, didn't offer any real help,

went into the apple shop and one of their sales assistants /workers gave me about a 3/4 of an hour demo which made it look easy, which I can do more on the mac than I could with windows, but I only get problems, when some things don't work on it. (well you did ask )

willing to learn but at 42 learning tecky stuff is a slow process.

thats for interest .

[+Bear and Ragged]

*bump*

 

'Cos I know there are people out there that can supply the answer to the question!

[+PSHAX]

Welcome!

 

Macs can be used, there is software out there.

 

Is your Mac a Pentium chip?

 

If it is, there are others out there that can tell you the software for Parrallels etc. that allow you to use PC software.

yes it is dual core intel what ever that means,

I do have trouble with some stuff that is pc I keep getting messages that I need a plug in I follow the links but it just takes me to links to download sites and I can't tell which is the one I need .

anyhelp to run pc stuff would be appreciated, as you can tell I am not very techy

 

If you have the Intel based mac, why not run BOOTCAMP and dual boot the thing with Windows XP?

OR VMware will run on a mac, and then run a "virtual" install of XP.. The only pain in the derierre is that you need to install XP!

 

Hope this helps, and yes, it's techie, but that's my day job!!

 

PAUL.

[+ZoomLens]

Hi there

 

I have a Garmin Oregon and have had a Colorado and use them both with a mac.

 

With both units you can just drop cache gpx files from the website directly on to the unit, so really you don't need to use windows at all. I occasionally use GSAK via parallels to create stats for my profile, but in terms of day to day business I don't need it.

 

There is map software for the mac that allows you to load maps on to the garmin units, but again I use parallels for that as it is a little easier.

 

PM me if you have any direct questions.

 

ZoomLens

[+bravehearts]

Thanks guys

will do some research, will then get back to you when I am completely confused

 

Darren

[+miplap]

I too have just got the Oregon 300 and am very pleased with it. The paperless geocaching features are very useful.

 

I drop the GPX files directly onto the Oregon using Mac's Finder and that's it!!

 

I have experimented with the Mac OSX software but decided that it's much less hassle to use a Windows Virtual Machine. I use VMWare Fusion and this works really well.

 

One of the issues with uploading Garmin Maps to the GPS on the Mac is that they first need to be installed and then converted from a Windows machine. It therefore seemed a bit of a waste of time. MapSource on Windows is also a better application at the moment too.

 

I'm not sure I'd trust the Oregon 300 in the rain and therefore use an AquaPac carrier for it. The touch screen still works perfectly through this.

 

GSAK also seems to be the best geocache tool around (altohugh I don't use it mysefl), there is a Mac app but it's not as well featured.

 

Hope this helps a little

 

Regards

 

Mark

[+miplap]

I too have just got the Oregon 300 and am very pleased with it. The paperless geocaching features are very useful.

 

I drop the GPX files directly onto the Oregon using Mac's Finder and that's it!!

 

I have experimented with the Mac OSX software but decided that it's much less hassle to use a Windows Virtual Machine. I use VMWare Fusion and this works really well.

 

One of the issues with uploading Garmin Maps to the GPS on the Mac is that they first need to be installed and then converted from a Windows machine. It therefore seemed a bit of a waste of time. MapSource on Windows is also a better application at the moment too.

 

I'm not sure I'd trust the Oregon 300 in the rain and therefore use an AquaPac carrier for it. The touch screen still works perfectly through this.

 

GSAK also seems to be the best geocache tool around (altohugh I don't use it mysefl), there is a Mac app but it's not as well featured.

 

Hope this helps a little

 

Regards

 

Mark

[+bravehearts]

I have bitten the bullet and bought a vista HCX, with topo maps on sd so no rush to learn the computer side of things.

would be good if co-ords would download, will try the GPX files from my mac.

 

I got my old toshiba laptop out to put mapsource on and its will not start up with out a password, and I can't ever remember putting one on it, it will not even load windows.

Its been in the loft for about a year, and I can't find the manual typical.

 

Mark you are not far from us as we are near Banstead, will look out for you in local logs .

 

Darren.

[+molfrew-mosstoad]

 

I got my old toshiba laptop out to put mapsource on and its will not start up with out a password, and I can't ever remember putting one on it, it will not even load windows.

Its been in the loft for about a year, and I can't find the manual typical.

 

Darren.

 

Try this,

 

When you turn on the laptop repeatedly press th F8 button,

This should take you into a menu where you can opt to start up in safe mode.

Now you should see the user names to log on with, one of these will be called "Administrator"

Usually this is not passworded (unless you have set one) so log on using this account and you should then be able to access window, create a new account and maybe reset your password.

 

Its helped me out in the past

Edited September 24, 2008 by molfrew-mosstoad

[+bravehearts]

Tried the F8 button no joy, it just shows white password in top left hand corner of the screen

I have tried all passwords that I have ever used

I think it may be a toshiba overide password or something as it doesn't give me a screen

 

thanks for help

[+Bear and Ragged]

I download GPX files to my old etrex legend with MacSimpleGPS

Will also load .loc files.

 

Best bit? It's free!

[+bravehearts]

Cheers B & R have downloaded it, time to have a little play.

 

BHS

[+molfrew-mosstoad]

Tried the F8 button no joy, it just shows white password in top left hand corner of the screen

I have tried all passwords that I have ever used

I think it may be a toshiba overide password or something as it doesn't give me a screen

 

thanks for help

 

Oh well worth a try so I couldnt be more helpfull

[+bravehearts]

I have had my Etrex vista HCX for 3 weeks, I have downloaded MacSimpleGPS, found that I did not need it.

my mac will transfer caches to my GPS.

I still have not found anyway to put track logs or routes from the mac or mapsource yet.

Or anyway to get MM or OS maps on the mac.

I am getting on with google earth ok, which may be of some use with a bit more practice.