Garmin City Navigator NT on Mac?

[+user13371]

Garmins listing for City Navigator NT shows it is Mac compatible. Mac and Windows logos are on the product image so I guess they put all of the installers in one package...

 

 

How good job of Mac compatibility have they done on this product? Does it just load on the Mac and let you work directly with the GPS?

 

I'm asking only because the first "Mac-compatible" stuff they released involved a lot of intermediate steps -- including running conversion programs on the PC before moving any files over to the Mac.

Edited September 21, 2008 by lee_rimar

[+coggins]

Does it just load on the Mac and let you work directly with the GPS?

Pretty much. Just download the new version of the software now called RoadTrip and off you go.

[+user13371]

...download the new version of the software now called RoadTrip and off you go.

Um, let me make sure I have this right...

 

If I buy City Navigator NT (labeled as Mac compatible) - I also have to download RoadTrip?

 

What I meant by working "directly with the GPS" would be that I hoped I could install City Navigator NT on my Mac, connect the GPS, and do everything in one program -- view/select/install maps regions onto the GPS, move data like waypoints and tracks to/from the GPS, view them on the Mac, etc... without having to run through any other intermediate programs.

 

Does it not work that way?

Edited September 21, 2008 by lee_rimar

[Barrikady]

...download the new version of the software now called RoadTrip and off you go.

Um, let me make sure I have this right...

 

If I buy City Navigator NT (labeled as Mac compatible) - I also have to download RoadTrip?

 

What I meant by working "directly with the GPS" would be that I hoped I could install City Navigator NT on my Mac, connect the GPS, and do everything in one program -- view/select/install maps regions onto the GPS, move data like waypoints and tracks to/from the GPS, view them on the Mac, etc... without having to run through any other intermediate programs.

 

Does it not work that way?

It almost works that way. Rather than get into a detailed description of the necessary steps required, I suggest you go to the Garmin Mac software page and download:

 

Road Trip

 

MapInstall

 

WebUpdater

 

Install the software, attach your Garmin GPS to the Mac via the usb cable, and I believe you will see how your requested actions are achieved on OSX. It all works quite nicely.

 

.

[+user13371]

Thanks for the help so far, I think...

 

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I must really be missing something here.

 

ME: "Does City Navigator NT, the current version that is labeled as Mac compatible, work directly with the GPS, without having to use other programs?"

 

Barrikady & Coggins: "Yes - just go to Garmin's website and download some other programs and it works."

 

Road Trip looks like a pretty straightforward route and waypoint manager. Webupdater updated the firmware in my GPS, no problem. If I had a Garmin mapping product it would get the updates for that as well? MapInstall & MapManager seem to do nothing unless/until you have installed a Garmin mapping product.

 

But how do those fit into the product I asked about?

Edited September 21, 2008 by lee_rimar

[Barrikady]

MapInstall & MapManager seem to do nothing unless/until you have installed a Garmin mapping product.

 

But how do those fit into the product I asked about?

 

Right. MapInstall & MapManager only function if you have certain Garmin map products installed on the computer. MapInstall & MapManager will not work with Garmin map products purchased on a SD card. If you purchase CN 09 NT the DVD will include installation options for both Mac and Windows, depending on what system you install the DVD data.

 

If you install on a Mac you will use MapInstall & MapManager to select map sections for installation on the GPS.

 

I hope that answers your question.

[Michael Cook]

Once you have installed the maps onto the Mac, you will be able to view them in RoadTrip and load them to the GPSr with MapInstall. That's it: no intermediate steps, no extra conversion.

 

There's certainly room for improvement, though. MapInstall works fine, but it lacks a couple of features that are found in MapSource:

 

1. You select map tiles visually, as you do in MapSource, but you don't see a list of the maps you have chosen to upload.

 

2. You can't save a selection of map tiles to be uploaded.

 

I hope Garmin will add these features soon.