Mac users shafted again?

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

So I was looking at the pages for Premium membership. One feature I'm especially interested in is being able to put data on my Palm pilot. However (as usual) the software that reads the output data is Windows only (why it even NEEDS to interact with the host OS I have no idea).

ANYway, is there a Mac solution for this? Seems to me that it ought be straightforward to put the info in as a Note file or something using the HotSync Manager.

‚

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

I'm in the process of updating that page, but in the meantime there's a list of applications on the waypoint download page.

The alternative to eBook is GPX, and various application writers interface with it. I'm sure the Apple development community could figure out a way to convert XML to an eBook format that works for you.

GPSBabel is also open source and I believe it can compile on OSX.

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

Funny, my father-in-law is a long time Mac user and is constantly complaining about Mac users getting "shafted". He b*tches about the availability of software and the fact that many companies don't make Mac compatible versions. He complains about frequent hardware problems and a general lack of support.

Hmmmmmm.

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:
Funny, my father-in-law is a long time Mac user and is constantly complaining about Mac users getting "shafted". He b*tches about the availability of software and the fact that many companies don't make Mac compatible versions. He complains about frequent hardware problems and a general lack of support.

Yeah, we kinda get the short end of the stick, but the alternative is to buy a PC and it just ain't worth it. I've been a Mac user for years and have had NO hardware problems and support (in the rare occasion I needed it) was stellar.

EDIT: in fairness, the support I've received from DELL has been great, too.

~robert

Driver carries less than $20 cache.

[This message was edited by mrkablooey on August 05, 2003 at 04:05 AM.]

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

I have had PCs for years and have never had a problem that I could not fix myself.

Bender

Searching, for the lost Xanadu

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

Nuh-uh, Garmin is way better.

-Vb

(oops, wrong thread)

[This message was edited by Verboten on August 04, 2003 at 05:43 PM.]

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by mrkablooey:

Yeah, we kinda get the short end of the stick, but the alternative is to buy a PC and it just ain't worth it.

So quit yer b!tchin.

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

Unfortunately it's a PC world! If this was a MAC world, then there would be plenty of MAC toys. You chose a MAC. Good for you. But don't ***** because you cannot find neat toys for it. PC's are so cheap today you might consider buying one. Then you would have nice toys to play with. Hey! Where did those asterisks come from? Built-in censorship? Wow!

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

WAAAAAAAA!!!!!! WAAAAAAAA!!! you sound like my baby., WAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Creativity Within The Bounds Of Conformity

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

quote:
Funny, my father-in-law is a long time Mac user and is constantly complaining about Mac users getting "shafted". He b*tches about the availability of software and the fact that many companies don't make Mac compatible versions. He complains about frequent hardware problems and a general lack of support.
Hmmmmmm.

I use a Mac (at home, PC at work and have an old PC at home too) and knew going in about software issues. I was willing to deal with it because I wanted the ability to do some easy digital video editing and DVD burning that was only easily available on Mac at that time. Anyway, if all else fails, get a windows program for Mac and you can run things. Yeah, it loads up slow but it works. I have worse complaints about running classic in OSX! Regardless, PC and Mac each have their pros and cons. On Mac, you have less general software, but great video and graphic software and they are easy to use with great support. Also, you don't tend to crash. On PC, there is lots of general software, but the video software still lacks by comparison (other graphics is OK now) and you often get blue screens of death. It is a balance of what you want. The way computers are, you have to deal with problems on each. Hence why I am glad I have access to each!

Posted August 4, 2003 · August 4, 2003

I don't understand your problem. The .prc files download to my Palm and are read by Mobipocket. I must say, though, that Mobipocket is a piece of crap. It generally produces a fatal alert condition after a "find." The loc files I process with a very capable Mac application called MacGPS Pro, which gets them in a form downloadable to a Garmin. Prior to using MacGPS Pro, a friend used a shareware product called something like Gypsy, but he said that MacGPS Pro was more capable, so I never looked into Gypsy.

Posted August 5, 2003 · August 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy:

quote:
Originally posted by mrkablooey:

Yeah, we kinda get the short end of the stick, but the alternative is to buy a PC and it just ain't worth it.

So quit yer b!tchin.

That's just it... I wasn't b!tchin. I got no problems with it. You meant to reply to "ursomniac", re-read the original post.

I use Mac SimpleGPS to upload LOC files but for the GPX files I put them on a CD and move them to an old PC upstairs (P-II 333Mhz) or d/l to my work PC. I don't expect every company to make a Mac version of their software. It would be nice, but I can't expect it. Just like I can't expect Mercedes to charge the same for service that Toyota does. These are things that you just know going into it that there will be some issues from time to time, but just like with everything else in life, you learn to deal with it.

I do have an iQue, though, and wish THAT was Mac compatible (since Palm Desktop is, maybe some day Garmin's version will be).

The last thing this place needs is a Mac vs PC war!

~robert

Driver carries less than $20 cache.

Posted August 5, 2003 · August 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Bender:
I have had PCs for years and have never had a problem that I could not fix myself.

Exactly. Where I work, I tend to always have the PC that keeps running smoothly, because I keep it optimized. Others tend to have theirs last only a few weeks because they install dumb stuff on it.

Anyway, both have their merits, use what you like and be happy

Hopefully this thread will get locked down soon, we've got enough adversity with the Magellan-Garmin wars.

take care.

~robert

Driver carries less than $20 cache.

Posted August 5, 2003 · August 5, 2003

quote:
The last thing this place needs is a Mac vs PC war!

I agree. Both have their uses and pros and cons. Exactly the reason why I try to have both PC and Mac! Let the war take place on computer boards!

quote:
Hopefully this thread will get locked down soon, we've got enough adversity with the Magellan-Garmin wars

Hmmm... good point. But I suppose the Magellan and Garmin debate is pretty related to geocaching and so it is Ok to continue it. Yet a PC/Mac debate is less related. Still, the OP did ask a question about Mac that was related to geocaching, so I think the thread is still relevant even though Jeremy answered the initial question.

Posted August 5, 2003 · August 5, 2003

While it might be fun to engage in a good old fashioned flame war, it's pretty pointless.

There are tools available for OS/X that are fine. Install gpx2html (requires Perl) and use Plucker (requires Python) and you have the same tools available to you as the average *nix or Windows user for getting your pocket queries into your PDA. We'll politely ignore Mobi.

And yes, GPSBabel runs fine on OS/X. But it's really about waypoint/track/route processing and not a geocaching-specific/PDA app.

Signed,

Not a Mac guy, but now that OS/X is UNIX under the covers, more of a Mac guy than a Windows guy

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

It's not an issue of "*****ing" that there isn't lots of stuff for the Mac. It's a question that Mac home users are ~20% of the population (the 4% often quoted assumes that every PC ever bought is still in use and includes workplace PCs, print servers, web servers, etc.).

So, in effect, when you do something "Windows only" you're basically telling one out of every five customers to buzz off.

IMHO, that's a poor business plan, especially when the product really shouldn't have an OS dependency (the product in question is taking Palm .prc files from the web and putting them onto the handheld - why should that require Win9X+?)

In terms of what I use the computer for, I don't miss much with not having Windows, and the time saved from the increased security and stability is nice.

But thanks to Jeremy for the helpful information!

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

You'll hafta excuse Jeremy, he used to work for Microsoft.

But seriously, there are plenty of options out there for OS X, as for 9 and lower, I have no idea. If you can't find something, look at Versiontracker.com

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by ursomniac:
So, in effect, when you do something "Windows only" you're basically telling one out of every five customers to buzz off.

Actually its good business sense to write your first application to address the widest range of users. 80% of a market is pretty good. Once you've tapped the market you can look at lesser markets, like Mac OS or Linux.

I don't know why Mobipocket can't be used to transfer files to Palm on Mac. Feel free to bug them about it.

Personally I could care less about the PC/Mac/Linux face-off. They're all tools, and each have their tradeoffs. If you want to be a fanatic about technology you should try choosing a religion instead. Quit being emotional about a bunch of ones and zeros.

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team VaxCave:
You'll hafta excuse Jeremy, he used to work for Microsoft.

I was a contractor for them, never a stockholder. Before then I worked exclusively on SunOS.

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

Now if this site would just support downloading to my 8-track tapes I could put them in my tape deck to help me find caches as I am driving around.

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

Ok this pretty much sums up my feeling regarding macs

http://www.ancientspear.com/mac.wmv

-------------------------------------

Hope is the destination that we seek.

Love is the road that leads to hope.

Courage is the motor that drives us.

We travel out of darkness into faith.

-=The Book Of Counted Sorrows=-

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

oooh, ooooh! i just got this REALLY fun idea for a cache... all the clues are only available on a beta format video.

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

Posted August 6, 2003 · August 6, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by crashmore:
Ok this pretty much sums up my feeling regarding macs

http://www.ancientspear.com/mac.wmv

whyyyyyyyyy, crash? whyyyyyyyy?????

~robert

Notice: Driver carries less than $20 cache.

Mac users shafted again?

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