Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Software, Odds and ends
Garmin FINALLY Supports OS X
I know somebody who has been waiting for this for a long time. Garmin announced nearly a year ago that they would be supporting OS X for their Forerunner and Edge line of GPS devices designed for running and biking. Windows users have long been able to upload tracking information for use with the Garmin Training Center. Now Macworld is reporting that Garmin will finally be supporting OS X in late January (it's not out yet, but they will be giving out copies of the software at MWSF). All I have to say is: it's about time![Via Macworld]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andrew Booth said 9:23AM on 1-01-2007
This is only a fraction of the support they promised back in Jan 2006, and then delayed without an ETA in June last year.
The training centre software may be a big deal for some, but Garmin's main business is general GPS mapping - and they still seem to be no closer to porting MapSource to the Mac.
Masource is required to manage Garmin maps, define routes etc. across all the Garmin range. Mapsource also has no good third party equivalent - wheras there are other fitness managers for the Mac.
Sorry Mat - but your post reads really inaccurately - it's only one minority interest product that they're supporting so far.
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henrrrik said 9:37AM on 1-01-2007
Sweet. I've been thinking about getting a Forerunner 305 to replace my Polar S625X. Polar's mac support is completely non-existant.
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Brian Little said 9:38AM on 1-01-2007
Put me in the same boat with Andrew. Until I see REAL product support from Garmin on my Mac, I'll just have to maintain a separate PC to handle my GPSrs. And those units will continue to be Magellans.
Sorry, Garmin. Nice try, no cigar.
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Tim Boester said 9:45AM on 1-01-2007
Ditto on Andrew's first comment. I have a Forerunner 201, which they promised support for, and then renigged in June. Their explanation: writing serial drivers is "hard". Apparently, that's not the only thing.
However, I don't think the overall story is totally innacurate - while this isn't Garmin's bread-and-butter, there is pent up demand for end-to-end support for this type of product, just like MapSource. I want it to work like my iPod. I've tried many of the other programs, and none of them work flawlessly and have the features I want.
I was thinking of getting a new 205 when they announced that the software would come to OS X. That was a year ago, and I'm still waiting. It did give me time to try out Nike+iPod, which I'm enjoying more and more (are you listening Garmin?).
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Alan Joyce said 12:57PM on 1-01-2007
It seems Garmin has also been quietly adding support for Mac OS X on their other GPS devices. The Garmin nüvi mounts as a removable drive on Mac or PC, allowing the user to drag waypoints and POI files to and from it, as well as music, pictures, and system updates.
The odd thing is that this support is not fully explained in the Garmin documentation, which is almost entirely PC-oriented. Also, while Mac users can perform almost all the same functions as PC users with the nüvi, there are a couple things that can only be done with Garmin's Windows-based software programs.
That said, I'm thrilled with the fact that the nüvi is a removable drive, as it allows for so much more functionality and universality than the old Garmin model of allowing their devices to work almost exclusively with proprietary software.
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John McIntosh said 1:16PM on 1-01-2007
I've been using MacGPS for years with my Garmin. They have many features that Garmin won't have for years and better maps and map prices.
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David Vo said 2:59PM on 1-01-2007
"I've been using MacGPS for years with my Garmin. They have many features that Garmin won't have for years and better maps and map prices."
And yet, no support for the Edge...
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maique said 3:22PM on 1-01-2007
i'm with andrew and the rest.
garmin promissed and did not deliver.
i had to buy a new unit this year and went with garmin, expecting them to have mac support as promised.
and they didn't.
not everybody buys the nuvi line, nor the forerunners and edges.
some of us prefer the other units, which are supposed to allow different uses, and mapsource is a big part when one decides to get a gps. as well as the custom poi loader, which i would also love to see working on the mac.
maybe this year, who knows...
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e.r.s. said 4:17PM on 1-01-2007
garmin slipped OS X support for any products throughout 2006. their last update said it would be available before the end of the year.
then on the last day of the year they put out a press release entitled
"Garmin Training Center™ Software Now Available for Mac OS X". in the release they say they will distribute the software beginning at Macworld and then available for download at the end of january.
i'm sorry, but a press release announcing that software is "now available", when it is not being distributed, doesn't qualify as meeting the end of the year deadline. it just makes them look like weasels.
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steve said 5:20PM on 1-01-2007
It has been pretty disappointing - they got lots of free press and didn't deliver.
At least Gpsy works on OS X now
http://www.gpsy.com/
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Brian Green said 8:43AM on 1-02-2007
Garmin continues to disappoint us by not providing MapSource to Mac users. What is up with the complete lack of programmers looking at this? Are we not able to get a room full of programmers together and get this stuff knocked out? I refuse to believe that this is as big an issue as those cretins at Garmin make it sound. It sounds to me like this is an area where enterprising programmers could really make some serious money. It's obvious that they'll have little competition from Garmin on this issue. Furthermore, I disappointing that we all don't know someone on their board of directors. I imagine a continuous stream of emails demanding full support of all products to Mac OS X would annoy them into actually doing something about this.
It's time for other programmers to seriously come in and pick up the slack - effectively showing Garmin how things ought to be done.
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s8ist said 2:46PM on 1-02-2007
Apple is the only one to blame for slacking in this department. Sure, Garmin support is nice, but how many options for PC exist for GPS-style apps? You can even pick up a small cheapish PC laptop, hook in a GPS device and download some GPS software that can make a nice travel companion... Where is this for the Mac? Nowhere.
How about a GPS add-on for the iPod? Still nowhere. Apple is missing a huge opportunity here.
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Wambo said 12:34PM on 3-01-2007
Mac OS X users with a Garmin 350 (or possibly 360 or 660) should look at the second link on this page:
http://www.ascendiac.com/macosx.html
It's not pretty but it works.
-W
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