Garmin improves Mac support for GPS, releases a Bobcat

Garmin has been working for some time to add the Mac support. I am a mac user and Garmin user. Bobcat is not a final resolution but it is a very good start. The Bobcat program is free and it is better looking then the Trip and Waypoint manager for the PC. They also have Mac supported map loaders and software updates. Keep in mind what it takes for a company to add support for an entire operating system. Not only do they have to buy and add the equipment, they also have to train and hire employees to support it. Also the software engineers to code the programs. The fact that they would spend the time and effort to release this product, even in beta form, shows a dedication to their Mac owning customers.
With that being said the Garmin customer service is way better then the support I have received from any other company. This includes Magellan, Tom-Tom, Furuno etc. They are based in The USA and the majority really now what they are talking about.
The equipment is very advanced and works very well as designed.
I am a major Garmin fan and as a customer I appreciate when a company pays attention to its customer base.

I am using a Garmin Etrex Legend. It always worked fine for me on my pc. I have since purchased a Mac and have gotten two different Serial/USB adapters, but the Mac will not see my GPS. All I want to do is bring the tracks out of the GPS in some standard format or text file so that I can convert the data into a KML, but I cannot get any data out of my GPS. I'm about to give up on the whole process and go back to my slower than geologic speed PC. At least I could get that to work. If anyone has any ideas about what I'm doing wrong I would greatly appreciate any help because the frustration level is getting very high.

Thanks!

Garmin Nuvi 350 hands down. I keep mine in the car or in my pocket. I don't have a big crushing desire or need to hook my unit up to my mac so I could really care less what Garmin's support level is. Regardless I always have some old pc laying around that can take care of any needs I would have.

Having played with Magellen, TomTom and Garmin I think the Garmin units are simply no contest the best units out there.

I have an in dash nav system in my second car that is manufactured by Kenwood and it is a joke compared to the Nuvi. If I'm on a long trip and want assurances I'll get to the right location at the right time I always bring Nuvi along.

This is cool news. I'm surprised I'm not forking out the upgrade price for cityselect! - though I may need to later as this appears not to be the fullest solution.

Maybe my GPS will get some more use.

Garmin is putting out some great products. I have a Nuvi 370 for the car and touring around, a GPSMAP 60CSx which I use for work and outdoor navigation, a Forerunner 305 for running and training and an Edge 305 on my bike. Garmin has released some new interesting products, especially for bicycles and running, and has shown some great innovation in trying to link things through their ANT technology (e.g. heart rate monitors, power meters, etc.). What they do not do well is software for the Mac.

For all fitness related needs, I use Ascent, which is an awesome program and uses google data for its maps. Training Centre is a complete waste of time and effort and looks sick in comparison. The one caveat I would put in though, especially for the new Edge units, is that Ascent doesn't allow route planning, and I am not sure if Training Centre will either.

For the other units, I have had to use Mac GPS Pro, Load My Tracks, GPS PhotoLinker, and GPSyX to use the data on my GPS and plan routes. The one missing piece was still having to get any new maps onto the machines via MapSource and Parallels.

I will have to check out this new BobCat, but the market is ripe for someone to figure out how to load Garmins with non-proprietary mapping data, all from a single programme.

I appreciate everyone's comments and taking the time to post such thorough accounts. Keep them coming.

My Garmin Forerunner 305 works very well with my Mac and Garmin Training Center. I used to own a Polar (HRM, not a GPS), but they ignore Mac users completely.

I purchased a Magellan - then after a few weeks returned it and went with a Garmin.
I love my Garmin. I have used it all over Texas, Chicago, in NY city, Atlanta and many off the wall places.
When deciding on a GPS the main factor was how many Points of Interest were in the unit. I went to local stored and tested various units to see if they had the locations I needed. They will all work with addresses and some software to input locations manually, but I don't want to plug my laptop into the unit every time I need to find something new.
I found the only the Garmin had all of the locations that I regularly need to find (Home Depot, Starbucks, etc...)

Does it work with my Mac? I have been using Parallels since it was in original beta and have had no problems connecting my Garmin over USB.
I can tell you that Garmin Tech support is great. I contacted them when the window attachment melted to the window in my truck - (hot Texas summer) They immediately sent me a new attachment (no cost). I contacted them when I broke the car charger (the sent me a new one - no cost).
I don't want to sit at my laptop to put in new locations - I want to type them in the interface. The interface it great. My wife sticks the unit in her car often and loves it too.
I take it when I travel, get off the plane and go to my destination. (I have also used it in a plane to silence a brat behind me. Hey kid - watch the map this is "When we will get there...")
I lasts over 6 hours on battery and is small enough to fit in my pocket. I love my Garmin Nuvi 350. Now I want the newer model with Bluetooth. (although it is bigger and won't fit in my pocket)
It has an MP3 player and picture viewer - but I have an iphone for that.
~w

Over the years I have had a number of GPS units. From Magellan, Garmin, and TomTom. From stand-alone units to PDA based units. I have also always been a mac user, so dealing with maps and waypoints has been nothing but a pain in the arse. I fully agree with theboyk's comments above. Garmin has made some great units, and still does. I will continue to use their waterproof unit for sea kayaking, but for all my road needs I use TomTom. Yes, the map data may not be as good, but so what. If you have one of TomTom's linux based units (One, Rider etc) you can add POI, Voices, and Itineraries (routes) just by mounting the SD card or plugging the TomTom into your mac and drag and dropping the files to the correct folders. The best feature of all is using Google Maps and there new drag-routing features to plan a route. There are a number of tools for taking a GoogleMaps directions URL and converting it to an .itn (TomTom itinerary file). Drop this file in the itineraries folder and you are off. TomTom has even announced a partnership with Google that will soon make this even easier as it will be integrated with the TomTom Home software. I was at MacWorld in 2006 and talked to the Garmin guys. I, like many others, was very excited to see them there. Two years later and this is what they come up with. No thank you. I will stick to GoogleMaps and my TomTom's thank you very much.

Garmin has terrible support for Mac users.

I have owned a GPSMap 76CS for a few years, and I love it. I really like the software for Windows too.

But Garmin's support for Mac users and their software for the Mac has been terrible for years now, and if I were to buy a standalone GPS unit for the Mac it wouldn't be a Garmin.

They're slow on the draw when it comes to Mac software and updates as well. They announced that software would soon be coming for the Mac, and about a year later some small apps trickled in.

I have two Garmin units. The GPSMap 76CS and a Forerunner 201. I still can't get the Forerunner to work in OS X - desite having the recommended serial adapter and latest software. Garmin tech support can't help with it either. I have to use the unit on a Windows machine. I can use the other unit as a reciever only - I have to use Route Buddy or some other program to do anything with it that is Mac related.

I love Garmin GPSes, but their Mac support and software stinks.