Mac GPS Software is here – RouteBuddy
Just a quick note right now to say that the huge void for Mac GPS software has been filled. RouteBuddy is a new Mac based GPS mapping/navigation software designed from the ground up for the Mac. Right now it is built for PPC Macs however it is compatible with the new Intel Macs and will be compiled as a Universal Binary in the future.
RouteBuddy uses maps from Tele Atlas so the application will be available for most of the planet. The application itself costs $99.50 and maps are about $50 depending on the region selected.
RouteBuddy supports connections to most USB or Bluetooth devices from Garmin, USGlobalSat, and other devices which support the NMEA protocol. You can even transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks with the RouteBuddy application.
So everyone who has built a great MacMini carputer can now have GPS navigation from RouteBuddy. You will need Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher and there is a demo version available to give it a shot before you buy. (We’ll be doing that in the next few minutes.) Right now the features look very, very basic, (for example you can’t create routes yet) however it is a good start to something that can hopefully be a great Mac GPS navigation/routing application.
FMI RouteBuddy
Pros: Garmin owners can ONLY use the maps on their desktop/laptop.
Garmin onwer can ONLY use this to download & manage where they’ve been.
Otherwise – USELESS for Garmin Owners.
Cons: Maps CANNOT be uploaded to GARMIN GPS UNITS!
Garmin owners can ONLY use the maps on their desktop/laptop.
Garmin owners can ONLY use this to software to download & manage where they’ve been.
Otherwise – USELESS for Garmin Owners.
Summary: Garmin Owners can ONLY manage where they’ve been.
MAPS CANNOT BE UPLOADED TO MANY GARMIN GPS (and some others).
Website is intentionally misleading:
Home page shows green double ended arrow (indicating that data can go 2-ways)… WRONG!
Compatibility Chart shows that the maps are “compatible” with ALL Garmin GPS units.
But, after you buy their product, you learn that their maps CANNOT be UPLOADED to Garmin GPS.
You’ll discover this little fact buried in the back of their website, under Tech Support , FAQ.
No one ever goes to Tech Support BEFORE they buy a product…. they are scamming Garmin owners!
How many people just throw this in the trash & don’t bother returning it?
The Route Buddy software doesn’t allow you to transfer the maps to any other GPS, not just the Garmin. Data such as routes and waypoints can indeed go in two directions. The compatibility chart outlines that waypoints, routes, and tracks can be transfered, but it doesn’t suggest anything about maps that I can see. They also offer a free demo of their product so you can test it out to see if it meets your needs before purchase.
I understand your frustration, but I don’t see any deception of misrepresentation on their part.