At 10:07 AM 12/23/2008, you wrote:
> > I bought the NA maps on an SD card earlier this year. I haven't had
> > any need to load maps on the unit itself, but I've had no issues
> > loading routes that I've laid out on Bikely.com with the 605 attached
> > to my MacBook Pro. Garmin also has OS X compatible drivers for
> > communicating with the device, and upgrading the firmware as well.
>
>The problem with buying NA maps on a card is that you don't get access
>to MapSource. While MapSource is a piece of crap, what I've found is
>that the data you get out of MapSource is an order of magnitude better
>than Bikely or Google Earth (and I work for Google, so you know that
>I'm big fan of Google in general). When it comes to designing routes
>in an unfamiliar place (which is the main reason for me to have a GPS
>unit in the first place), I've found that MapSource consistently built
>better routes that I would not have been able to find on my own,
>especially with the adjustable settings in the driving speed and road
>size preferences. If you're buying the NA maps for the purposes of
>getting your rides onto a computer or to show others your favorite
>rides this is not an issue. If you're planning a tour across France or
>Japan and you've not familiar with the places you'll be riding
>through, bite the bullet and get the maps on DVD.
My daughter may be biking across the US for a charity group this summer.
She will likely NOT have a computer with her (though I could change that,
I suppose), but would still need to plan bike routes, on a daily basis,
and distribute ride sheets to the other participants.
The last time she did this, in 2007, she was not a leader and the routes
were planned at the last minute and were often awful - like taking
the shoulder of an interstate with traffic whizzing by at 75 mph and
tiny fragments of steel belting from tires causing flats every few
miles. I would like to give her technology to help her plan safer
and more pleasant routes. A bike-mounted GPS would be, I think, a good
idea, but it would have to have a battery life of 12 hours or so
and it would be better if the batteries could be replaced the next
day in case they stopped at a campground rather than a church.
Any suggestions for a solution?
-Doug Shaker
Expert Support Inc. mailto:[email protected]
201 San Antonio Circle, #102 voice: 1-650-739-0844
Mountain View, CA 94040-1234 fax: 1-650-739-0814
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