OT: Sat Nav
in [UK Mac]
|
From: DBSnappa on 7 May 2008 10:19 Do any of you good people have experience with Sat Nav systems and their compatibility with Macs? I've got a road trip to the west coast of Ireland later this month and was toying with the idea of buying a Sat Nav system. I've given up on google because most of the review sites seem to be populated by people giving devices shitty marks because the system won't work with their mobile phone or some such idiocy, but basically not telling you whether the device is any good at it's core function. I want to know how good the accuracy is and the compatibility of systems with Macs. Also, whether any of them are any good at all - I've driven around Europe before without using one, I suppose I want to know if they're any better than the generally rubbish ones that seem to be fitted to most cars nowadays.
From: SteveH on 7 May 2008 11:28 DBSnappa <davidjREMOVEMEboughton(a)REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote: > Do any of you good people have experience with Sat Nav systems and their > compatibility with Macs? > > I've got a road trip to the west coast of Ireland later this month and > was toying with the idea of buying a Sat Nav system. I've given up on > google because most of the review sites seem to be populated by people > giving devices shitty marks because the system won't work with their > mobile phone or some such idiocy, but basically not telling you whether > the device is any good at it's core function. > > I want to know how good the accuracy is and the compatibility of systems > with Macs. Also, whether any of them are any good at all - I've driven > around Europe before without using one, I suppose I want to know if > they're any better than the generally rubbish ones that seem to be > fitted to most cars nowadays. TomToms come with Mac software - I think Garmin may now, too - but I'd go with TomTom myself. -- SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
From: Matthew Sylvester on 7 May 2008 12:38 SteveH <steve(a)italiancar.co.uk> wrote: > TomToms come with Mac software - I think Garmin may now, too - but I'd > go with TomTom myself. The TomTom s/w is downloadable if the OP wants to try before buying.
From: Woody on 7 May 2008 12:55 DBSnappa <davidjREMOVEMEboughton(a)REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote: > Do any of you good people have experience with Sat Nav systems and their > compatibility with Macs? > > I've got a road trip to the west coast of Ireland later this month and > was toying with the idea of buying a Sat Nav system. I've given up on > google because most of the review sites seem to be populated by people > giving devices shitty marks because the system won't work with their > mobile phone or some such idiocy, but basically not telling you whether > the device is any good at it's core function. Well, connecting to a computer is no more a core function than connecting to the mobile phone. > I want to know how good the accuracy is and the compatibility of systems > with Macs. Also, whether any of them are any good at all - I've driven > around Europe before without using one, I suppose I want to know if > they're any better than the generally rubbish ones that seem to be > fitted to most cars nowadays. I wouldn't leave the house without my tomtom. Really wouldn't - even if I didn't use it. The tomtom works fine with the mac, although I have never really done much with it at all. Probably just put the speed cameras on it the first time. It just stays in the car really. -- Woody www.alienrat.com
From: Elliott Roper on 7 May 2008 15:36 In article <68ds42F2t3kubU1(a)mid.individual.net>, DBSnappa <davidjREMOVEMEboughton(a)REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote: > Do any of you good people have experience with Sat Nav systems and their > compatibility with Macs? > > I've got a road trip to the west coast of Ireland later this month and > was toying with the idea of buying a Sat Nav system. I've given up on > google because most of the review sites seem to be populated by people > giving devices shitty marks because the system won't work with their > mobile phone or some such idiocy, but basically not telling you whether > the device is any good at it's core function. > > I want to know how good the accuracy is and the compatibility of systems > with Macs. Also, whether any of them are any good at all - I've driven > around Europe before without using one, I suppose I want to know if > they're any better than the generally rubbish ones that seem to be > fitted to most cars nowadays. If you simply want to find where you are once you are lost, then GPSy [1] with any old GPS device with NMEA is good fun. You might need a serial to USB adapter. It sorted me out in the wilds of Sardinia the week before last. Full and frank family discussions on relative map reading skills were sorted out by hooking up my old Garmin 12XL to Mary's MacBook via a Keyspan USA-19. It can display a track on the Mac of where you have been and when, then continue updating it as you drive. Very useful. Do be sure to disentangle the navigator from all the cables before permitting her to leave the car. It showed conclusively that the antique Michelin maps of Italy I had photographed and calibrated with the aid of Google Earth were missing a few narrow roads. Honour was preserved and we found the Agriturismo farm we had booked into without further acrimony. GPSy is good because you are not beholden to NavTeq or Teleatlas or TomTom's misinterpretation of their databases. You do it yourself. The maps are what you scan and calibrate. PS. I strongly recommend the West coast of Ireland for road trips. Make sure you leave time for The Burren. (Special prize for locating Audi S8 hubcap jettisoned on landing from a fabulous yump!! somewhere near Craggagh.) 1. www.gpsy.com -- To de-mung my e-mail address:- fsnospam$elliott$$ PGP Fingerprint: 1A96 3CF7 637F 896B C810 E199 7E5C A9E4 8E59 E248
|
Pages: 1 Prev: how to test a SD or USB flash card? Next: CF Card Reader question |