GPS/iBook/British

[maxmara]

Hello



Is there some kind of a hex on the above combination of factors, or am I just not looking in the right place? Please help a girl!



I'd like a simple, hand-held GPS unit that I can use for cross-country hikes and bikes here in the UK, and sometimes too for driving from one part of the country to another and occasionally in France and NW Spain. I use Apple Macintosh computer systems for my work, and travel with a Mac iBook which runs MacOS X, and which I'd like to use to host my GPS stuff. (PC-type computers are a closed world to me.) I also have an old (i.e. grey-scale) Handspring Visor PDA, which appears to work with TomTom's PalmOS demo software (albeit slowly -- I could walk almost as fast from A to B as it computes!).



My first thought (bearing in mind my low budget) was to get hold of a Magellan GPS Companion that would slot into the back of my Visor. However, as is often the case, the software and maps that come with the Companion are PC-based and 100% US-centric.



What other options do I have, please? I don't necessarily want something that looks pretty, like a Geko, as long as it does the job and is reasonably portable. Price is a big factor, and I'd be prepared to buy something on eBay as long as someone tells me what to buy.



Maxine

[Dave]

Maxine, what are you really looking to spend ? And what's the maximum you would go to. We should be able to come up with a few solutions depending on your budget.

[maxmara]

Quote: Originally posted by Dave on 25 July 2003

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Maxine, what are you really looking to spend ? And what's the maximum you would go to. We should be able to come up with a few solutions depending on your budget.

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Thanks, Dave. I'd like to do this for less than a hundred pounds if possible (more moths in my purse than money). I know that rules out all high-end hand-helds and most entry-level stuff too (though I've seen some new Garmin h/hs recently on eBay with a 'Buy-it-Now' ticket of £81). But for that figure I'm quite prepared to go second-hand, as long as what I buy does the job. I'm also prepared to wait till the right unit at the right price comes along.



To add some detail, I currently use OS maps (1:25000) and a compass to get around off-road (and on-road, too, for that matter), so a GPS unit that does maps is not a necessity. I'm pretty sure that even if I had a mapping unit I'd still take my paper map with me, but it would be good to have some knowledge of quite where I am and a hint about which way to point myself next. (If it shows tearooms and loos as well, that'd be great -- but might be asking too much!)



Does that make sense?



As far as the iBook link is concerned, I think what I'm saying is that, if there were to be need for a computer in the equation, either to upload maps and waypoints, or to navigate on the road (and I've read about some in-car setups that use a laptop with maps and a GPS feeding into it), then for me it would have to be my iBook. And whatever, the computer link doesn't need to come within the initial budget or at the same time, as long as I know that there's a compatible path for me to follow eventually.



Hope this is what you need.



Max

[trafcam]

The Magellan Visor companion comes with TomTom Route Europe so it's not totally US-based, but it is only major route mapping - it's certainly not a patch on OS maps.

[maxmara]

Quote: Originally posted by trafcam on 28 July 2003

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The Magellan Visor companion comes with TomTom Route Europe so it's not totally US-based, but it is only major route mapping - it's certainly not a patch on OS maps.

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That's a surprise (and thank-you, by the way <s> ) -- all the data I can find online states (quote) "provides navigation information and detailed street maps of the entire United States." What you say suggests that TomTom products do interface with the Companion... very interesting!



Maxine

[Dave]

Certainly an eTrex could be coupled with a cable from PC-Mobile but you would then be relying on the Handspring Visor for maps. If you wanted maps on the handheld GPS then you'd have to look at around £250 for a higher specification model of handheld GPS and also you would have to purchase MapSource CD's which would give you roads, but wouldn't give you any routing.



You will be limited to what you can do on the Palm from a routing perspective, the same goes for the Mac if you were thinking of using this as your main device to use the maps on. A good site from a Mac perspective to look at for GPS setups is MacGPS Pro.

[maxmara]

Thanks, chaps, for these words of wisdom. I'll give what you say a lot of thought, and see where that takes me.



Max

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