Garmin's Bobcat software for Mac

 

I am using the replacement software for Mapsource for Mac call Bobcat(http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/). This post has a couple purposes. The first is to get more people using Bobcat so that Garmin has more feedback. The other is to start discussion about how it works or doesn't work.

I am using Bobcat with Nuvi 760 on a older PPC G5 powermac. Bobcat seem to run well on the Mac, only crashed once in 10 days of use.

It seems to be a little bit of Mapsource and POIloader put together. There are a couple of other new Garmin Mac programs as well. MapInstall and MapManger the Bobcat program wants the Mapinstall program to be installed to work right.

Lastly there is a Garmin Communicator Plugin for Mac that should let you link with Google Earth and other online mapping programs. I have been able to install it and the Garmin test website says that it is working but no luck working with Google Earth on my machine. Everytime I tell Google Earth to connect to the GPS it unmounts the GPS but can not find it.

Is anyone else working with Bobcat. I am trying to understand Bobcats relationship with installing POI as it seem to load them differently the POIloader.

Tbuechner

How about making Mapsource a free download?

tbuechner wrote:

This post has a couple purposes. The first is to get more people using Bobcat so that Garmin has more feedback.

You mean like actually making Mapsource available to Garmin GPS owners without having to jump through hoops with customer service to get them to send you a copy without charging you?

wink PT

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Garmin nüvi 200 (my first GPS), 780, & 3700 Series. And a Mac user.

I'm Using Bobcat.

I'm a Bobcat user. I've used it to consolidate some old waypoints and tracks. It does NOT install POIs.

Bobcat will, however, export a nice GPX file that you can use with POI Loader.

Otherwise it will save your POIs as waypoints in your "Favorites". And it is subject to the 500 waypoint limit (on my Nuvi 200W).

I'm not sure why they didn't just include POI loader as a feature. Or why they don't allow me to update their POIs (especially if they're wrong). Perhaps they will catch up with their brilliant users wink

Haven't tried Communicator yet. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Nuvi 255W, Ham radio, MacBook Pro

I'm clueless about all this.

I have a bunch of topo software that I use on my GPS 76CX, designed for Windows. a) Will Bobcat read it? b) how do I get Bobcat? or c) Do I need to get the Topos for Mac first?

GC

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Nuvi 350, GPS Map 76CX

Mac and PC

Does there cause a conflict if you use the Garmin some on the PC platform and some on the Mac?

Interchangeable

...I alternate depending which platform I have active.

mac and pc--

I do updates to pois, etc., from the mac. Then I leave the 660 plugged into my windows box once a week so it gets backed up along with the other windows volumes.

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Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows