Mac gaining ground, so why doesn't Garmin see that?
13 years
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I just bought my Garmin 1450LMT yesterday, and was a bit peeved at Garmin's lack of Mac support. As a result I did a bit of research, and sent the following to Garmin:
I just bought a new 1450LMT yesterday only to find out that Garmin seems to fully support customers that run Windows on their computers, but haphazardly supports Mac OS X. This does not make sense. Especially since 1 out of 25 computer owners run Mac, and is on the increase. Additionally, 1 out of 4 people entering college now buy a Mac, and will need a GPS that meets their needs.
With the ever increasing competition in the GPS market, do you really want people to know that you consider/treat Mac users as second rate citizens?
http://gorumors.com/crunchies/student-laptop-ranking-98876
http://gorumors.com/crunchies/operating-system-market-share
I hope Garmin listens.........
~
I'm OK with Garmin's Mac support... WebUpdater for Mac works fine for me, as does the Mac PoiLoader... and RoadTrip does what I used Mapsource on the pc to do...
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*
4%
At the risk of invoking the wrath of the Mac faithful, as you point out, only 1 in 25, or 4% of all users worldwide use Macs. No matter how you slice it, the Mac is a fringe system. Yep I see plenty of Macs on the university campus I work at, but once these students get out into the real world, it is a world populated by windows and most people make the switch out of necessity.
I have no desire to get into an "us v the world" discussion, nor which OS is better (I've used win, mac & linux all for many years), but the economics aren't there. At 4% of the market, I doubt Garmin will pay much attention to supporting Mac users unless Apple can increase the user base by about 600%, or in other words, become more than 25% of the market. Until that time, it probably isn't worth the effort or cost for Garmin to provide more support than they do for such a tiny user base.
Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195
And don't forget ...
I'm OK with Garmin's Mac support... WebUpdater for Mac works fine for me, as does the Mac PoiLoader... and RoadTrip does what I used Mapsource on the pc to do...
BaseCamp.
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon
.
At the risk of invoking the wrath of the Mac faithful, as you point out, only 1 in 25, or 4% of all users worldwide use Macs. No matter how you slice it, the Mac is a fringe system. Yep I see plenty of Macs on the university campus I work at, but once these students get out into the real world, it is a world populated by windows and most people make the switch out of necessity.
I have no desire to get into an "us v the world" discussion, nor which OS is better (I've used win, mac & linux all for many years), but the economics aren't there. At 4% of the market, I doubt Garmin will pay much attention to supporting Mac users unless Apple can increase the user base by about 600%, or in other words, become more than 25% of the market. Until that time, it probably isn't worth the effort or cost for Garmin to provide more support than they do for such a tiny user base.
What he said.
Now, install Windows on your Mac (Steve has done you the favor of allowing that) and then you too can have access to all of the great programs that the majority of the world does.
Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T
Both Sides Have Valid Arguements
As a former employee of a Windows computer manufacturer (HP) and of Apple Computers I see that both sides of the support for Mac arguement have merit. Sure, Macs make up only about 4%, which, by the way is a GIANT jump up from only a couple of years ago when it was less than 1%.
Garmin is trying to get the most bang for the buck and they see that Windows is still the biggest player.
One thing that Apple has done that Windows has not, and probably never will do, is make their computers interoperable in both operating systems. Mac users can boot to Windows if they use the Bootcamp application (native to Mac OS X) and have a valid Windows installation disk.
Even better, they can run Windows and Mac OS X side by side if they run "Parallels" which is available from the Apple Store.
So, if one really looks at the best bang for the consumer buck, one might really want to take a close look at Macs. That way, one would be able to have the great features Macs offer and still have the old tried and true Windows system for things like Garmin applications.
John Feraud Sr. Elk Grove, California, USA
Works for me
I have never had an Issue with my MAC not working with any of my Garmins
Will nuvi 265W, Vista HCX, amateur radio
What
I just bought my Garmin 1450LMT yesterday, and was a bit peeved at Garmin's lack of Mac support.
What does Garmin not support on the MAC?
Map updates work on both MAC and PC and has been pointed out here there is a MAC version of Webupdater and POIloader as well as Roadtrip that is the MAC version of Mapsource and Basecamp works on both platforms. All of these are new since I bought my first Nuvi in late 2005 when MAC support was almost nonexistent.
You probably should have done more than a 'bit of research' before you fired off your e-mail .
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.
Mac support has been OK for me
I have been a Mac user since 1986 and a Garmin user since 2005. In first years of Garmin ownership there were either no or less capable Mac versions of software. Garmin has since gone to a web-based management system that is really irrespective of the type of OS you use. The Mac applications for Garmin that I use seem pretty equivalent to their Windows counterparts. There does seem to an issue with RoadTrip requiring a Windows machine to extract the maps.
Brent - DriveLuxe 51 LMT-S
Might have something to do with free Mac's to college freshman
Especially since 1 out of 25 computer owners run Mac, and is on the increase. Additionally, 1 out of 4 people entering college now buy a Mac, and will need a GPS that meets their needs.
The reason for the 1 out of 4 people entering college now buy a Mac has a lot to do with the fact that the students are not buying them but they are giving Mac laptops free to many of these students when they start their freshman year. When my granddaughter started at the University of Arizona a year ago she was given one at freshman orientation and a few thousand more freshman students also were given one at the same time she got hers. Apple has been doing this for years trying to make inroads and I have not seen that it really has had much impact in increasing their market share.
I have been doing computer consulting work for over 20 years and most everyone I know that switched to a Mac from a PC switched back to a PC within 12 months and a lot poorer financially when they were done.
Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps
As a longtime Mac user,
As a longtime Mac user, Garmin was and is my only choice in regards to GPSr's. None of the other manufacturers support it as far as I know. To me they are losing out on a share of the market because of their lack of Mac support.
OK.....so where the heck am I?
Corporate World
The reason for the 1 out of 4 people entering college now buy a Mac has a lot to do with the fact that the students are not buying them but they are giving Mac laptops free to many of these students when they start their freshman year.
I do love that term "free". A local college has been giving out "free" iPad's to their freshman. I didn't realize Apple was so generous LOL. What reporters fail to mention is the cost of the device is added into the tuition bill. The students are paying for it and, based on the prices, they are not getting a volume discount of any significance.
20 years or so ago I was working at what was then a Fortune 10 company and we would get recent graduates in who had used Mac's in college but had to adapt to the PC and Windows 3.0 that the corporation used. IBM owned the corporate world, having the mainframe business, and PC's were there because IBM made them (PS/2's - yuck). The only folks who were using Mac's at that time were our Graphic Arts department.
I support the right to keep and arm bears.
Tom Tom
has Tom Tom Home for the Mac..
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21813/tomtom-home
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra
Works fine
Mac works fine for me but I'm doing doing anything fancy, just the same stuff that probably 90% of people...people who think POI is Hawaiian food...do.
For the other 10%, there's Parallels or VMWare Fusion, which works great! In fact, Quicken is the ONLY software that I must use Windows for. (Quicken for Mac is terrible, the Windows version has been iterated for years and I've never found a Mac program that comes close. But I digress.)
Nuvi 760 (died 6/2013); Forerunner 305 bike/run; Inreach SE; MotionX Drive (iPhone)
.
One thing that Apple has done that Windows has not, and probably never will do, is make their computers interoperable in both operating systems. Mac users can boot to Windows if they use the Bootcamp application (native to Mac OS X) and have a valid Windows installation disk.
Current "Macs" are nothing more then overpriced "Apple Approved" PC hardware. So its natural that it can run Windows and "PC" software.
Btw, the non-approved, non-overpriced normal PC hardware can also run the current "Mac" OS just fine as well.
PC Hacking To Run Mac OSX
One thing that Apple has done that Windows has not, and probably never will do, is make their computers interoperable in both operating systems. Mac users can boot to Windows if they use the Bootcamp application (native to Mac OS X) and have a valid Windows installation disk.
Current "Macs" are nothing more then overpriced "Apple Approved" PC hardware. So its natural that it can run Windows and "PC" software.
Btw, the non-approved, non-overpriced normal PC hardware can also run the current "Mac" OS just fine as well.
I haven't seen a PC that runs Mac OSX without hacking the PC.
Show me a PC that can load and run Mac OSX the same way that the Intel-based Macs can run both OSX and Windows.
Not being facetious, I really haven't seen one.
OK.....so where the heck am I?
Why so bitter?
One thing that Apple has done that Windows has not, and probably never will do, is make their computers interoperable in both operating systems. Mac users can boot to Windows if they use the Bootcamp application (native to Mac OS X) and have a valid Windows installation disk.
Current "Macs" are nothing more then overpriced "Apple Approved" PC hardware. So its natural that it can run Windows and "PC" software.
Btw, the non-approved, non-overpriced normal PC hardware can also run the current "Mac" OS just fine as well.
Why does the debate over Macintosh place in the computer world always get so bitter?
NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2
I have two Macs's and I can
I have two Macs's and I can run windows programs on the macbook through parallels.
~
Why does the debate over Macintosh place in the computer world always get so bitter?
Good question. It's almost like discussions on religion. Things become uncivil quickly. Computers and OS'es are tools. You use wahtever works best for you. And don't get all wee-wee'd up because someone else doesn't use what you do.
I have PCs - and a MacBook Pro. Use the MackBook the most. Because it works.
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*
Software is still hard...
... and good software is even harder.
The amount of time that goes into the user interface model for example... It's like watching someone do the shell game or three card monte -- when done really well it looks effortless, but there's an awful lot of work behind getting there.
So it is with a really smooth UI. Mac development tools provide good models to start with, but those models are complex (of necessity), and they aren't windows. A developer has to be willing to make the commitment. And realistically, that's an expensive commitment to make for just one application.
Companies that try and just repackage their existing Windows products for the Mac, such as packaging them with Wine, often wonder why their efforts are not appreciated by the Mac community... It's because the resulting cobbled together thing is NOT a Mac application; doesn't act like a Mac application.
To do it right you need to start fresh with the UI.
Oh, I run Windows code all the time on my MacBook Pro -- my favourite GPIB engineering tools are Windows based. Running them with VMWare/Unity lets me have both worlds.
Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows
Hmm
Why do mac owners whine 60% more than PC users? That is the real question
No whining here - just a question
Does anybody know of Garmin-compatible applications that would run under Linux ? My Ubuntu sees the device just fine, I'm just curious if I'd find a map updater or a POI-Loader-sibling ? Garmin doesn't seem to have any suggestion just yet.
Thanks for your feedback, please resume your conversation
Ain't nuthin' never just right to do the things you wanna do when you wanna do them, so you best just go ahead and do them anyway ! (Rancid Crabtree, from Pat F McManus fame)
WinBlows only works 60% of the time.
Why do mac owners whine 60% more than PC users? That is the real question
The real answer is because when they try to run WinBlows, it only works 60% of the time:)
OK.....so where the heck am I?
All those PC applications that Mac users don't have
When you consider that a good deal of PC users time is probably spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware, none of which are available for the Mac platform, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch to Mac.
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra
Parallels
I use parallels if I need windows functionality on OSX.
I'm Ok
I am a Mac user and have no issues with the Mac Garmin software.
RKF (Brookeville, MD) Garmin Nuvi 660, 360 & Street Pilot
Mac gaining ground, so why doesn't Garmin see that...
"Mac gaining ground" I've been hearing that since I was in High School, I’m about to be moved into a nursing home and they still making the same promises, I guess Betamax will catch up with VHS any day now…
Garmin 38 - Magellan Gold - Garmin Yellow eTrex - Nuvi 260 - Nuvi 2460LMT - Google Nexus 7 - Toyota Entune NAV
.
When you consider that a good deal of PC users time is probably spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware, none of which are available for the Mac platform, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch to Mac.
I'm a Windows user. I know nothing about Mac OS features. Seriously, no OS updater? Does that mean if there's a bug in the OS, Mac users must order OS patch disks or manually download the patch? I don't get it. How's that better than auto update?
Is int that the truth.
Why do mac owners whine 60% more than PC users? That is the real question
lmao!
Nuvi 660. Nuvi 40 Check out. www.houserentalsorlando.com Irish Saying. A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.
ROFLMAO
"Mac gaining ground" I've been hearing that since I was in High School, I’m about to be moved into a nursing home and they still making the same promises, I guess Betamax will catch up with VHS any day now…
ROFLMAO!!!!
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work
my experience
When you consider that a good deal of PC users time is probably spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware, none of which are available for the Mac platform, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch to Mac.
I'm a Windows user. I know nothing about Mac OS features. Seriously, no OS updater? Does that mean if there's a bug in the OS, Mac users must order OS patch disks or manually download the patch? I don't get it. How's that better than auto update?
My experience is Apple doesn't issue patches as Apple states they are not needed for the OS. If something doesn't work, they just issue a new version and force you to upgrade.
Illiterate? Write for free help.
Thats what happens when you buy a fringe OS
"Mac gaining ground" I've been hearing that since I was in High School, I’m about to be moved into a nursing home and they still making the same promises, I guess Betamax will catch up with VHS any day now…
BINGO!
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.
Why ?
Because of lack software written for them!
The same is about to happen between the apple and the android OS phones also in the near future!
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.
Gamers
I started using computers with punch cards and paper strips, and the computer WAS the fifth floor of the engineering building. In the early 80s, a geek friend from university showed me a DnD game with "graphics" he was running on an Apple II. I drifted into PCs and he kept playing games on his Apple. Now he's a multi-millionaire making video games... for PCs.
Damn my allegiance to PCs
Macs Don't Need No Stinkin' Patches!
When you consider that a good deal of PC users time is probably spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware, none of which are available for the Mac platform, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch to Mac.
I'm a Windows user. I know nothing about Mac OS features. Seriously, no OS updater? Does that mean if there's a bug in the OS, Mac users must order OS patch disks or manually download the patch? I don't get it. How's that better than auto update?
My experience is Apple doesn't issue patches as Apple states they are not needed for the OS. If something doesn't work, they just issue a new version and force you to upgrade.
Unless there are major changes/improvements to the OS, you just use your "Software Update" in your System Preferences to update. You can also set it to automatically look for updates and download/install them...for free.
OK.....so where the heck am I?
Apple winning
this battle.
http://tinyurl.com/2cmsad7
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra
Which one
Because of lack software written for them!
The same is about to happen between the apple and the android OS phones also in the near future!
OK but which way is this going? I am looking at Droid X but see iPhone might be available for Verizon by early 2011. Which way are the software developers going to go? I'm not sure if I get the Droid now or wait.
NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2
...written and published by
this battle.
http://tinyurl.com/2cmsad7
...written and published by an Apple blog. What a shock.
I see
When you consider that a good deal of PC users time is probably spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware, none of which are available for the Mac platform, it doesn't make a lot of sense to switch to Mac.
I'm a Windows user. I know nothing about Mac OS features. Seriously, no OS updater? Does that mean if there's a bug in the OS, Mac users must order OS patch disks or manually download the patch? I don't get it. How's that better than auto update?
My experience is Apple doesn't issue patches as Apple states they are not needed for the OS. If something doesn't work, they just issue a new version and force you to upgrade.
Unless there are major changes/improvements to the OS, you just use your "Software Update" in your System Preferences to update. You can also set it to automatically look for updates and download/install them...for free.
So they call their patches/bug fixes "major changes/improvements".
Please
That was widely reported by every financial news outlet.
http://financial-magazine.net/?p=406
http://tinyurl.com/2b8dkah
http://tinyurl.com/2dkpres
http://tinyurl.com/38wmkn5
http://tinyurl.com/2b2sb7k
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra
If things continue as they are...
...with Apple gaining market share, then I absolutely believe Mac support will improve.
Garmin is a big company, and while it may seem to move slowly, it still is a business.
If there is money to be made in better Mac support, it will happen.
~
I'm not sure if I get the Droid now or wait.
Wait. I am. Droid's are a lot of hype... kind of symbolism over substance.
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*
Me Too
I'm not sure if I get the Droid now or wait.
Wait. I am. Droid's are a lot of hype... kind of symbolism over substance.
I'm not sure but anything new is a lot of hype. The companies are fishing and hope to snag people to pay the full price.
John_nuvi_
nice
Mac gaining ground, and price goes up....
i am buying another affordable PC now.
Mac & Garmin Works for Me
I'm using a GPSMAP60CSx and a MacBookPro. All is good. I can manage my GPS just fine. I'm not missing anything.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
No fix for Linux yet, though
I even ahd to add .Net 4 on my office PC, just to complete the latest map update ?
Ain't nuthin' never just right to do the things you wanna do when you wanna do them, so you best just go ahead and do them anyway ! (Rancid Crabtree, from Pat F McManus fame)
Another Long Term Mac User
I too find that Mac support from Garmin is fine. Several years ago that was not true - but everything that I want to use is equally available to me from Garmin. I use both a NUVI 1450LMT and an Oregon 300. TomTom does support the Mac as well, Magellan clearly does not.
Steve S.
Any decade now
"Mac gaining ground" I've been hearing that since I was in High School, I’m about to be moved into a nursing home and they still making the same promises, I guess Betamax will catch up with VHS any day now…
This is similar to "fusion power." The necessary break through seems to always be "about 30 years from now."
Ted in Ohio, c340, 1490T with lifetime maps
Works for Me
no complaints
John_nuvi_
Not equal but adequate
Yes there are more options when you own a PC , but you know what you're in for when you go MAC. I've had a MAC and Garmin for many years now and I think Garmin has made a good effort to add and improve MAC compatibility. You always want more, but I believe Garmin has met all my basic MAC software needs and has even surpassed a few.
+1 Basecamp is better than
+1
Basecamp is better than Roadtrip, but nowhere as good as Mapsource on PC. Apart from that, the rest of the apps seem fine. Not the most intuitive but work.