[Chris Sears]

Does anyone know if I can use MapManager on a Mac to download BlueCharts into a 60csx *without* using Windows?

[Chris Sears]

<vent> Well, to answer my own question, no. MapManager uploads PC format maps. For some reason Garmin's data is not portable. Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time.

This being April 2008, I've done a semi-exhaustive search for a mapping handheld with Macintosh support and come up empty. Garmin is the closest. Maybe MOAGU (Mother Of All GPS Utilities) will run under WINE. Maybe not.

It's funny. Originally I wanted to convert NOAA ENC maps and download them for free. You'd need Global Mapper ($300), cGPSMapper, .... and a lot of time. Finally I realized I was being foolish and decided that Garmin deserves its coin. $100 for Bluecharts is less than $300 and my time.

I thought please Garmin, take my money. Well, they'd happily do that and send me a DVD, except that even then I wouldn't be able to load it onto my 60csx without Windows, a path which I'll probably end up taking for map installation. Garmin seems to be the only game in town for Macintosh GPS mapping handhelds. Sigh.</vent>

The great hope now is BobCat (2.0.3 beta) which is a nice native-OSX app. Looks nice, feels nice, sounds nice. It still relies on PC maps, but it is several steps in the right direction. Map installation is something I'll do once or rarely. And I just updated my 60csx with their native-OSX WebUpdater. These are good things.

If I can get BlueCharts into my 60csx then I'll have a tool which I can use and that's what I really want. So while Garmin has been slow, they are at least supporting the Mac market and that is a good thing.

[bobmcd625]

I just went through what you have been talking about and did get the Garmin BlueChart charts into my 60csx, but still had to use a Windows laptop for unlocking the charts and converting them to a Mac friendly format. I then copied those files onto a CD which could be read by my MacBook. Using Garmin's MapInstall app I did get them into my Garmin, but it was a bit hit and miss. I think their MapInstall still needs work. It presents you with a map of the region of your charts, but you have to select the small zones you want to load off the map. This process was not clear and, while I got more or less what I wanted it took several passes to get there. I never did get the Tided data transferred. BobCat does display the charts nicely, but it needs more development to be useful for marine route planning since it doesn't even give compass bearings for the different legs of a route, nor does it give Lat/Lon coordinates for the Waypoints. So now I will probably get the full version of MacENC or GPSNavX to use for route planning on NOAA charts and transfer routes and waypoints to the 60csx. Nothing is simple, is it?

[lstyles]

To get the maps on my garmin 60cx I have used parallels and windows xp loaded on my powerbook. I have the same garmin mapsource program that I used on my pc loaded on my powerbook. I just plug it (the gps) in while in windows mode and it loads it. Then I switch back to the mac. I have not had any problems running the garmin software under parallels and xp. It also works on my newer garmin handheld and I load the maps for my 3006c using the usb card reader. No problems so far.
Lori

[GPSNavX]

How do you get Parallels to run on your PowerBook? I thought Parallels only worked on Mac's with Intel processors? The PowerBooks last had a PPC G4 processor. Microsoft used to have a product called Virtual PC that ran on the old slow PowerBooks.

I believe Garmin is now offering maps/charts in a Mac compatible format so the need to use Windows is null.

http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/

[bobmcd625]

I believe Garmin is now offering maps/charts in a Mac compatible format so the need to use Windows is null.

http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/

I did not find that source. I had to convert the Garmin BlueCharts from Windows to Mac format on a Windows machine and copy them onto a CD. After that things went well on my macBook.