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Boyd
USA
1649 Posts |
 Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 00:30:52
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Product page on the Garmin Site : >> LINK <<
Have been playing around with Garmin Mobile PC. It's very similar to the Nuvi interface, but has some settings I wish my Nuvis had. You have more control over how the map is displayed (choose text size and visibility for different map features, favorites, etc). It still doesn't quite offer all the options of the old StreetPilot 26x0 series, but falls somewhere in between it and the Nuvi.
I learned that you can install the program as a free 15 day demo if you're interested. Download the update here: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00685-00&cID=139&pID=13484
After downloading you will have a file named GarminMobilePC_50060.exe. Instead of double-clicking to install, change the extension to .rar. You will need a program which can open .rar files - I used the free trial of WinRAR. After opening the archive, double click MAIN.msi and the program will be installed. The first time you launch it will ask if you have an installation code or if you want a 15 day free trial. Select the trial version and the software registers itself at Garmin.com and tells you when it will expire.
The trial won't have any maps, so you will need to install those yourself. If you leave MobilePC running and start mapsource you can install maps using the Send to Device command - MobilePC shows up as a device - very clever. You can also directly copy a gmapsupp.img file to the MobilePC program folder.
I was hoping that this program might be an easy way to look at Garmin maps I'm creating without the bother of transfering my Nuvi and restarting it. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to understand the TYP files I need to use (custom types of map features), but it does display the maps. The Garmin US Topo maps looked pretty similar to the way they would on my Nuvi, with a few little glitches. It actually showed DEM shading when I zoomed out to the 1.2 mile level with the US Topo, but the display of contour lines was so coarse that it didn't look very good.
The Ibycus USA maps looked pretty good. It's a novelty to see the maps on a 23" monitor; you can see a large area of the map this way, but the detail levels correspond to what you'd see on a nuvi at the same zoom levels. So all the lines on the map are pretty "fat" and don't translate well to a big screen. I'm sure the City Navigator maps would look good and the system is obviously designed around them.
I don't have a dedicated USB GPS, so I tried using it with both a GPSMap 60csx and an Oregon 400t. In both cases the software found the GPS and correctly identified it, but without a unit ID. The program then complained it couldn't authenticate a Garmin GPS. But it still correctly showed my position on the map and showed the signal level on the compass screen. Evidently you need to actually have the correct Garmin receiver for it to work properly. Not sure since I was at my desk at home and didn't have a routable map installed anyway.
So I don't really plan to buy the full version, but it was fun to play with, and I wish some of the software features would find their way into Garmin's dedicated units |
Edited by - Boyd on 04 janv. 2009 00:36:06
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 04:21:12
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Thanks Boyd, I'm going to give this a try.
One thing, you don't need to do a lot of file renaming and use Winrar to get the Main.MSI file. I use Winzip 9.0 and if you drag the GarminMobilePC_50060.exe into it, it will list all of the files within the archive. You can doubleclick the Main.msi file in the listing to run and install the program. |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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Edited by - NanaimoRick on 04 janv. 2009 04:23:02 |
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Boyd
USA
1649 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 12:32:14
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Cool. The only thing I use Windows for (my "PC" is a MacBook Pro) is mapmaking so I am really not up on all this stuff. Here are a few screenshots. I wish the Nuvi would incorporate these map settings!
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Edited by - Boyd on 04 janv. 2009 12:33:13 |
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danham
USA
7347 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 16:21:37
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I seem to recall similar "failure" when trying to use MapSource or Bobcat on my MacBook with an old Garmin GPS III+ supplying position data. It's a royal pain to hook up, so rather than haul out the cables I'm trying to remember what happened, but it was something along the lines of what you report - the Unit ID looked wrong to the software and it refused to allow access to CN NT.
-dan |
- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 21:27:25
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| Boyd, did you have a previous version of Garmin Mobile PC on your Mac/PC? The reason I ask is when I run the Main.msi file I get an error message that says the installation can not be completed as a 'previous' version of the software could not be found on my PC. |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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hpatlik
1141 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 22:46:46
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NanaimoRick:
I download the software, right-clicked on GarminMobilePC_50060.exe and chose Winzip. It extracts the files to a folder called GarminMobilePC_50060. From there you can right-click Main.msi and choose Install.
HPatlik
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 04 janv. 2009 : 23:28:32
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| That did it, thanks. |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 05 janv. 2009 : 01:57:43
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Been playing with this program and my 760 this afternoon. I can't seem to find anyway for it to find and use the Nuvi however. Was I got the City Navigator v2009 file loaded into the program it was pretty easy. You can find and navigate to an address, build routes, and all the things you could do on the Nuvi but on a big monitor screen which makes a big difference. Any calculation that you do can be simulated in the program as well.
Just a pretty need program to play with if you got some time on your hands  and as Boyd says it would be nice if Garmin could port some of the available settings to the Nuvi. |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 05 janv. 2009 : 02:12:37
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I had an old GPS receiver from Microsoft Streets & Trips laying around and just for fun I connected it to my PC. Fired up GarminMobilePC and when it asked if I had purchased a Garmin device with the software I said Yes and the program found the receiver so now I have the program working perfectly with City Navigator North America V2009.
Some nice features we miss on the Nuvi are things like being able to setup avoidances for certain roads or whole areas. Also included features similar to those available through MSN Direct - things like weather, flight status, and hotel rates. |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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Edited by - NanaimoRick on 05 janv. 2009 02:26:23 |
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Boyd
USA
1649 Posts |
Posted - 05 janv. 2009 : 07:47:00
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quote:
Originally posted by NanaimoRick
ISome nice features we miss on the Nuvi are things like being able to setup avoidances for certain roads or whole areas.
Actually the Nuvi 5000 has those same avoidance functons. I believe the 800 series does too. |
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Wahroonga Farm
Australia
7 Posts |
Posted - 01 févr. 2009 : 06:40:07
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Hi,
What is the procedure for purchase during /after the 15 day trial? |
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7426 Posts |
Posted - 01 févr. 2009 : 07:13:06
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| It appears you would do the actual purchase from the Garmin site at https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=139&pID=13484 |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
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Marvin Hlavac
Canada
6902 Posts |
Posted - 21 févr. 2009 : 11:43:44
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I have used it quite extensively since it first released some 10 months ago (Apr 2008). Actually, according to the built-in odometer, the software is telling me I've traveled with it 348,746 kilometers, but that may be an indication of gross inaccuracy of the feature .
Since Garmin's maps and 3rd party Garmin-compatible maps are available for many parts of the world, Mobile PC is perhaps the only laptop navigation solution available for many people.
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Marvin Hlavac |
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ArbyNav
12 Posts |
Posted - 21 févr. 2009 : 13:52:31
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Just as a note on Garmin's marketing, when you go to the Mobile PC site it has a demo:
http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/demos/garminmobilepc.jsp
narrated by a familiar voice. I spend a lot of time in cars with other Nuvi users, and it's funny where a lot of the males have the voice set - and Garmin knows it.
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Boyd
USA
1649 Posts |
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[TOPIC] Garmin Mobile PC free trial - User Reviews
