Very tempted by a Garmin Oregon (inc UK 1:50k) but our PC has died so we’ll be using it solely on a macbook.

Some reports suggest older Garmins were rubbish with Macs (mostly the ones with serial connections) but the newer usb ones are ok. Is that right?

I want to be able to download routes off t’interweb, and create my own on the macbook, then transfer them to the Oregon to follow. Will I need extra software for this or is Basecamp enough?

Basecamp should be fine. Works for me with my 705.

Rachel

Garmin have been pretty good with Mac support over the last few years – there’s quite a few 3rd party packages too (been looking at rubitrak as a possible replacement for sporttracks) although I don’t know how a full digital OS mapping setup would fare.

Basecamp’s fine.

For tracking / trainings it depends on what sort of tracking you want but Ascent and Rubitrack both work a treat for me (I used the former for past 3 years and have just switched to Rubitrack because it syncs with Withings kit and the new Garmin watches – Ascent may do the latter). The mapping / route logging is actually better in Ascent IMO.

Both bits of software are around £20 odd.

Basecamp works great with eTrex Vista on USB

Basecamp is fine for retrieving the routes from your GPS device, but to be honest I think it’s awful for planning a route in the backcountry. The detailed window is too small and slow to update if you require much detail, very unimpressed. That said, so are Garmin since they have up to now ignored my emails on this! Ascent, however, is great for logging any training

I use Rubitrack and I likes it.

…also have Ascent, but its a bit of a unintuitive UI.

Garmin watches – Ascent may do the latter

It syncs to my 310XT, and 405 before that.

I want to be able to download routes off t’interweb, and create my own on the macbook, then transfer them to the Oregon to follow. Will I need extra software for this or is Basecamp enough?

For route creation etc, I will use gpsies.com and then just send the TCX/CRS file over to my 310XT, over ANT+. I imagine similar can be done with the Oregon.