ok, I've tried searching the forum and t'nternet to no (valuable) avail.. so hoping the STW massif can come to my aid to advise where I should start for software + digital map choices to enable my Mac (Powerbook Pro) to communicate with my mates Garmin Geko GPS in order for us to load various routes I can download from www(for instance the trans cambrian route from IMBA.uk)

it seems the GPS & Digi map world is dominated with Windows based solutions… but not alot for Mac…

any guidance?

windows emulator on your mac ??

All I use is this site:

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php

Its all I need, downloads direct to my edge

There's lots of sw on the Garmin website – see here http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/index.jsp

I use my Edge 705 with TrailRunner (www.trailrunnerx.com), which I like but has a quite unique feel to it.

Also see RouteBuddy (http://www.routebuddy.com/) – I might give this a go soon as OS maps are available AND a version that runs on an iPhone…

Oh and I forgot, there's this to upload any other GPX files you lay your hands on:

http://www.houdah.com/houdahGPS/

BTW – what excatly is the model of your Mac? You say PowerBook Pro but there never was such a model.

There was a PowerBook (which is a PowerPC based laptop so runs older software)
And there was a MacBook Pro (which is Intel based and will run newer software, like Snow Leopard)

I'd be tempted to avoid Trailrunner on really old powerPC based laptops…

damion – houdahGPS looks like the ticket! – just what I've been looking for uploading GPX files thanks.

allthegear – yup I've tried the garmin downloads, but they say you need the digital maps to use the useful tools… but where do I get Mac compatable digital maps?

You can't use digital maps on a Geko (or at least I don't think you can!)

This is regardless of whether your computer is Windows or Mac OS X

You can buy the Garmin maps but I wouldn't. Trailrunner looks good, just downloading….

I just use bikehike to plot the route, toggle map sizes, start clicking and it'll create waypoints, you can save as a GPX download it straight to the the Geko, works a treat imo

perfect, thanks for the insight chaps.