Mac support

[HappyHiker]

First of all thank you for such a great site. One suggestion have you considered a filter to select
only MAC compatible maps? Understand we MAC users are in the minority, but the Apple community
is growing! My one question is the criteria to have a MAC map. I was surprised to find a topo map
of my home State of Delaware, but not Maryland. If it is based on feedback, please register my
vote for Maryland or the NE topo series. Thanks again for your work.

[-Oz-]

All the maps can easily be converted for a mac by a PC user just not all the authors have chosen to.  I can look into a mac filter.

[Boyd]

As Oz has said, you can use any of the maps on this site on your Mac, but you will have to convert them if the author hasn't provided a Mac version. Here is Garmin's guide to converting maps for the Mac (you will need to run windows to do this unfortunately): http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/MapSource_MigratingGarminMapProductsfromWindowstoMacComputers.pdf

[HappyHiker]

I might have to buy my Brother-in-Law a bottle of scotch & use his PC. 

[maps4gps]

I was surprised to find a topo map of my home State of Delaware, but not Maryland. If it is based on feedback, please register my vote for Maryland or the NE topo series.

The reason I did not upload MD (nor PA, VA, SC, VT, MA, CT or RI) was the much higher percentage of grided elevation data in these States which was created by USGS using older production methods.  Where these older methods were used, there can be a large difference between the resulting contours and those on the printed USGS topo quads. 

[maps4gps]

All the maps can easily be converted for a mac by a PC user just not all the authors have chosen to.  I can look into a mac filter.

For some reason I was under the impression that the conversion needed to be done on a MAC.
Using the link Boyd provided, I have downloaded Garmin's converter program and will give it a try on my Alaska topo map.

[HappyHiker]

The official Garmin web site instructions indicate conversion is done on a Windows PC. The only
MAC based program i have found is Gmapbuider, which I have not been able to function correctly. It crashes about 30 seconds after start.

HappyHiker

[maps4gps]

How do you actually get Garmin's MapConverter program to work (install)?  ?? 

Downloaded program.  Transfered via thumb drive to computer (Windows XP) to c:\Program_files\Garmin\MapConverter folder.  Also tried c:\Program_files\Garmin folder.

Doubling clicking on the MapCoverter.exe file through WindowsExplorer gives "This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrent.   Reinstalling the application may fix the program." 

How is the program supposted to be installed if not by double clicking on the dowloaded .exe file?
 
In Start>Programs>Garmin, MapConverter is not listed. 

[maps4gps]

I will download it a third time and also try the older non-beta version.

[maps4gps]

Same issue with the third download of the latest version.

Old version appears to be working OK.

Amazing that Garmin so consistently puts out defective software and cares so little about their users time.

[-Oz-]

Do I need to enable the ability to upload .gmapi.  I am just not sure how well the browsers will let you download it.

[maps4gps]

The older version of Garmin's software converter appears to be working.

There have been a total of four downloads of the three MAC versions I have uploaded the past few days.  No one has mention any issue with using them.