Garmin Mobile PC - good deal

[eightpot]

For anyone looking in to setting up a GPS system for a trip for the first time, and wading through the treacle of understanding - this may be of use -
Garmin Mobile PC - basicaly gives you the same functionality of a Nuvi/Zumo etc but on your laptop or touchscreen car PC.
After doing weeks of research on what type of GPS system to set up for our impending UK-Capetown trip, which took my GPS knowledge level from zero to , er, about 1, I finally opted for the Garmin software version as we have built a PC into the dash with a touchscreen. I looked at Fugawi and a couple of others which have a good name, downloaded demos, but they seemed overly complicated for me, all I want to know is where I am, which way to point and if there's anything I'm about to drive into that will either be nice or nasty.

Maplins are selling the garmin Mobile PC software, plus a GPS mouse for £59.99 delivered! (only when ordered on-line) - most other places are charging considerably more than this, and a USB mouse on it's own costs nearly this much. There is a cheaper option without GPS mouse, but do some reading before you opt for this, as there is a difference in the software and it stops being compatible with some other mapping.

Load the CD, plug in the USB GPS mouse and tadaaaa! full touchscreen satnav with full European mapping and speed camera info.
beyond the European road mapping, there seems to be enough main road mapping through Africa for it to be useful on it's own, but we have opted for Tracks4Africa, which you then simply load into the Garmin Mobile PC software (via Mapsource) and voila - routable African mapping and info that seems to work spotlessly.
With T4A mapping for most East African countries coming in at about £80, it makes it a very cost effective system if you have a PC and touchscreen, with virtually no GPS 'knowledge' needed to make it all work.

[CliveT]

Please note that a big downside to this software is that Garmin in their wisdom did not put in an On Screen Keyboard with Mobile PC.

There are solutions out there, but you'll have to set it up yourself.

I did this, but then found a mini keyboard which I have mounted in the sun visor. Out of sight and surprisingly easy to use in that position - well at least for typing in addresses etc.

May be of interest that a remote (usb) touchpad is available too. Very handy

Clive

[eightpot]

true, although I run mine through Centrafuse - and there is an app available that makes Garmin run within Centrafuse, gives you your track info, selection, volume, pause in a bar at the top, and it also has an on-screen keyboard embedded for Garmin.

If you run centrafuse you can get details on how to load the app through the Centrafuse forum - the developer only asks for a small donation for this software - think I paid a fiver and it works fantasticly.

Otherwise I was using a mini wireless keyboard beforehand which worked ok.