Loading Route

I have a Ique 3600 (GPS/PDA) and have used it for 5 years. I am now considering a UMPC and gps receiver and software.

QUESTIONS ARE:
1) Can you save a route?
2) Load previously saved route
3) Follow that route with software that gives turn by turn (street name) directions.
4) Can KML files be uploaded and routed

QUESTION: I may have missed it but is there a chart anywhere on this site that gives a side by side comparison of the different software capabilities?

This has been a problem in the Ique. I can set the locations on the unit by entering each address, I can even save the track. I can transfer it to my computer look at it, edit etc. But have never figured out how to load the saved route/ track back to the Ique to direct me again. So each time I have had to enter each address into the Ique. So the saved routes/tracks have never helped me. (if somone knows how... I'd love to know! In the Ique I can review the route but there is nothing to allow.... "follow previously saved route" etc)

Before I purchase any of the software options Mobile PC or S&T can someone tell me ... do they do what I want? Since I don't have a gps unit that can attach to my computer yet I will need to purchase that. I see on amazon both an 18 and a 20 with Mobile PC software

QUESTION: is their a significant difference between the 18 or 20 receiver?

I already have a Licensed copy of Garmin City Navigator 8 (paid $75 last year) does anyone know can this be used with any of the gps units or software available.

TIA!!
lmv

I've been a very happy iQue 3600 user for more than five years so I can help with one part of your question.

The bad news is, as you already know, there's no way to load routes and tracks into the iQue. You can only transfer them out to MapSource.

The good news is that once you have created a route on the iQue you can save it and re-use it any time you want.

To save an active route:

- tap the Route icon at the bottom of the screen
- tap the Saved Routes icon
- tap the Save Active button
- change the name if you wish and tap Okay

To use a saved route:

- tap the Route icon at the bottom of the screen
- tap the Saved Routes icon
- tap the route you want to use
- tap Activate

Of course you can make a more complicated route by adding Vias. Just tap the Route icon when your route is active and tap the Edit Vias icon.

I hope that's helpful.

...ken...

Okay, to the laptop software question.

If you want to continue to use Garmin maps you can consider Garmin's Mobile PC. It has all the features you have in the iQue plus more. But it has a different interface. It's more like the interface on Garmin's Nuvi handheld devices. You can easily transfer tracks and routes and waypoints between Mobile PC and MapSource. In addition to all the standard routing things, Mobile PC has text-to-speech so it speaks the names of streets when telling you to turn.

You probably already know that you can use MapSource to view routes, tracks and waypoints in Google Earth (under the View menu, select "View in Google Earth"). I don't think there are any laptop navigation programs that will use KML files directly but there are utilities out there to translate between KML and GPX files. MapSource knows how to read GPX files and can transfer the resulting routes, waypoints and tracks to Mobile PC.

You can check out the discussions about Mobile PC in the Garmin Mobile PC part of this forum.

EDIT: Ooops, missed your question about using the City Navigator maps that you already own. Nope, they won't do you any good with anything else. None of the non-Garmin laptop navigation programs will use them. The good news is that for less than the price of a City Navigator update you can get Garmin's Mobile PC and it comes with the latest version of City Navigator North America 2009 already loaded.

...ken...

Thanks for all the info... I read another of your posts and downloaded
nRoute software version 2.7.6
... have been playing with it today on my vista machine. If I had a gps receiver and Franson GPSGate v2.6.0.280-CORE would that work to do what I want?

Eventually I will probably get an asus or acer with xp.

Also, any difference between the x18 and x20 Mobile PC?

Thanks again!

Yes, nroute will definitely do the things you mentioned. As you have probably already noticed, nroute gives you a combination of the MapSource interface and functions combined with the navigation capabilities of the iQue. Aside from the very beautiful display of Mobile PC, I prefer nroute in almost every way for both planning and navigation. Moving stuff between MapSource and nroute is dead simple. And nroute will automatically use any maps you have installed in MapSource, as you will have already seen.

There is one caveat about the maps. Any locked maps will have been unlocked in MapSource for your iQue. If you use a non-Garmin GPS receiver and Franson's GPSGate you will be able to continue to use those maps in nroute with no problem.

If you buy a Garmin GPS receiver you will not be able to use those maps if nroute sees that Garmin receiver. With a Garmin receiver you will still need Franson's GPSGate to use those maps with nroute so that nroute can't see that it's a Garmin receiver. Otherwise you will need to purchase another unlock code for the Garmin receiver and then nroute will be able to use the maps without GPSGate in between.

I hope that makes sense.

I don't know what the difference between x18 and x20 Mobile PC is.

I've only seen three versions of Mobile PC. The cheapest US$59.99) is the software-only version but you need to buy your own receiver for it, unless you already have one.

The next (US$99.99) is the version that comes with the 20x USB receiver.

The most expensive (US$149.99) is the version that comes with the 10x Bluetooth receiver.

There are no functional differences between the three versions. They all do exactly the same things exactly the same way.

The two versions that come with the hardware receivers will not work with any other receivers. Details have already been written copiously about the issues of maps versus receivers in the Garmin Mobile PC forum and testing continues for both nroute and Mobile PC by some of us.

...ken...