Upgrade Thoughts - Microsoft Streets & Trips vs Garmin Mobile PC

Hello all - new here...

I'm currently using NRoute w/ a Garmin eTrex for the receiver.
The eTrex has never been great with aquisition and has gotten worse lately.

Plan on upgrading the receiver and might as well do the software also.

I was about to pull the trigger on Streets&Trips w/ a BU-353...

I'm also thinking it might be nice to use my existing City Navigator & NRoute I already have.
I under the impression that the NRoute will not work with the BU-353 receiver - correct???

So now I'm thinking of going with Garmin Mobile PC w/ a GPS 20X...

Will the 20X work w/ NRoute?
Will I like the Mobile PC more than Streets&Trips?
I have a Sprint PCS Treo 800W where the navigation program has the option for the elevation view and would like to have that option for the laptop.

Thanks for the input,
Steve

It will work just fine with nRoute, and it will work a lot better than your eTrex did.

Probably. You already know MapSource so that's one less thing to learn. You can continue to use MapSource to do any complicated planning and dump the data into Mobile PC. Mobile PC is great to use for actual navigation. Any less complicated planning you can just do directly in Mobile PC itself. Essentially, Mobile PC is nRoute dumbed down and much improved visually.

Ken, thanks for the reply.

Few more questions:

Any functional up or down side to the Garmin PVT receiver versus the bu-353 NMEA format?

My laptop is a 15.6 screen @ a 1366x768 resolution; does this impact a preference between Mobile PC versus S&T?

The City Navigator I have is North America v8 and have the 25 digit unlock code.
Is there a charge from Garmin to upgrade the map?
Just looking at Garmins site - show's City Navigaor NT as currently available; how old is my v8 version?

Any downside to purchasing the Mobile PC with the 20X?
Seem to remember reading something about no unlock codes when purchased as a package (not needed when used as stand alone w/ 20X)
I assume this is not a problem anyway since I already have the Mapsource w/ code.

Last - Is this a correct assumption?
S&T is more of a combination of Mapsource for planning & MPC for routing in one program as opposed to the separation of nRoute & MPC - Yes? No?
Can I run nRoute & Mobile PC simultaneously?

Sorry for all the ?'s
At least ya'll don't have to live with me; I tend to drive my wife crazy always having to weigh the pros/cons...

Well, the Garmin 20x outputs only Garmn protocol. On the other hand, Gamin's Spanner software will convert Garmin protocol to NEMA format. Spanner allows you to use your GPS 20x USB with most NMEA 0183-compliant mapping programs. And it's a free download form Garmin's site.

Mobile PC doesn't seem to care how big your monitor is. You can make it full screen or resize the window to any size that suits you and it adapts, changing the size of the fonts and graphics to suit. I have a 1920 x 1200 monitor on my desktop and it fills all of that if I let it. I don't have or use S&T so I can't comment on that.

You would have to purchase a new unlock code to use you existing v8 with a new Garmin receiver (the 20x) but Mobile PC comes with v9 as part of the package so you don't need your v8 to use Mobile PC.

Here's where it gets complicated. You won't be able to use the v9 built into Mobile PC with MapSource (actually, there may be a way to do this but it isn't simple, look for a thread with post from Ken in Regina and Chopper Dad on the subject), so you'll have to use your existing v8 in MapSource for planning. Your existing v8 won't work with a new 20x without a new unlock code. I suppose, as a result, you won't be able to use nRoute with a new 20x as your existing unlock code for your eTrex won't work with the 20x and your v8. You could purchase another copy of v9 for use in MapSource and nRoute if you really want to continue to use nRoute.

nRoute and Mobile PC will run simultaneously. I don't remember what happens to the voice prompts if you do this as both programs will be trying to send voice prompts simultaneously.

I don't use S&T but my understanding is it has more in common with MapSource/nRoute than it does with Mobile PC. Mobile PC is more suited to navigation. The navigation functions are more of an afterthought in S&T, or so say users in various posts in this forum.

I have to do my pros and cons online or by myself. My wife's eyes glaze over pretty quickly if I try to discuss this subject with her...

Some just don't understand the finer points of a spreadsheet...


Ken - thanks again.

Now I'm really going back and forth....

How much are unlock codes in order to use my Mapsource & nRoute with the X20?
I'm having a hard time navigating Garmins website to figure cost (BTW - sorry, really did NOT mean that pun)
Another $100.00 for a new Mapsource?

If I went with Streets & Trips with the BU-353 I could use that receiver in concert with Franson GPS Gate in order to use nRoute with the NMEA receiver - yes?

I've been happy with nRoute for the most part but I generally like standardized formats as opposed to proprietary. (sounds like the NMEA is the standard)

Sorry - watching the budget like everyone else right now and being extra diligent.

Best,
Steve

Steve, Have you considered this: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=139&pID=420#featureTab

Note: The GPS 10x in this kit can output NEMA 0183 or Garmin protocol so you can use it for other things. If your laptop isn't Bluetooth enabled, bluetooth receivers are quite cheap, about $12.00 I think. There's a thread about them on this forum somewhere.

Garmin sells it from their site or it is available here: http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4less/010-00579-00?mv_pc=pricegrabber&tts=20090226070916

Note: I have no experience with this vendor. They seem to be in Colorado.

Outlet Store
1610 Garden of the Gods Rd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Toll Free: 1.866.880.1230
Fax: 1.719.886.8001
Local: 1.719.886.8000

Only if my laptop had Bluetooth.
Don't know if I want to mess with a Bluetooth adapter.

Thanks
Steve

Hi Steve,

Yes, if you go with Streets&Trips and a BU-353 and Franson's GPSGate (Express version), you'll be able to use nroute and your existing maps with no problem at all. You'll even be able to run nroute and Streets&Trips in navigation mode simultaneously if you wanted to.

The maps in Streets&Trips 2009 are identical to City Navigator NA 2009. A company named Navteq supplies the data for both products.

...ken... (No, the other one.)

Ken (the other one),
Your comment about the maps being identical could be misconstrued. The data is from the same source but they are not interchangable.

Terry