Garmin nRoute versus Garmin Mobile PC

Could you please email me a copy of Version 1.21

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I am really interested in getting this thing to work.

ive got it hosted on my file server

http://files.joat.co.nz/roadrunner/XPort1-21.zip

Thanks

Nice - I now have xport hosting the com ports and GPSGate reading one of the xport ports so it can send the tracking. I can also run Mobile PC. Well, I could if I had any maps whatsoever - heh.

try here
http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/
free open source maps for garmin devices

use garmin mapsource to "upload" to mobile PC (which needs to be running at the time)

Very nice - thanks for the info.

Here's where you can download mapsource for free as well:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/0...without-media/

The instructions are included with it.

Where did you get the trial copy of Mobile PC...I'm waiting for my purchase to arrive..but a trial copy would be nice

Is there a trial version of Garmin Mobile PC?

I went ahead and did this before the search Nazis had a chance to open up a barrel of blitzkrieg.

I know this thread is getting pretty old but I thought I would pop in my personal observations from a short trip I took a couple days ago. It was about 100km each way.

For background, I use a handheld (Garmin iQue 3600) in a dash mount for in-car navigation. I've had this setup for about five years and I'm really happy with it. The only thing I could wish for is the nice bright screens that the newer handhelds have for easier daytime viewing. I especially like this setup because I have no place to put a laptop in my mini-SUV (2007 Honda CR-V).

On Wednesday I was going over to Moose Jaw to visit a friend. I was travelling solo and I was taking my laptop along to share pictures of a recent vacation. So I decided to play with my laptop's nav software which I've mostly "driven" in my office and short trips around the block.

Reactions:

- I used the i.Trek M7 combo Bluetooth/USB receiver up on the dash in Bluetooth mode. After this trip, if I was going to use my laptop for in-car navigation I wouldn't even consider using a USB receiver. With the Bluetooth GPS receiver there are no cables to restrict where you can place the receiver and the laptop.

- I'm still dazzled with Mobile PC's gorgeous map display on the big laptop screen every time I use it. As you drive, the display updates smoothly and the vehicle icon is perfectly positioned all the time. For simple in-car navigation it's the choice, no contest.

- If you want more data on the screen while driving, and easy function key access to the various data tabs, it's also no contest. nroute makes that stuff much easier to get at. With Mobile PC you can't get most of that data onscreen simultaneously with the map view and it's always a nuisance to get at it through the menu system.

I ran the same route simultaneously on my handheld to see if there were any differences in the routing or the voice directions.

- I didn't really notice any great benefit to having the street names spoken in the direction prompts (text-to-speech) but I know the route and I'm used to sneaking a peek at the top line on my handheld to see the street or exit name for the next maneuvre. It's possible that in a strange location and heavier traffic I would find the text to speech more useful.

- I was able to crank enough volume out of the laptop's internal speakers to hear both Mobile PC and nroute over the road noise at highway speeds.

- I found it easier to hear and understand the natural voice prompts from nroute than the synthesized voice from Mobile PC, but it wasn't a huge difference.

- I wasn't crazy about the voice prompt sequence from Mobile PC, especially on roads that are higher speeds. At highway speeds my handheld and nroute give an early warning a couple of kilometres before a maneuver. Mobile PC didn't do that. All give a warning at about half a kilometre and another around 200 metres. My handheld and nroute give the last warning at 100 metres. Mobile PC does not give a close warning like that. But it strangely gives a final instruction to "Turn right onto X Street" a few seconds after you make the turn. At exactly that same point my handheld and nroute are giving a prompt of how far to the next maneuver. I thought that was a lot more useful.

- Mobile PC noticed the off-route situation and forced a recalculation a little sooner than the handheld and nroute. In some situations this could be annoying ... the handheld and nroute are more tolerant of small differences between the map data versus reality and won't usually trigger a recalculation unless you really are off route.

- Mobile PC and nroute did the recalculations much quicker than the handheld - almost instantaneously. No surprise when you consider the horsepower difference between a relatively new laptop processor versus a relatively older Palm PDA.

Overall, I found the same thing most have found. Mobile PC is a lovely program for in-car navigation. It's about the same as using one of Garmin's Nuvi handhelds except with a lot more map on the screen at any zoom level. If I could find a way to mount my laptop, or if I can figure out how to build a car-puter with touchscreen, Mobile PC is my choice for the on-road nav stuff. I would continue to use MapSource/nroute for everything else, eg. trip planning and map/waypoint/route/track management.

...ken...

thanks ken...

now im back to thinking ill defiantly stay with nRoute... bu im still not sure

and if you want a hand building a car pc for your honda, im sure you would just need to ask
I'm building my 2nd one now...

I was quite pleased with nroute's performance. I would be completely satisfied with it if I had never seen Mobile PC in action. The only thing that Mobile PC has going for it, in my view, is the map display. And its support for a touchscreen if you have one or contemplate getting one.

Intel has a new ITX board that I'm thinking would allow for a really nice small unit. It's the first ITX board that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (about US$75). It's pretty easy to select the rest of the components, with two exceptions.

I would love to get a power supply that I could plug directly into 12VDC instead of having to run an inverter. I've never seen one.

I expect it will take a lot of research to find a good 7" or 8" touchscreen. I want one that will work really well on a bright sunny day. That means it can't glare and it needs to be bright. Also there's the cabling issue. I don't want really heavy cabling running between the touchscreen and the computer.

Oh yeah, and a small cordless trackball. Haven't seen one of those either.

I'm not planning to build the computer into the vehicle in any way. It's going to be something I can stick in a corner in the back seat or under a seat. I'm thinking of a small cube with the components stacked or else a shallow pizza box format. I'll probably make the case myself, most likely out of wood. I'm an amateur woodworker with a pretty well-equipped shop.

I'm definitely open to tips and especially things to avoid. Do you have anything online about the stuff you have done so far?

...ken...

you are in canada is that right ken?

parts should be easy as to get from the states

I have the latest intel mini ITX board, the atom dual core one, just doing a build on it now to replace my "old' one, which doesnt really need replacing...

check out my early images of my build, still looks the same now but i have a skin instead of winamp. and a few other bits
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/show...-bluebird.html
this is the case i have, Case dimension: 58.5(H) x 258.5 (D) x 186 (W) so it fits under the front seat easily, and cables are not that big to most in dash touch screens, small enough to hide under carpet and not be noticeable.

you should be able to get ok prices on shipping from the mp3car store too.

I have just caught up with this thread and it seems as if you were reading my mind - after running around Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro for 6 weeks with a Toshiba Portage laptop (small 8"x10") and a Garmin 72 I am very happy with nroute but find the laptop a pain, especially in small European cars. The main problem I found is the screen, not the keyboard. If I need to use the keyboard to type I probably need to stop the car so no problem. On the other hand, oh how I would have loved to have the screen somehow mounted to the dash. I had intended to look for an external flat screen to be used as an external monitor - or perhaps change to a tablet PC small enough to mount?

The ideas above may be a better answer ie a separate processor driving a flat screen and a small cordless trackball would also be great. I am really interested in this idea Ken and Woodenstuff so please continue to share your on-going developments and research. I am not sure if I am up to building the PC component though.

I am returning to Australia via Korea and intend to look around for flat screens and tablet pc and will post anything I find

im in NZ, and the PC side of things is easy... if you are carefull

I got a dsah mounted touch screen, safer that a track ball when driving