What GPS software I should use for my netbook?

Marvin is right. As long as you don't try to change settings or otherwise make adjustments, it might be better than the portable units because it is easier to read.

Ah, you shouldn't have said that. I was going to leave it alone. But...

It's a rare vehicle smaller than a semi or large RV that you can get something with a screen larger than about 5" positioned so you can see the screen without moving your head off the road view AND the screen does not block any part of your road view.

Even in a subcompact car, there are a variety of places you can put the portable units so they meet the above requirements AND they are at least as easy to read as a laptop when positioned correctly. You never have to move more than your eyes for a glance, so your peripheral vision is still on the driving view. They're not quite as good as a heads-up display would be but awfully close if you take a little effort to position them well.

...ken...

Yeah, you were gonna leave it alone and I should have.

I'm like a big ol' hungry fish ... I'll go for the bait every time.

...ken...

... and just to add to the discussion, the following are some of the companies manufacturing excellent laptop mounts for cars, trucks, boats, planes, etc:

• jottodesk.com

• Laptop Car Mount System - Gamber-Johnson

• RAM Mounting Systems, Inc.

There are several others that are equally as good.

This may sound nuts to you, but here goes.

I saw coffee cup mounts for "normal" gps units advertised. Being a "cheap Charlie", I decided to make one for myself by using a jam jar that fit precisely in my coffee cup holder which is located between the front seats of my car.

Works great: I have bifocals so it's even better for me than a windshield mount, which causes me to have to tilt my head way back in order to read the small print.

If you got a jam or other jar which fit precisely into the coffee cup holder hole, i.e., leaving zero side to side play, you could attach the suction cup of that $14.95 Netbook holder.

Here's a link to a photo i took:
<http://b3.s3.quickshareit.com/img_14545227f.jpg>

I am exploring purchasing the Garmin Mobile PC package (GPS receiver plus maps).

The OP in this thread says he already has a Qstarz BT-Q818X bluetooth GPS receiver.

One of the respondents said he could use it with S&T 2010.

I am confused: would using it with S&T just produce an icon of your car moving along a map or would could you also get the other functions such as text-to-speech?

What I am getting at here is: should I go with the Garmin Mobile PC package or buy ether the Garmin Bluetooth GPS receiver or the Qstarz BT-Q818X bluetooth GPS receiver and experiment with different maps???

Either of the Bluetooth receivers you mention would work with Streets and Trips but the QStarz would be a less expensive choice. The Garmin GPS10x has a special mode allowing it to work directly with Garmin products as well as other navigation programs.

If you were to purchase the Mobile PC package including the BT GPS10x, you could use that GPS receiver with S&T as well (not at the same time though). If you consider the BT-Q818x first, you would want the software-only version of Mobile PC to work with it.

Speech and routing are functions of the software (S&T or Mobile PC) and are not affected in any way by your choice of GPS receivers. Bothe S&T and Mobile PC have speech functionality.

Terry

Brilliant!! It might also be nuts but it's an ingeniously simple and elegant (and cheap!!!) solution to the problem.

I have one of those $14.95 mounts and I can't use it on the dashboard, even with the 10" extension, because it's too high and blocks my view of the road. I never even thought of a cupholder mount. Thanks for sharing.

...ken...

Terry -

You are right: the Garmin is almost double the cost of the Qstarz.

So, do I have this straight?

1. The BT-Q818 will work with either the S&T maps/software or the Mobile PC maps/software.

2. The Garmin GPS 10x will also work with either the S&T maps/software or the Mobile PC maps/software.

Forgive me if I am stating the obvious; I just want to be sure I understand everything that's involved before I order the gear and that by choosing one receiver over the other, that I don't lose any functionality.

Many thanks for replying and...which receiver would YOU go with? The Garmin or the BT-Q818???

I already have a Garmin GPS10x from my previous Garmin software days and a QStarz BT-Q890 (the keychain version of the 818x) and like them both. The QStarz is a more modern chipset and is a little more sensitive but in daily use, either is perfect.

From your signature, you are already familiar with the Garmin Nuvi. Mobile PC is very similar in most respects and your learning curve would be minimal. However, the software version could only be used on one computer and you could not add Garmin maps for other continents (or Mexico). If you purchased the version which includes a GPS 10x, you could use it on more than one computer as long as you used that same 10x with each computer. You could also purchase Garmin maps and use them with that package.

If you would like navigation software that concentrates on the planning side of trips, S&T would be a better choice and the Bluetooth QStarz would be perfect for that software. Or you could go with the S&T package that includes a USB GPS and look at adding a Bluetooth GPS later.

Terry

One of the advantages right now for S&T is it is available as a free trial download. That means you don't have to figure out how to share a DVD reader on your Mac over a network to the netbook (if that is even possible). You download directly to your netbook and install the product. Then, if you want the version with GPS, buy it and use the code with the product already on your computer. Or if you just need the software, order a license from Microsoft

For other software products, I would recommend a standalone DVD device. They are not that expensive and can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

Terry

I have a GPS10x and Streets&Trips and Mobile PC. I also have a non-Garmin bluetooth receiver similar to the BT-Q818.

1. The BT-Q818 will work with microsoft Streets&Trips. It will work with the software-only version of Mobile PC.

2. The Garmin GPS10x works great with Microsoft Streets&Trips. If you decide you want the GPS10x and there is any chance you will want to use it with Mobile PC, buy the version of Mobile PC that comes with the GPS10x bundled together.

The approach I would take would be to wait on the decision of what GPS receiver to buy and download the free trial version of Streets&Trips to see if it does what you want. If so, you can buy the BT-Q818 and Streets&Trips and you're in business.

If you don't like Streets&Trips and want something that works more like your Nuvi but on a nice big screen, then you can buy the version of Mobile PC that comes with the GPS10x. Terry has listed some advantages to that approach.

If you will never care about adding Garmin's City Navigator maps for Mexico or Europe to Mobile PC, you can buy the BT-Q818 and the software-only version of Mobile PC and save yourself a little money.

...ken...