Don’t Miss Out on Great Software for Your GPS Unit
When people post reviews on the vaious GPS products from the major brands, they seem to focus mostly on the technical aspects of the device; the packaging, how well it performs, and the ease of use. What GPS product reviews usually ignore, regrettably, is the GPS Software that each product needs in order for the GPS unit to interact with the Windows or Mac systems properly. GPS software is needed for tasks like synchronizing and retrieving new and updated maps and POI’s to your GPS device. As with regular software, GPS software which is overly hard to update should be kept away from. Appreciating the peculiarities of GPS software will probably not be the point that sells you on one particular brand, but understanding the supporting software is necessary after you already put money down on one GPS device. The styles of GPS software should normally be just about identical for different models within a particular brand. A nice model to look into is the Garmin Nuvi 465t Truck GPS Navigator.
Garmin Nuvi Software
Garmin Nuvi markets a wide selection of various GPS software which consumers may buy from their main website. Software updates are able to be downloaded manually or by using another kind of software called WebUpdater. In order to make WebUpdater run, all that is needed is to plug the device in and follow the easy wizard steps. Garmin also offers a number of mapping programs which support PC as well as Mac computers. There is even a particular section just for Mac users to help them get more use out of their Garmin Nuvi GPS devices.
TomTom HOME
The TomTom HOME allows you to search your GPS unit for existing software and add upgrades as required. Beyond the basic features to include transferring maps, TomTom HOME also allows users to download files that are used in the TomTom, then modify and put them back in the unit to form unique themes, giving the GPS a more personal screen. Adding to that, TomTom even managed to engineer software for mobile phones, the majority of which has been scrapped. Fortunately you can still purchase an application compatible with an iPhone 3G.
Magellan Software
Magellan may have the well-known reputation of selling reasonably priced stuff, but they now offer plenty of software provided to be downloaded at no cost, including two individual versions; VantagePoint and MapGuard. VantagePoint is a great application which lets you download all the GPS bells and whistles to your desktop monitor. Every one of the maps, roads, itineraries, and points of interest are displayed and the maps can be viewed using both the 2D and 3D effects.
MapGuard is Magellan’s second program and includes MapSend Manager as well as Mapsend Lite. The MapSend Lite is a particularly useful application which lets you display any map on a PC, helping you to choose waypoints and design routes. This software also support Geocaching, and you can also convert coordinates and mileage into many different formats. A great unit to consider is the Garmin Nuvi 465t Truck GPS Navigator.
Judging Each Application
Keep in mind, GPS software shouldn’t be the only factor in selecting your next GPS device. GPS software is only manufactured to compliment the company’s devices and achieve that product’s maximum capabilities. Out of the products reviewed here, TomTom HOME easily outdistances the others because of our ability to tailor the user interface. Some of software can even be tried out even if you have not yet purchased your own supported GPS device.