Customer Reviews

Garmin Mobile PC

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Garmin Mobile PC (software only version) works with any GPS receiver; BT, USB, Garmin or not. It works also with integrated laptop receivers. It is locked to the computer not the receiver as usual. It can be installed on one computer only. If you change your mind after installation, you are out of luck. It may be possible to reset the lock by contacting Garmin support, but don't count on that.

The maps included cannot be updated. Your only option is to buy another copy when the newer map version is available.

Apart from that, it is like a Nuvi with a bigger screen, specially on touch screen tablets, with the added value of Garmin Online information; flight status and hotels.

We needed a device which would hold multiple routes. this does the job. We have a hard time believing its power and accuracy. For ordinary GPS I am sure a regular unit would be better but for our uses this is the thing. There is no way we could have afforded the more expensive units and this unit has much more coverage that Microsoft direct which misses us completely. We go through isolated areas and we are very pleased!!

I have a Fujitsu tablet PC and, with Mobile PC running, it performs similarly to my wife's and daughter's Nuvis, with one exception. When entering a street address, the Garmin keyboard does pop up. Instead, I have to use the Fujitsu keyboard application which has small letter icons and I need to use a stylus instead of my finger to enter letters and numbers. I Called Garmin about this and they said the keyboard option has been disabled on Mobile PC. Because of this I've downgrading my 'satisfaction' rating from excellent to good.

Bought this software after wasting $80 on Streets and Trips 2009. It's safe to say that Garmin is well ahead of Microsoft on the user-friendly part.

The positives are many: Quick, easy info on the screen. Pleasant, but not overly loud coloring of the land/roads/etc on the map. Better voice for turns compared to Microsoft's robotic voice. The road is laid out going up on your screen, unlike Microsoft and it's "car driving angled on a crooked road" problem. Automatic day-to-night map switch. Actual "Time at arrival" readout...another feature Microsoft seems to not incorporate into their program.

Only a few negatives: No big button to stop/start routes. Garmin online should have more info on the weather in your area (like severe alerts). The tabs aren't customizeable at the bottom of the screen.

UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PRODUCT DOESN'T COME WITH A GPS RECEIVER, EVEN THOUGH THE PICTURE DISPLAYS ONE. IT IS ONLY...ONLY THE SOFTWARE.

I bought Garmin many years ago. I thought I could find a cheaper substitue from another company that would have the same great features...and wound up buying two that disappointed me. Stick with Garmin. They know what you want in a GPS/GPS software package.

UPDATE: This Garmin software has, over the years, done wonderful in directing me along the best routes and was super easy to plan a route before starting it. I have used the route planning feature of the Garmin and it beats out every other GPS unit/software I have ever used, hands down. Having the convenience to take the laptop inside my home and plan routes from the comfort of my couch is awesome. The way it routes you to your destination is awesome. If you're looking for a GPS brand to use for the first time, OR looking for a better brand....look no further than Garmin. Yes, the mapping is a tad on the 'bright color' side, but that's the ONLY downside of this product.

this thing is awesome, it transforms your laptop into a high end GPS receiver just like the Garmin Nuvi's. in fact it uses the same software as the Nuvi and offers every option found in the best dash mounted devices.

use your existing external USB or Bluetooth GPS and your off and running.

it's like buying a $800 Nuvi for $59

It's Garmin, of course it's good. The software looks and functions just like my dedicated Garmin unit. The software install is simple and it's function is flawless imo. The GPS hardware may be a little more tricky. I didn't buy the Garmin unit that can be sold with the software and had my own. It was necessary for me to install other software to get it recognized by my PC and Garmin. As I said, it's pretty much identical interface to the Garmin dedicated units. So if you are familiar with that GUI, then you will be right at home here. In my use so far, it has met all my needs.

I've bought this for a Viliv S5 which is a 4.8" PC running Windows. Viliv has some issues with GPS hardware but I'm using a program to workaround that (search for startgps v2 ahk on the internet).

The Viliv is small but Garmin software has a good user interface and touch data input works great for size of screen (you do need to use the Viliv virtual keyboard to enter text though). The user interface is very similar to the Garmin mobile devices.

The maps are good quality and routing is generally pretty reliable. There's a demo I believe so you can try that first. The S5 has 5+ hours battery life so works great as combination of a GPS device + PC functionality (wireless built in as well).

There are some small annoyances like favorites only have a short name and you can't add additional info like phone # (custom POI would be a workaround but more complex to setup).

Also as commented earlier you can't buy just a map update which is odd. Instead you buy again next version which isn't expensive but still bit strange. Same if you want a map for another continent. There are tricks to make it work though but officially not supported.

I called Garmin before purchasing this item. They assured me that it would work using my Oregon 300 as the GPS.

Instsllation did not go well at all. I called Garmin and talked to their Mobil PC "expert". We spent about 1 3/4 hours on the phone as he "guessed" at solutions (he was definately not very knowledgeable when it came to this product). We finally got it to a point where we thought it was working as it was supposed to.

When I tried to use it in the car - on the road, either the Oregon or the Mobil PC would work - not both.

I finally returned it in frustration. Definately not the quality of product that I have come to expect from Garmin although I might say that it may have worked fine if I had purchased the package that included Garmin's dash-top GPS (I didn't because I was told that the Oregon would do the job). I I decided to not continue beating my head against the proverbial brick wall since I already have a product that works much better than what I saw from Garmin.

The Garmin Mobile PC (GMPC) installation went smoothly. Color selections, voice selections, routing preferences are good. I used GMPC while on vacation, briefly for comparison, I also used TomTom North America. While in San Antonio, TX I missed an I-10 on-ramp. TomTom did not recalculate a route to get me back on I-10. GMPC got me back on I-10 quickly. I had the routing settings on both set as identical as possible. But to be honest both of these navigation software are great. The few things I'd change on GMPC is to have more flexibility in selecting what I want to see in the data fields. What I mean about the data fields is, allow me to select whatever data I want (altitude, instant speed, time delay from initial start time, etc). I'd also like to select a larger font size for the data fields. After first installing GMPC I did some MS updates. The MS updates created a problem and I had to do a factory restore of my Viliv X70. When I re-installed GMPC a message popped-up about 'this software has been previously registered' (or words to that effect). I recalled an installation message related to registration. I contacted Garmin Tech Support and within 1 day I was able to re-install GMPC. Overall, I recommend GMPC.

As a professional captain I own many Garmin GPS units (5 currently). This is the first time I purchased a software product. I have a new netbook w/GPS receiver installed. I got the software to work but a new College Town has been built 10 miles away from us in the last 3 years and I need an update to include the town of Ave Maria... 'Sorry, you should have bought the copy that will be out soon instead of what you got, no updates of this software available, EVER!' of course, I paraphrase, it wasn't just that but what I read was pretty close! I'm MAD and looking into non-Garmin products for my boats and vehicles when I re-tool. That is not only Not standing behind your product, that is saying "You messed up! You trusted us!"