Zumo 660: SALES said-cant do route planning on laptop unless i buy another CN product

[AceRider01]

I was about to pull the trigger and get Zumo 660 - first GARMIN buyer

then sales person told me that unlike Zumo 550 - City Navigator is preloaded into Zumo 660 and if i want to do any route planning using Mapsource on my computer, i must buy another CD version of the CN to load on my computer - I said WTF, the whole reason i want to get garmin is to be able to do complex route/track planning on computer then load on to the GPS - othewise i would simply stick with my GPS software on PDA

Is this true or he doesnt know what he is talking about.

[DennyIndy]

AFAIK the 660 comes with CN on DVD.

Check the what's in the box portion of the Garmin site.

http://zumoforums.com

[GodSilla]

DennyIndy, here in Auss-Trailer we sometimes get shafted compared to what is available overseas. BUT, as you said, worth checking with Garmin about what you get in the box here, might also be some useful info on gpsoz website too www.gpsoz.com.au, worth a look anyway.

UPDATE: I just checked gpsoz, and it comes preloaded, no DVD, so you're screwed unless you can convince garmin to send you a DVD copy, which isn't such an unreasonable request actually, as you will have purchased the software with the GPS unit, all you're asking for is a copy on different media.

[9Dave]

If you just need the media, anyone else with a copy could burn one for you. The key of course is the product key to open it up. I think on the earlier Zumos the key could be found in a folder in the unit's memory.

[hancockbs]

Don't know about the Zumo 660, but I bought the wife a 265WT and it is true for it. It came preloaded and though I have loaded MA on her computer, there is no option to transfer routes, only waypoints. I called Garmin and asked and they told me the 265 doesn't have the capability to accept routes from MS. Seems like a severe limitation to me and had I known it beforehand, I would not have bought the unit. I assumed the capability was in all of their units that use the CN software, but apparently not. Big lesson learned, don;t assume the a feature that I consider essential will be included in future products. Ask questions before you buy!

[AceRider01]

this seriously is no good..

i am going to ring GPS OZ after the holidays and find out if there's a workaround.

any people who bought the Zumo 660 in australia- please chime in...

[tbirdsp]

Originally Posted by hancockbs

Don't know about the Zumo 660, but I bought the wife a 265WT and it is true for it. It came preloaded and though I have loaded MA on her computer, there is no option to transfer routes, only waypoints. I called Garmin and asked and they told me the 265 doesn't have the capability to accept routes from MS. Seems like a severe limitation to me and had I known it beforehand, I would not have bought the unit. I assumed the capability was in all of their units that use the CN software, but apparently not. Big lesson learned, don;t assume the a feature that I consider essential will be included in future products. Ask questions before you buy!

For the Nuvi 265 it's right on their web site in the specs :"routes -0".
It's a car unit for people who just want to find the best way to Aunt Betty's house or the nearest Starbucks. Most of ther target consumers for that unit will never plug it into a computer.

[AugustFalcon]

You might want to try the new version of BaseCamp 3.0.1 which is supposed to allow you to use the maps on the unit, I think the only catch is that the unit has to be connected while you do that --- in other words you can't upload the maps from the unit to your PC.

[BurnieM]

No DVD copy of City Navigator is Australia specific

Mods might want to move this back
.

[rmarmbruster]

Originally Posted by AceRider01

this seriously is no good.
any people who bought the Zumo 660 in australia- please chime in...

Ace,
I purchased a 660 in Feb not realising it had no mapsource until planning the Karuah River rally trip. I prompty returned to Johnny Appleseed for a refund. They offered to swap for the 550 but the smaller screen is no good to me. I need the larger screen located at the fathest distance to comfortably see the thing.

Long story short both JA and Garmin supplied a copy of Mapsource to shut me up. Now a very happy camper with a large 660 screen and good maping software.

Cheers

Roba.

[Skurj]

There is a way of doing this without buying another product. Do some searching with Google, and you can find a way to get mapsource up and running with the preloaded maps that came with the GPS. I just went through this exercise with the Nuvi 550.

Hints.. Install basecamp
install mapsource (won't run until you do next step)
update the preloaded maps on your device and pc...

[David_S]

Long story short both JA and Garmin supplied a copy of Mapsource to shut me up. Now a very happy camper with a large 660 screen and good maping software.

Worked for me in the USA also. I purchased a nuvi 760 with no software disk/dvd. I contacted Garmin support and explained that I travel a lot (lie) and need to be able to route on my laptop and then load it to the nuvi so I had to have CN on my laptop. I told them the 760 has the ability to download routes so it was totally wrong not to have the software to do that since the unit supported it. I was sent a link to download CN NT and have it up and running on my PC. I think so many people that buy GPS units these days never route on the computer and don't even know they can so Garmin saves mega $$ by not including mapping software with most units. Plus they make a huge profit if people purchase it instead of requesting it free.

[moneyman]

I just got a Zumo 660 and Mapsource cd was included in the package. Irritating that the Southern African maps had to be ublocked in South Africa and the European maps on Garmin .Com site. You would think that they would all be linked.

Good news is that I can now set up routes . Bad news is that my Garmin Quest, which has 2009 maps cannot download maps or update map areas until I update the maps to 2010 as well. I can however download tracks. Luckily I wont be using this unit for much else than local driving from now on.

[HerrMnnn]

Originally Posted by David_S

Long story short both JA and Garmin supplied a copy of Mapsource to shut me up. Now a very happy camper with a large 660 screen and good maping software.

Worked for me in the USA also. I purchased a nuvi 760 with no software disk/dvd. I contacted Garmin support and explained that I travel a lot (lie) and need to be able to route on my laptop and then load it to the nuvi so I had to have CN on my laptop. I told them the 760 has the ability to download routes so it was totally wrong not to have the software to do that since the unit supported it. I was sent a link to download CN NT and have it up and running on my PC. I think so many people that buy GPS units these days never route on the computer and don't even know they can so Garmin saves mega $$ by not including mapping software with most units. Plus they make a huge profit if people purchase it instead of requesting it free.

I'm looking at buying a Nuvi 765 cos I think the Zumo is a "tad" overpriced, but I want to do the Mapsource plan routes upload to GPS thing. I rang Garmin and asked this exact question - they confirmed if I buy a 765, then get the free update from Garmin, I will be able to view the maps in Mapsource (I own an old version of mapsource but there are other ways to get it...)

I also asked on the Nuvi thread here and had it confirmed. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...&postcount=940

Also Basecamp is completely free from the Garmin site and uses the pre-loaded maps, provided the gps is connected and turned on. http://www.gpsaustralia.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=16063

But I still think it sucks that for the money you pay for a Zumo, you don't get everything you could possibly ever need, including software. What do they really save anyway? Throwing a DVD and printed manual in the box might cost them $10 or less, but having hundreds of disgruntled owners bitching on forums could cost them a hell of a lot more...

[9Dave]

Originally Posted by HerrMnnn

But I still think it sucks that for the money you pay for a Zumo, you don't get everything you could possibly ever need, including software.

So don't buy it. Buy a Nuvi for half the price, that is not waterproof or designed for all weather use, and when it fails, buy another.

Originally Posted by HerrMnnn

What do they really save anyway? Throwing a DVD and printed manual in the box might cost them $10 or less, but having hundreds of disgruntled owners bitching on forums could cost them a hell of a lot more...

Most people who read the specs, and understand how to download a couple files don't have a problem. Why should all that crap get printed when the first thing a lot of people do is throw it away and look for the info online?