As advertised, TOPO! works well with GPS units. I use it with a Garmin Vista Cx GPS frequently. Other people's negative reviews concerning GPS compatibility probably stem from their assumption that they should be able to download the maps themselves to a GPS device. No, you can't do that with just TOPO.
As advertised, you CAN download waypoints or routes before a trip, which becomes extremely helpful when you feel lost. And you CAN upload waypoints and tracks after a trip, which is very interesting to map where you've been.
General Comments on the Software...
This is an excellent product which I always use before going exploring or mountain climbing. I discover new features in the software all the time. I don't think the program has ever crashed on me, and it is not hard to learn. 5 stars!!
The PC version works ok but if you own a Mac, you are out of luck. Major glitches of very basic uses (such as unable to upload waypoints from a spreadsheet to your GPS!! Both upload and download buttons and pulldowns send you to a download only option). It is one of the few Mac apps that will lock down your computer and not respond to force quit.
The interface is bizarre. Want to find a place? - go to "Edit". Want to find a coordinate? - go to "View". Want to find customer support? - go to the back of the room. iMac 2.4 ghz OS 10.5.4, Topo 4.5.0
"Out of date maps"
2008-07-29
- Reviewed By User: A2GPOVYZ9BICLC
I bought this software because I am a grad student and I had to survey alpine sites around the state of Colorado. I thought it would be great. It was not. The biggest problem is that the maps are out of date. For example several hiking trails are missing. I drove up at least ten roads that had locked gates that were not on the map. Many roads are not labeled or not labeled correctly. It was good for putting waypoints in my GPS, but that is all it was good for.
"Expect a long learning curve"
2006-10-06
- Reviewed By User: A10QDFPNVDZRY9
I've used TOPO! for eight years and it's the best there is for mapping software. I own software for 10 of the western states and use the program almost daily. I use the program in my laptop and when hooked up to my GPS, I have what amounts to a super detailed car navigation system with a 17" screen. As new maps become available, you can download them free into your computer as needed and it's a very easy procedure. Also, free upgrades are available on-line and that's an easy procedure too.
To make the state series most useable, you need to add Back Roads Explorer, which gives much more detailed up-to-date street and street name information.
The only caveates with this program is that you need a relatively fast computer and lots of memory so you can copy the whole program to your hard drive so you don't have to constantly change cd's. Also, expect to take some time to fully get to know this program.
This piece of software is what I have been hoping for for since I bought my machine. It is the most elegant and detailed mapping system that I have used. With the Garmin Vista Cx it works flawlessly. You can download any or all of the map data from the disks into the "Topo" file and it runs very well on my powerbook G4. It will upload all waypoints, and routes. It will download all waypoints, routes and tracks! The maps are gorgeous! The interactive web feature is cool but young. It has a geocaching feature. The 3d maps are sweet! It downloads updates and new map layers almost perfectly (had to manually download the software update). I only wish that waypoints symbols would transfer to and from my unit but I can easily live without them. Load the Mapsource maps to your device (Garmin "x" series saves to swappable memory microSD cards) and use Topo! from your laptop.
I won't repeat the complaints by the other reviewers but I will agree with them. I have a new Garmin eTrex Vista C GPS, which is a good product. But, Garmin wants you to buy their poor quality MapSource software. Poor quality because of the scale. National Geographic TOPO software is somewhat clumsy to use, but it will produce a fine map and does a good job for large scale use, as in hiking, etc. The problem is that Nat. Geo. deliberately misleads in its cover blurb by implying that TOPO will work with "most popular handheld receivers." It won't. So, if you want to produce a topographic map, with a route marked on it, and measure distances, develop elevation profiles, etc., then NatGeo TOPO is useful. If you want to upload waypoints from TOPO to your handheld GPS, be careful!
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Expedited Available
"GPS Compatibility"
"Topo for Mac is horrible"
"Expect a long learning curve"
"Useless with Garmin eTrex Vista C"