Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

Hi,

My brother has a Garmin GPS with an SD card containing the Garmin maps of North America and Canada. Can Maemo mapper read these maps and display them for browsing. I don't have a GPS device with my N800 so I would simply like to have it for searching and viewing general areas.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

FG

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

No. Garmin uses proprietary vector maps, while Maemo Mapper uses raster maps. You can get them for free, just download them from one of the listed sites, such as Google Maps. For viewing, the raster maps are much better, and you can get aerial/satellite photos or street maps, much better quality for viewing than the Garmin maps. OTOH, raster maps can't be used for auto-routing, only viewing your position from the GPS.

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

how about if those garmin map changed to raster?
I think this program does it
http://www.geopainting.com/en/

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

Why bother when you can just download maps from one of the available repositories such as google maps which are of much better quality.

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

I think that would be great, garmin devices have good topo maps, which googlemaps haven't here in Finland :(

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

My issue with the current status of maps and n800/810 is that I don't want to download maps, I want navigation. I want all my vector data on my SD card just like every other device I have.

Despite all the open source mopen soursh talk, there is one navigation option for the n8x0: wayfinder, a proprietary software. And its overpriced on a lease basis.

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

That's the stuff costs money. When it comes down to it, a purpose built gps will beat the crap out of something that "also does mapping".

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

Vector maps from NavTeq et al cost money, because they won't give their data away. Until they do, there will be no open-source vector maps. Live with it.

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

There are Open Source vector maps for south american countries. Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile. They are very good and are updated by hundreds of users on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc).

However those are based on Garmin img format and thus are not useful for my N800, which is a shame.

Re: Garmin GPS maps and Maemo Mapper for N800 device
 

there are indeed free vector maps: http://www.openstreetmap.org/ I think meomo mapper can use them (not tried yet)

If you don't need gps but simply "a map on a disk" install the map application (os2008) / wayfinde and download the maps from the server.
you want have navigation, but you can browse the maps. I find it very handy.