See http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/


GpsMap 376C (US$ 999) is US$ 250 more expensive that GpsMap276C
(US$750) and offer only XM weather standard wich is usefull only in
USA. Nothing about AIS.

On 19 Jul 2005 17:18:48 -0700, "Pascal" wrote:

See http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/


GpsMap 376C (US$ 999) is US$ 250 more expensive that GpsMap276C
(US$750) and offer only XM weather standard wich is usefull only in
USA. Nothing about AIS.



And nothing about a decent memory card format......

"Burnie M" wrote in message
...
On 19 Jul 2005 17:18:48 -0700, "Pascal" wrote:

See http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/


GpsMap 376C (US$ 999) is US$ 250 more expensive that GpsMap276C
(US$750) and offer only XM weather standard wich is usefull only in
USA. Nothing about AIS.



And nothing about a decent memory card format......


It still mainly targeting the marine market so its still needs to support
pre-programmed marine chart datacards.

"Non Toxic" wrote in message
...

"Burnie M" wrote in message
...
On 19 Jul 2005 17:18:48 -0700, "Pascal" wrote:

See http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/


GpsMap 376C (US$ 999) is US$ 250 more expensive that GpsMap276C
(US$750) and offer only XM weather standard wich is usefull only in
USA. Nothing about AIS.



And nothing about a decent memory card format......


It still mainly targeting the marine market so its still needs to support
pre-programmed marine chart datacards.



duh -- and it would be so damned hard to have slots for both card types? Like a
$20 card reader maybe? Couldn't possibly have anything to do with wanting to
keep that expensive card business in house, could it?

"SamSez" wrote in message
news:cuEDe.6619$Im3.5038@trndny07...

duh -- and it would be so damned hard to have slots for both card types?
Like a
$20 card reader maybe? Couldn't possibly have anything to do with wanting
to
keep that expensive card business in house, could it?

Not sure what the big deal is. I bought a 256MB card, loaded all the City
Select maps for Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,
Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and some Western portions of South
Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas all on one card, including all metro
areas, all auto-routing data and all POI's. I just leave that little
proprietary card lodged into the unit as if it were internal memory and have
never wished for more. I have the 128MB card that I keep in case I need more
but...

Maybe if I was a salesman on the East Coast and my territory was the entire
East Coast I would wish for more memory but a salesman doesn't need a GPS as
sophisticated as the 276C/376C. For your average user lack of memory just
isn't going to be an issue. When was the last time you went on a trip and
brought an atlas for each of the 50 states? And don't tell me about your
Rand McNally 50 in 1 Road Atlas, LOL! It doesn't have even 10% of the roads
that are on City Select NA.

While there are a few people with legitimate uses for more than 256MB map
data, most people who whine about it never stray far enough from home to
need more.

"Spanky" wrote in message
...

"SamSez" wrote in message
news:cuEDe.6619$Im3.5038@trndny07...

duh -- and it would be so damned hard to have slots for both card types?
Like a
$20 card reader maybe? Couldn't possibly have anything to do with wanting
to
keep that expensive card business in house, could it?

Not sure what the big deal is. I bought a 256MB card, loaded all the City
Select maps for Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,
Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and some Western portions of South
Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas all on one card, including all metro
areas, all auto-routing data and all POI's. I just leave that little
proprietary card lodged into the unit as if it were internal memory and have
never wished for more. I have the 128MB card that I keep in case I need more
but...

Maybe if I was a salesman on the East Coast and my territory was the entire
East Coast I would wish for more memory but a salesman doesn't need a GPS as
sophisticated as the 276C/376C. For your average user lack of memory just
isn't going to be an issue. When was the last time you went on a trip and
brought an atlas for each of the 50 states? And don't tell me about your
Rand McNally 50 in 1 Road Atlas, LOL! It doesn't have even 10% of the roads
that are on City Select NA.

While there are a few people with legitimate uses for more than 256MB map
data, most people who whine about it never stray far enough from home to
need more.



The big deal is that I don't know when I'll be handed a ticket and told to be in
a city nowhere near my 'base area'.

So I use a loaded 2610, but miss many of the customizations and larger track
memory available on other units.

Again, the cost of putting BOTH card sockets in a box that big would have harmed
nothing but Garmin's pocket [and not for the cost of the socket either], and
would have helped at least this potential user [and surely others].

All arguments [yours included] as to why it is simply fine with only a single
proprietary slot ignore the one and only reason why another socket was not
included -- so I don't want to hear any more.

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:49:39 +1000, "Non Toxic"

And nothing about a decent memory card format......


It still mainly targeting the marine market so its still needs to support
pre-programmed marine chart datacards.



My point is that it is not either targeting (Garmins marketing) or
being used as primarlily a marine unit.

This was also the case with the 276C.

It is frustrating that this format 'issue' could be eaisly and cheaply
fixed and if Garmin was concerned about backward compatibility
it is easy and cheap to have both Garmin format and SD format card
slots.

But then we had to batter Garmin over the head for several years to
get USB so I do not know why I expected anything else.

"Burnie M" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:49:39 +1000, "Non Toxic"

And nothing about a decent memory card format......


It still mainly targeting the marine market so its still needs to support
pre-programmed marine chart datacards.



My point is that it is not either targeting (Garmins marketing) or
being used as primarlily a marine unit.

This was also the case with the 276C.

It is frustrating that this format 'issue' could be eaisly and cheaply
fixed and if Garmin was concerned about backward compatibility
it is easy and cheap to have both Garmin format and SD format card
slots.

But then we had to batter Garmin over the head for several years to
get USB so I do not know why I expected anything else.


Get over it Burnie. Its not a 'fault' that needs to be 'fixed'. Its designed
that way for a purpose.

In fact the 376C adds extra MARINE features to the 276C model. In addition,
both units are only listed on Garmin's website as Marine Chart Plotters and
neither are anywhere to be seen on the Mobile Electronics page. The Garmin
format card is an integral part of the Marine Bluechart distribution and it
maintains compatibility with all of Garmins Marine Chart Plotters. Most
mariners just want a card they can purchase and plug in.

Just because YOU purchased one for vehicle use, doesn't mean everyone is
primarily using it that way or that your application is the preferred one.
The in-car navigation feature is additional to the primary Marine
applications it was designed for. Since you bought a marine chart plotter
primarily for vehicle use only then you have to accept it will probably have
some limitations in that area.

NT
===

In article ,
Non Toxic wrote:
...
complaints about the non standard datacards
...
Get over it Burnie. Its not a 'fault' that needs to be 'fixed'. Its designed
that way for a purpose.

Owning two Garmin units with the non standard datacards, I agree
with the other complainers that this is a 'fault' that needs to be
'fixed'. The only purpose for hangin on to them seems commercial,
i.e. in Garmins interest and not something beneficial to the
customers.
I doubt it is a wise decision for Garmin on the long run. I, for
one, will certainly not buy another unit with non-standard cards,
even though I have allready spend a shipload of money on both
Garmin's and C-map mapping software.

In fact the 376C adds extra MARINE features to the 276C model. In addition,
both units are only listed on Garmin's website as Marine Chart Plotters and
neither are anywhere to be seen on the Mobile Electronics page. The Garmin
format card is an integral part of the Marine Bluechart distribution and it
maintains compatibility with all of Garmins Marine Chart Plotters. Most
mariners just want a card they can purchase and plug in.

This is definately NOT true. Most mariners do not WANT to "just buy
A card to plugin": they HAD to do this because RayMarine, Garmin,
and other manufacturers only provided the map-data on such cards.

Slowly this is changing now, also for Garmin's BlueChart: if you
look f.i. at the availability of BlueChart for UK/NL/BE, you will
see that the availability of BlueChart on pre-programmed cards is
only a subset of what is available on CD-rom. This is true for a
number of years already, and as serious mariners update their maps
regularly, the "compatibility with old pre-programmed cards"-argument
is just not valid anymore. Certainly not for new equipment, one
which one usually wishes to use up-to-date mapping data instead of
using years out-dated data on old pre-programmed cards.

Another reason to go away of mapping software on pre-programmed
cards is the increasing availability of update-programs for mapping
data by Garmin's competition. Especially in regions where the
seabottom is not stable (f.i. the Wadden in NL) up-to-date maps are
essential for save navigation.

Regards,
-- ted

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 11:48:37 +1000, "Non Toxic"
wrote:


But then we had to batter Garmin over the head for several years to
get USB so I do not know why I expected anything else.



Get over it Burnie. Its not a 'fault' that needs to be 'fixed'. Its designed
that way for a purpose.


NT


I am a customer. This is feedback.
Respond or do not respond as you wish.

If I am selecting the wrong unit then please point me to the right
one.
I require;
Auto-routing for onroad use
Manual routing, trackback and UTM grid for offroad use
A reasonable sized screen.
Waterproof for occasional motorcycle use and
Standard (SD or CF) format memory card

Which unit do you recommend ?