I contacted Garmin CEO Clifton Pemble in Kansas with my request, the need and the marketing advantage for Garmin. That prompted a phone call from the head of automotive (don't remember his name). About four months later automotive told me an update to Basecamp was going to be released. I don't know when or what will be updated - but it's a start.
I agree with Dennis. Kudos for your efforts with Garmin executives to improve BaseCamp.
While I hope you were given correct and truthful information that a new version of BaseCamp is in the works, I remain a skeptic until I actually see a new beta or version release of the software hit the download servers. C'mon Garmin! Prove me wrong.
Thanks for your effort and look forward to hopefully seeing v5.0.
PC computer based research and trip planning is critical to the role a GPS plays in our use. It goes without saying MapSource, now BaseCamp availability and integrated support to upload and download trip plans into the GPS has kept me with Garmin products for a very long time.
There have been some dry periods over the years whether Garmin would continue to offer this type application, especially with their high end products and I also wrote Garmin to say how important it was to have this product with their flagship GPS units.
I had started to wonder and look at other brand products until the nuvi 3597 well supported by BaseCamp came along. The fact that the 3597 firmware has been enhanced over the years to make it even more usable with BaseCamp has not gone unnoticed. Originally it did not have the "Delete All" option for waypoints and routes which made it cumbersome to clear the unit and load a new series of routes for a new trip. Very glad to see that function added.
As I look to their newest models, BaseCamp support of the specific model is closely examined, as I have seen in the past some models that could talk to BaseCamp but limited in the ability to upload/download waypoints and specific routes. .
thanks for your effort. Hope Garmin continues to recognize the value of free product management help.
I've been using Garmin GPS for nearly 17 years, my first was a black-and-white screen Street Pilot that was so dumb, it couldn't figure out or say "recalculating". You had to plan your route using a PC and if you got off the route, you were, er, out of luck.
I've been using Garmin stand alone GPS since, getting newer and better versions. Then I picked up a Virb Ultra to replace a GoPro and added a GeoMap 64ST for a hand held. Up until then I stayed as far away from BaseCamp as I could. Folks would try to talk me into using BC, but I couldn't get into it.
The Virb and 64ST forced me to look at BC again, and its not a terrible package. But wow, its got a learning curve, and the UI design is really showing its age.
So while i won't hold my breath waiting for 5.0 to show up RSN, I do look forward to it.
SUSSAMB, are you telling me the message I got from automotive was fake or a lie? I'm glad to see you now taken an interest in this topic, unlike before. Have you been told recently there was a change and there is no update coming?
The only source saying there was an update planned was you. All other sources indicated no further updates. So as dpawlyk indicates the message you got was wrong, not unknown for some Garmin staff to get facts wrong.
But they had that. It was called RoadTrip. I still have it on my Mac and it still launches under High Sierra, although it's largely non-functional. Basecamp replaced it, sort of. So I don't see why they'd go back to that.
Also, my impression is that there's not much need for something like that anymore. I don't think I could get a custom route into my built-in Garmin in my Honda Pilot; in any event, it wouldn't be easy. Putting a custom route into my wife's Nuvi is possible but also not easy (just because of how you have to do it, not that it can't be done with Basecamp). From what I gather most people these days use their phones for navigation, not stand alone GPS's. So I don't know how much need there is for a new RoadTrip, or even a new Basecamp (most people construct routes on line from what I gather).
Roadtrip was the short-lived Mac version of Mapsource. Basecamp was initially intended for outdoor (Topo maps only) use but evolved into a Mapsource replacement.
My guess is that Basecamp will be replaced with something else just as Mapsource was.
Since I still use Mapsource I'm not fussed either way.
PS: I'm likely one of few dinosaurs that still plans trips on a PC (in Mapsource) and transfers them to my unit(s).
