Do simple file transfers work with a Mac?

Former Member
Former Member 1 month ago

Coming from an edge 1030, which works easily with a Mac.   Just plug it in and normal Finder operations work for file transfers.

is that not the case for the 1050?  Is there an alternative approach that works well with a Mac?

thanks

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to rwohl1

    Actually, the 1040 now uses MTP instead. I recently updated my wife's 1040 and since that I have to use OpenMTP on my Mac to access the 1040 filesystem.

    I don't know what they abandoned the older access, but it was always pretty flakey anyway. They never did seem to get it right.

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to DeanWette

    One advantage of MTP is that the device can always be disconnected without a risk of corrupting any files. On USB mass storage devices you always need to take care to eject the device properly to prevent any data corruption. Also it isn't possible to format an MTP device. And yes, I've seen posts of people inadvertently formatting their Garmin device...

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to DeanWette

    I used USB Mass Storage on macOS and Windows for the past twenty years from the Forerunner 305 and Edge 810 all the way up to the Edge 1040 without issue.

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to hoyhoy

    I have not been without issues getting Garmin devices to mount as desktop volumes. With MTP I never have an issue connecting to the Garmin from my MacBook Air or Mac Mini. When Garmin used USB Mass Storage it was constant struggle to get the Garmin to mount on the desktop. It was just flaky and troublesome to get it into the right mode. Now that I have OpenMTP working well I prefer it.

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to DeanWette

    macOS doesn't support MTP natively.  Neither does Windows unless you have the mobile phone drivers installed (which doesn't appear to work VMWare Fusion images).

    Ten years ago, we used to have "force mass storage mode", but that's about it.  Since the Edge 1030 Plus or so, the Edge units seemed to automatically enter mass storage mode when plugged into a mac.

    I never had to fight with Windows to install MTP drivers (which I still don't have working) nor install third-party software on macOS when Garmin supported mass storage mode.  By any measure, MTP is worse than USB storage mode as a user experience.

    Also, in MTP mode, the Edge 1050 has an eject button.  So, you're wrong about "auto eject" being supported.  It's not.

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to hoyhoy
    hoyhoy said:
    So, you're wrong about "auto eject" being supported.  It's not.

    I'm neither wrong nor right about that. I didn't make make that claim.

    I guess we just have different experience with Garmin support for USB Mass Storage on Macs.I'm fine with MTP, and continued argument for the former protocol seems pointless to me. Maybe you should contact Garmin Support with your concerns.

  • 0 2 days ago in reply to DeanWette

    I've successfully used the Forerunner 305, Edge 810, Edge 1000, Edge 1030, Edge 1030 Plus, and Edge 1040 with Windows XP, Windows 7, Mac OS X Leopard (10.5), Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), Mac OS X Lion (10.7), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), OS X Mavericks (10.9), OS X Yosemite (10.10), OS X El Capitan (10.11), macOS Sierra (10.12), macOS High Sierra (10.13), macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS Big Sur (11), macOS Monterey (12), macOS Ventura (13), macOS Sonoma (14), and macOS Sequoia (15) with USB Mass Storage.  Every Edge device worked flawlessly without third-party software until the Edge 1050.  No data loss even though I'm sure I failed to eject/unmount my Edge units as well...

    So yeah, we have different experiences.  The Edge 1050 doesn't work with any consumer operating system natively and relies on standard that is only used in Android devices and is categorically worse in every way.