What GPS unti lets me add contacts from a PC?

January 23, 2008 9:02 AM

Help me find a standalone user friendly GPS unit that can have addresses or contacts loaded from a computer.

I have been tasked with finding a standalone GPS unit such as a Tom Tom or a Garmin which will be used by several non tech oriented staff at my work place.
One of their key "needs" is the ability to load contacts and stops to the unit via the computer before they leave.

The units I have researched are fuzzy on whether or not you can do this. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this? I trust MeFi input much more than a salespersons.

Also PPC or laptop GPS solutions won't work for this crowd, which are what most of my Googling turned up.

Thanks, apologies if I missed a similar question.

posted by imjosh to Technology (3 answers total)

What you want is one of the new Garmin Nuvi units with the MSN Direct service (assuming you are in an MSN Direct service area). On Microsoft's map site, there is an option to send the address to your Nuvi over the air -- you don't even have to hook it up to your computer. By the time you get out to your car, it'll be on the device waiting.

You can also of course hook them up to a computer and download POIs (Points of Interest) directly. Here is software that claims to take CSV files exported from Outlook and convert them to POI files for Garmin devices. Garmin devices are very popular so there are probably many more software options.
posted by kindall at 9:13 AM on January 23, 2008

I've done this with my Garmin Street Pilot i5, although it's not a simple point and click, I had to make a kml file in Google Earth, then use their POI Loader (Point of Interest Loader) but there maybe be other packages that do it too.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:56 AM on January 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

You can do this with the TomTom devices. They advertise a way to get Google Maps locations onto the devices as well.
posted by drstein at 8:01 AM on January 24, 2008