0ur opinion:

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We?ve mapped every hill and valley. Download data from the MapSource T0P0 U.S. 2008 DVD directly to your compatible Garmin GPS. Now you can enjoy topographic mapping detail no matter where your adventures take you.

T0P0 U.S. 2008 features digital topographic maps for the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. lt is available in two different formats making it easy and convenient to load data to your compatible Garmin device: MapSource DVD and preprogrammed micro SD data cards.

Product Description:
Garmin's United States T0P0 MapSource CD-R0M is similar to U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000-scale topographic paper maps. lt includes trip and waypoint management functions that allow you to transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks between your PC and nearly all Garmin GPS units (excluding the GPS 100 family and panel-mount aviation units). With MapSource, you can view highways, roads, hiking trails, snowmobile trails, backwoods trails, elevation contours, point and summit elevations, some bathymetric contours, geographic names, churches, and schools. Shoreline detail is included for lakes, reservoirs, small bodies of water, waterways, rivers, and streams. lcons represent boat ramps, dams, marinas, campgrounds, public facilities, mile markers, first aid stations, picnic sites, swimming areas, ski areas, wrecks, fuel locations, and dangerous and restricted areas.

ln addition, nautical navigational aids for the 50 states are provided, including radio beacons, RAC0Ns, and fog signals; river, harbor, and other lights; and day beacons and lighted and unlighted buoys. Shipwrecks, submerged rocks, obstructions, and other hazards to nautical navigation are also displayed.

Note on compatibility: The trip and waypoint management functions of this product work with nearly all Garmin GPS units, excluding the GPS 100 family and panel-mount aviation units. Specifically, the map-download features of this product work with the eTrex Legend, eTrex Vista, eMap, GPS V, StreetPilot, StreetPilot ColorMap, StreetPilot lll, and GPSMAP 76, 162, 168, 176, and 295. Some units may require a Garmin data card to upload map data.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Didn't work, messed up other software and computer ...
I installed this software package on my year-old computer, but when I tried to start it I just got an error log file to be emailed to Garmin. Their tech support department was closed. Worse, another Garmin software package (MetroGuide) had now stopped working, and the Windows Uninstaller kept crashing when I tried to remove them. A good hour and a half later I have finally reinstalled MetroGuide and made it run, but USA TOPO is going back to the store. I already have enough things that don't work!

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Buyer's feedback: - Not enough detail; Bought Nat Geo TOPO also
I have a Garmin Rino 130 GPS. I received this software as a gift. I use the GPS primarily for hiking in Colorado.

For many years I have used National Geographic TOPO software to create custom hiking maps. It has served me well. With the newer versions I am able to create routes and download them to the GPS. This is what I had hoped to do with the Mapsource software. But, I found creating routes in Mapsource to not be as user friendly. The maps in mapsource are generated from a database and prove to not be as detailed as the Nat Geo maps, which are scans of USGS maps. Using the freehand route tool in the Nat Geo is a superior way to create the routes. It will also
create a profile of distance and elevation gain/loss from this freehand route.

I have found it useful to use the Mapsource software to load maps of the area I will be hiking into the GPS unit. It's nice to be able to see the countours, lakes, streams, etc. in the background on the GPS screen.

If you only have $ for one I would go with the National Geographic TOPO over Mapsource.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Works well but cannot download full map to PC ...
The software works pretty well with my Etrex Vista. Not all trails are marked on the map, even some quite popular ones. Some logging roads are also missing. However the topographic information makes it easy to orient yourself. The city maps are quite detailed although not many of the roads are named. The biggest drawback that i have noticed so far is that you cannot download the fully detailed maps to your PC hard drive. The very generic instruction manual suggests that this is possible but I contacted Garmin and was told that this feature is not enabled for this product. This means that you have to carry the disks with you and load them every time you want to view them which is incovenient especialy if you travel with a laptop(and if you lose/damage the disks you are SOL). The maps use quite a bit of memory and take a while (20 minutes or more for a large mapset)to download to the gps unit (old serial cable technology). I cannot load more than about 30% of the state of Oregon onto my 24MB vista so I have to be selective. One nice bonus of a topo map/vista combination is that you can use the map to calibrate your altimeter/barometer.

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Buyer's feedback: - Great for basic mapping
After reading all the negative reviews, I was very reluctant to take the plunge with this product. However, as the date of my Vermont hiking trip approached, I decided to go for it.

I was very plesantly surprised. Here's what I found:

1. This product provides good BASIC topo maps for garmin GPS (I personally use an etrex legend). If you are looking for 1:24,000 level of precision with every obscure trail, fire road, etc. you WON'T find it here. However, I found the maps to be more than adequate for orienting myself and cross-referencing with USGS paper maps if necessary. (As others have repeated ad nauseam, you should ALWAYS carry paper maps in addition to electronic gizmos like this). Also, as other reviewers have pointed out, you can get good USGS-derived paper maps from Maptech.

2. My experience was that the accuracy was good, once I enabled the WAAS on my unit. I didn't encounter any of the missing lakes, etc. which others have spoken about (I also used it recently in the boundary waters area of MN). That having been said, I don't think it's necessarily the best for roads-- also as other reviewers have pointed out. It is best suited for topographic features. There are other products which are more suited for roads and highways.

3. I didn't have any problems with installation-- went very smoothly. The software is somewhat rudimentary, but that also makes it very simple to use. I was up and running in no time. Downloads were also very easy and straightforward.

4. Can't beat the price!! You get all 50 states-- not like other products that are state by state. You buy it once and then you are done.

So overall, know what you are getting into and you will not be disappointed. DONT expect any bells and whistles like fancy 3d flybys, etc. DO expect a cheap, basic, reliable-- and in my experience-- accurate map which will get you MORE than adequately oriented with your surroundings.

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Buyer's feedback: - * WARNING! DO NOT BUY THIS SOFTWARE! ...
This software is garbage, it barely works even after being updated to the latest version available on their web site. Try zooming in or panning the map, or transfering to your GPS and 90% of the time it will crash or tell you an error occured. I can't beleive a company with a name like Garmin's would ship something so completely useless and overpriced. If you have a Garmin GPS and you want maps for your GPS you are stuck with Garmin's software: so don't buy a Garmin GPS either!