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Garmin BaseCamp
Garmin announced a new software program today called BaseCamp. BaseCamp is to the outdoors world as MapSource is to street navigation. Users will be able to browse topo maps, tracklogs, waypoints, and plan trips for their handheld Garmin devices through the software which will be compatible with both Macs and PCs.
Why this wasn’t announced a couple of days ago at CES is a bit puzzling, however this isn’t the only GPS announcement we expect over the next week or two.
“BaseCamp brings a whole new set of features to hikers, hunters, geocachers, and anyone else who wants to maximize their experience with their Garmin GPS,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “This new utility lets users view, organize, and transfer their data more quickly and efficiently – allowing them to make the most of their time exploring the great outdoors.”
Perhaps taking direct aim at DeLorme’s Topo USA program, BaseCamp will allow users to view topo maps in 2D as well as 3D views as well as changing the map orientation from the old method that was locked in North up.
Also noteworthy, Garmin mentions the software will be compatible with “TOPO U.S. 24K DVD”, a product which to date has only been available for certain states. The software is expected to be released by the end of March 2009, just in time for your next outdoor adventure.
