Mac Support is Here!

After months of hard work and heckling encouragement from the Mac community, we are happy to announce partial Mac support with the release of the MotionBased Web Agent. At Macworld 2006, Garmin announced its commitment to support Mac by the end of the year – this is their first Mac utility. 

What is the MotionBased Web Agent?
A browser plug-in that enables Macs to communicate with Garmin Forerunner and Edge devices. Meaning, Mac users can get data off their GPS device and on MotionBased. Unlike the MotionBased Agent (PC only, client application), the MotionBased Web Agent runs within Safari. After installing the plug-in, users simply connect their USB device and upload by clicking a button in the browser. We evaluated all options and decided a Safari plug-in is the best user experience. Hope you agree? 

Partial Mac Support??
Before getting too excited, let me explain “partial support”. NOT all of MotionBased works on a Mac. Firstly, the Web Agent only works in Safari, and not Firefox or other browsers. Secondly, the Map Player and Analyzer are PC only. We hope to have complete Safari support this summer. So what does work? Well, everything else: Digest, TrailNetwork, Dashboard, Google Maps and Google Earth integrations. As well as sharing via email, links, and viewports.

Download the MotionBased Web Agent and learn more about our Mac support. 

Welcome aboard,
The MB Crew

And of course, we want to thank the folks at Apple for their support and our counterparts at Garmin Tempe.

Comments

[Doug Leybourne]

What am I doing wrong?

I run Mac OS10.4.8. I have downloaded MBAgentinstall.beta 1.24.dmg. Clicking this gives MotionBased Web Agent.pkg.

I have followed the instructions precisely and get a final message that MB Agent has been successsfully installed.

There is now an extra icon on the desk top called MB Agent; however, all this contains is another copy of MotionBased Web Agent.pkg!

Finder does not detect any MB items in Applications.

Help please (I have used MB on a PC for some time and have recently changed to a Mac)

[Kathryn]

Hi Doug,

Hmm, there should not be an icon on the desktop when installing on the Mac. Did you verify that the plug-in has been installed?:

http://wiki.motionbased.com/mb/Mac_Web_Agent#Check_the_Plugin_Version

Kathryn

[Kathryn]

Hi Tony,

We are on track to have full Mac support by the 3rd Quarter. Please check out the Mac Support section on the Knowledge Base:

http://wiki.motionbased.com/mb/Mac

Kathryn

[Dizzy D]

The Forerunner 305 Unit Software page states:

"IMPORTANT: Forerunner software version 2.60 is NOT compatible with versions of Training Center prior to 3.2.0 and versions of MotionBased Agent prior to 2.3.0.1. You can download the latest version of Training Center at garmin.com and the latest version of MotionBased Agent at motionbased.com."

I am using a Mac to run GTC for Mac and also MotionBased via the Safari PlugIn. I am running Parallels for Mac and can boot into Windows when I need to. Therefore, I can download the updated version of the unit software (v 2.60) and load it into the unit. However, from the above description, it is unclear whether or not the new unit software can talk to the latest version of the GTC for Mac application (v 2.0.2) and the MotionBased PlugIn for Safari (v 1.25). Please clarify, and in the future please don't leave us Mac users out of the loop.

[Kathryn]

Hi Dizzy D.,

Thanks for the heads up. There is, however, a warning on the Mac Web Agent for those Mac users not running parallels. That message instructs users to upgrade to Mac Web Agent 1.25.

I'll pass your concerns regarding the message at Garmin.com along to the appropriate person.

Best,

Kathryn

[Dizzy D]

Kathryn,

OK, but I'm still left hanging here... Can the Mac Web Agent v1.25 and Training Center for Mac v2.0.2 talk to the Forerunner 305 if the unit is upgraded to unit software v2.60?

I'm trying to decide whether or not to upgrade the unit software.

Thanks.

[Kathryn]

Hi Dizzy D.,

Yes.

Best,

Kathryn

[george]

Am I correct that if I have a Mac running panther (10.3.9) then i cannont use motion based to upload my workouts from my 305?

[john GOODROW]

I have a garmin 305. When are you going to support the routing finding and full aspects of the 305 that the PC has?

[Kathryn]

Hi George,

Sorry for the delay. You are correct, you need v10.4 Tiger.

http://wiki.motionbased.com/mb/Mac_Web_Agent

Kathryn

[Ed Farris]

How do you upload the gps info to the mac? I've installed the plug-in v 1.25 beta. I've plugged in the 205 to the usb port....but nothing happens. Your website says to click a button in Safari but I don't see any new button after I installed the plug-in. Could you help me or send me to some kind of support page.

Thanks

[Ed Farris]

Forget the above ask for help. I figured it out!

[Craig Elliott]

Thanks! Mac support means I'm a paying customer!

[Mark]

OMG! Can I have your baby!

This is awesome.

[eple]

thank you, thank you, ...finally

[Jim]

My Forerunner 205 now works with my Mac, but I'm only partly satisfied. When I plug in the Forerunner to my Dell, I get a nice calendar, highlighted for history. I also have an available "notes" feature, which I use quite a bit. Neither feature appears in the Mac version.

Now, I'll have to look to see if you guys will support my Etrex with Mac OS. A good start, but man, this is like pulling teeth. You'd think Garmin would understand that there would be a completely overlapping market for its products w/ Mac. That is, fitness geeks w/ $. HELLO in there.

[Jason]

Is there any new developments regarding mac support, it looks like it has been over a year since anything about has been blogged.

[Kathryn Krieger]

Hi Jason,

We should be finished with Mac support by the end of this year. For updates you can check out the Mac support section on the Knowledge Base:

http://wiki.motionbased.com/mb/Mac

Kathryn

[Kathryn Krieger]

Hi Jim,

It sounds like you're referring to Training Center for Mac . . . ? There are a few differences between the PC and Mac versions. As stated above in the note to Jason, MB should be 100% up and running with Mac by the end of the year.

Best,

Kathryn

[Mike]

I'll upgrade the moment you get analyzer support for Mac!

I'm sure there are thousands of us who are waiting. The boost in revenue alone should be enough motivation for you to get this done.

The features of the site that we Mac users can use now are great, however, I don't think anyone will pay extra with no added features at this point.

Thanks!
Mike

[Don]

Brand new 305, new Mac, new software. The Web Agent v 1.25 is installed but "upload" doesn't do anything at all. Also, GTC on the mac is pretty limited in terms of what you can do with the data.

I appreciate the gesture of making Motion Based sorta, kinda Mac compatible and hope you get it truly functional soon.

[john goodrow]

I have the edge 305 and was wondering when support for Mac's to do the wayfinding stored feature will be available.

[Seth]

Is there support for the newest version of Safari yet?

[Kathryn Krieger]

Hi Seth,

Not yet; we plan on supporting Safari 3 with the release of Garmin Connect.

Kathryn

[jp gahagnon]

Thanks for your support for the Mac. Looking to your werbsite, I've just bought a Forerunner 305, 2 days ago, not already received. I had a Foretrex 201 on a Mac. Alone in the dark ! Now I plan to do everything that GPS can Give as informations. tracking on Google, heart survey and of course still use it on my bike and my sailing board. Many thanks…
jpg, from the French atlantic coast