Garmin screws Apple users of Edge devices
 

Garmin Edge devices x40 and later are advanced cycling computers and fitness tracking devices.

They decided to forgo native storage functionality instead updates disabled usb storage in lieu of MTP music transfer protocol so Mac’s can no longer mount the edge device for the purpose of dropping routes easily onto the device or extract fit files.

Didn’t buy an edge 1040 as a music player and am really pissed that they have disabled critical functionality for stupid ease of uploading music.

Garmin express doesn’t take the place of easily mounting a device and dropping files or extracting files.

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Tell Apple to make a bike computer that will only work with other Apple devices on Apple computers.
Done.

When I bought the 1040 it worked fine for about 2 years until they dropped usb storage support. If it didn’t support usb storage when i bought it I wouldn’t have.

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Garmin's big enough to do pretty much whatever they please with their product designs & software to run 'em.

Apple's got the same ethic, take it or leave it.

I hesitated before buying a Varia last spring, again when I bought an Edge 840 a few weeks later. The Varia does what I expected, the Edge is taking more time than I expected it would for me to figure out exactly how to do what I want it to do for me.

Been an Apple user since 1993, made a decent living using their machines for producing graphics for sales centers. They're capable of doing a lot more than I need 'em to do for me, but as they make it pretty simple and reliable to get things done that I need to get done, I've stuck with 'em.

Dropping in routes as you describe is an outdated method of importing the files. To begin with all major route creation tools use a wire transfer protocol using either Bluetooth or WiFi. Next you can transfer the route into Garmin Connect and when you sync the device it will be uploaded that way.

And extracting files and screenshots? Not so easy is it.

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I verified this problem over the last few weeks while trying to get my 1040 to mount as a drive. Still works fine on a Windows machine.

Garmin has been moving towards using MTP for a while. I think the reason for it is DRM for music files. It also might keep people from mucking with system files and it might also be more fault tolerant.

I can't say I'm happy about the change either.

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What about this?

https://openmtp.ganeshrvel.com/

I think it's easier to make MTP devices look like a drive on Apple than it is on Windows.

It's not "outdated". It's an feature that provides more options for people. It's also a feature you don't have to use if you don't want to use it.

Garmin still supports using wires to update maps (since it's much faster). So, Garmin doesn't think it's "outdated".

Windows doesn't treat MTP devices like "drives" (mapped to a letter) like it does for regular USB mass storage.

I think it's easier to make MTP devices look like a drive on Apple than it is on Windows.

I had a similar problem with my edge 500 many years ago after Apple came out with a new version of OSx for my macbook. It wasn't Garmin that was the issue. It's just that OSx wanted to assume wrong things about what it was connected too.

After changing the defaults for how it saw certain types of usb connections, it again worked fine with my Edge 500. It's been a long time ago, so I can't really tell you what the exact issue was.

Most of the issues I had when using a MacBook were Apple's attempts to "protect" themselves from what they considered infringement of others.

I'm confused, I plugged my Garmin into my Apple laptop about a week ago and updated everything. Afterwards, I downloaded FIT files from RWGPS to my hard drive and then dragged them into my Garmin 1040 plus using the Apple finder. Are you talking about something else?

Nope same scenario I plugged my 1040 into my MacBook via USB c and it’s no longer recognized by finder. I checked the Garmin site and they dropped usb storage support recently and replaced that with mtp in a recent update.

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With the newer versions of MacOS, you have to give it non-default permissions to allow mounting of USB devices, and then external drive file system access, under the Privacy and Security System Settings

I think there is still something buggy about it. I got it to work for my Varia, but only transiently for my 840.

Apple is making their computers almost unusable for seemingly low real-world risk security threats.

You lost me at MTP devices. I’ll have to do some research.

Regardless, I use to make a folder for fit files/routes on my Mac and then plug my wife’s 1040 in and once my Mac recognized it, I could drag the files to “New Files” and done. I can still do it on my Windows machine but no longer on my Mac.

I haven’t had the need to drag and drop files for a few years now and don’t understand any reason one would need to? Wireless transfer is effectively universal now. If actually need to connect Garmin express works great for map transfers if you don’t have the time to do it wirelessly. If I need to transfer a gpx file I just use Garmin connect and we’re done/. What am I missing?

My question as well, what advantage to wired connection and transferring
fit files ?. I get courses/routes from RWGPS direct in the device and all competed activities get uploaded via the GCM. Only thing I do wired is map updates via Express.

Try getting screenshots off the device for example.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b77198d37.jpeg

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Yes for those who only have access to Mac computers and require to download screenshots the change is problematic.

Also for adding or updating huge map files

That is done with Garmin Express or wirelessly. I have a 1040 Solar as well as a 1050 and just updated my Europe and North American maps with no issue.

Which is why I titled the thread the way I did.

An edge device isn’t a freakin music player first.

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Historically, the Edges used to look (work) like regular USB drives to computers.

The newer ones use MTP. Some models that used to work like USB drives have been updated to use MTP.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol

It kinda hard to describe but MTP is harder to use.

One thing is that you can assign MTP devices to drive letters (in Windows).

Your comments about this are based on a lack of experience and are suggesting it’s the users that find these features useful that are the problem.

The fact that you don’t use a feature doesn’t mean it isn’t useful to other people.

It’s not like having the feature you don’t use limits you.

If you create route files on your PC (like some people do), why would you want to be forced to use an external website or wireless transfers when you don’t need to? What if you don’t have WiFi or internet access?

Some people use non-Garmin maps (which you can’t install via Express).

I would probably just use my phone to grab a snapshot of the screen image. Seems much simpler than connecting my Edge 1040 to a computer.