Thread: Low maintenance GPS map

Hello all, haven't posted here for many years but am looking to revamp my system a little bit. The available hardware I have is an old 466 MHz AMD laptop, Garmin GPS 35PC (with serial connector) and some old Co-Pilot software. Installed in my car already is a Sony head unit with TV tuner, limo antenna and aux input to a 7 inch TV in the front.

What I'd like to do is put the laptop in my glove box (in a nice install) with the GPS antenna mounted somewhere stealth in the dash. This all seems pretty straight forward. From there I want the laptop to auto boot into a GPS program with no user input. I don't want any directions or guidance systems, I just want a map on the screen with a compus and maybe a speed reading. The biggest problem I have is when I'm driving I want to know what side street is next to me and maybe the next exit on a freeway, nothing more, nothing less.

What kind of software do I need to do this? Because it's a laptop I figured I could find a way to have it autoshut down when the car goes off (running on battery power then) so I wouldn't have any problems there.

It seems like all the new software is so guidance oriented and too frilly. It would be great if I could use the Co-Pilot software I currently have, but I must say, it's over 4 years old and I bet some of the maps are pretty outdated. If anybody has some ideas or has done a no-frills install like this I'd appreciate the advice to help out an old time member.

BEN