Garmin 76

[nobby]

I've mentioned elsewhere that I have been waiting for the SatMap10 device to have Mac compatability before I buy and I want OS mapping.
I have, however, a Garmin 76 that is sitting in a drawer doing nothing. I bought it new a few years ago for a boating odyssey that didn't happen and haven't used it.
Is it any use for cycle touring in conjunction with OS paper maps, or instead of a cycle computer (I'd be interested to see altitude)?
If it needed a PC I could afford one of those little two hundred quid Asus jobbies.

Any advice appreciated; I'm a complete duffer with gps.
Cheers

[frankly frankie]

Is it any use for cycle touring in conjunction with OS paper maps, or instead of a cycle computer (I'd be interested to see altitude)?
If it needed a PC I could afford one of those little two hundred quid Asus jobbies.

Well, without a PC it would give you everything and more that a cyclomputer can, except cadence and heart rate.  Plus altitude, and OS Grid ref.  A bit big though, just for that, and you'd have to mount it somehow.

The Asus wouldn't connect without a serial/USB converter cable and all the grief that sems to go with such things. 

[nobby]

Is it any use for cycle touring in conjunction with OS paper maps, or instead of a cycle computer (I'd be interested to see altitude)?
If it needed a PC I could afford one of those little two hundred quid Asus jobbies.

Well, without a PC it would give you everything and more that a cyclomputer can, except cadence and heart rate.  Plus altitude, and OS Grid ref.  A bit big though, just for that, and you'd have to mount it somehow.

The Asus wouldn't connect without a serial/USB converter cable and all the grief that sems to go with such things. 

Thanks for that. I have got a mounting clip for it (and a 12v supply lead) so I could swop it from bike to bike instead of the little cateye computers I have now?
I don't need cadence or heart rate for what I do but grid reference would be useful and altitude interesting  and if there isn't a need for a PC, that'd be good as well.