Someone advised getting GB Topo to support the mapping but read lots of bad comments on Amazon site re unlocking the software. Really only using it for road rides and therefore wondered whether City Navigator Europe DVD for UK Audax and trips to France/ Italy/Switzerland more useful for me. Any problems loading this software?
Also can I plan my rides with Anquet and upload them into the Vista.
Don't know about Anquet.
But the HCx comes with upload software (Trip & Waypoint Manager) which can import files from various other sources, and then upload them into the GPS. Using this, it is just about possible to do everything else without further outlay - but to get better maps onto your GPS you pretty much have to buy into Garmin's own mapping.
For road riding I strongly recommend Metroguide as the cheapest and most flexible option for getting maps onto your GPS - Topo is not suitable if you are riding mainly roads - its not as accurate as either City or Metroguide, on the road.
The Metroguide maps are virtually the same is the City ones (there may be 1 or 2 extra data overlays in City, I don't know, and I think maybe postcode search works in City, I've never had any luck with it in Metroguide). Metroguide maps are not subject to any 'locking' problems - you can use them on any number of GPSs's (useful for families).
(It is possible to run both Topo and one of the road maps - at a cost)
Also get a BIG memory card, a 2Gb micro-SD card is what you want, eg from 7DayShop.
The advantage of the big card is that you only have to copy the maps in once and then forget about that side of it. With a small card you'd be copying different map sets every time you tour to a different area.
***The Garmin website and your GPS vendor will both tell you that Metroguide is 'incompatible' with your GPS - but that is just bullshit to get you to spend more than you need to***
It is true that the autorouting that is embedded into the maps is disabled - but this is easily and cheaply (even freely) fixed using a patch from here:
http://www.geodude.nl/community/content/view/15/31/or you can just live without it.