I have to agree that the USGS State Series produces far better maps then Map Source and you can use it to tranfer waypoints and tracks. BUT for those Garmin Mapping gps units you "must" use a MapSource product to load maps on to your Garmin gps. No Choice.
I use the USGS State Series for my hunting maps.(paper) When I play around geocaching I have been using the Garmin MapSource maps. I normally print out a map after loading the Lat/Long for the cache. It is just handy.
The Garmin Topo Maps and the USGS maps are not up to date. Garmin and other software manufactures buy there base from USGS and then modify it so it will load on to their gps units. As I have stated earlier, I get the most upto date Forest Service or BLM map for the area I am going to hunting for current road systems. A common compliant by law enforcement and fire is the Garmin Maps do not show many campgrounds and other improvements in the Forest. Many of these sites are on the software. You can make the software work for you. Lets say you are interested in campgrounds and other sites around Devil's lake. With a Garmin Mapping gps map page up or using MapSource Topo software put the pointer or courser near Devil's Lake. Then go to the POI option.(Points of Interest) With the Topo software loaded in your gps many locations will be brought up in a list. Example Devil's Campground. Hit the enter button, and the following options come to you, SAVE, MAP, GO TO. Hit the SAVE option and you have created a Waypoint for Devil's campground. You might want to select the tent symbol for this waypoint. For your basic eTrex or Mapping Garmin gps you can do the same thing using your MapSource Topo software. After creating your waypoint it can be transferred to your gps.
Whenever you modify your waypoints or tracks using software, save your current waypoint list and add the new waypoints to it before loading them on to your Garmin gps. Or you will lose the current ones on the unit when you up load your new waypoints.
I have created a number of tracks on my gps units and then downloaded it to my USGS State Series and DeLorme software. I have been able to update the roads in some areas that I hunt. When you hunt private land or some State areas you may not be able to find detail maps. Then you become your own map maker.
So the bottomline is that the basic map USGS provides the gps manufactures is not up to date. A few months ago a friend and I found a glaring error on DeLorme mapping products. Outfits like the Forest Service, Park Service, and BLM have in house topo series that are more up to date. All large maps have errors. New maps are reviewed by many people but errors show up after they have gone to the printer.
Transferring data between gps units and computers has been complicated by the fact that many computers no longer have a 9-pin serial port. They only have USB ports. In the case of my old eTrex Legend I needed to buy an adapter to use it with my new laptop.
