Showing posts with label driving directions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving directions. Show all posts

Microsoft MapPoint 2009 Review

Microsoft MapPoint 2009
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
My workplace just upgraded to 2009 from 2006, and while 2006 was easily the best version of this software I've ever used, the 2009 version is easily the worst and has gone backward in functuality.
For one thing, the program doesn't support Windows 2000, which all of the computers where I am run. I know, they should upgrade to XP (which they have finally begun to do with Win2K end of life support), but they won't do that, so I'm stuck using this on a VPN running Server 2003 (eventually upgraded to Server 2008), which is acceptable, though slow.
Guiding myself around the interface is now a pain; instead of giving you a choice between panning and zooming via the toolbar, you're stuck with the left mouse button panning, and the right button dragging the box to zoom in. Nobody uses the right mouse button for click and drag interaction, and I never use the panning feature, preferring to use the arrow keys, so this works horribly for me. The interface also defaults to an ugly black background within the toolbars instead of the cool blue of Office 2007 in XP/2003/Vista or basic grey of Mappoint 2006, which makes the program seem more intimidating than friendly.
Pushpin choices are extremely reduced, and you're stuck with only a few landmark pins and a few colored pins (up to 20) which seemed to be designed on the rush. In 2006 to pinpoint a destination, I could differentiate it as a business or home by using a pin to do so; that's no longer the case here. It's either one of the basic pins, slowly adding custom ones (or as I later found out, grabbing the old icon pack from the many Streets and Trips/MapPoint enthusiast forums out there), or you're out of luck.
Searching has been seriously kludged. I used to be able to type an address in the style [123 Sample Rd, WI] to save time and unneeded keystrokes to get to the address I needed within my state without having to type the city, and go right past matching addresses in other states. No longer does it default to WI with the [, WI] command. It lists every address from the beginning in Alabama, and if it's a common number/street combo, you'll be hitting Page Down quite a few times. Then you also get the blended listings from Live/Bing Search. This should be a good thing, right? But it slows down the search process, and often it's redundant and unneeded if you're just searching for a basic address, not a business name or type.
I'm also finding it hard to zoom the map to a certain geographic area, such as a county after a click on the county's name, and I have to pan the map into frame and zoom manually to place an entire county or city in focus of the window. Zooming options have seemed to lessen too, as my favorite default of 18 miles has seemed to change to 20 miles, losing street grid information within that view.
This program is wonderful and my favorite map program, but things that weren't broken were 'fixed', and have ruined the user experience for me. I would love to see a software update to address these problems, but for now I'm going to use a combo of paper maps, Google Earth, and the kludge of Mappoint 2009 to search for maps rather than depending on this alone.

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Microsoft MapPoint 2009 gives you the power to visualize business data, communicate insights with instant impact, and integrate maps into the work you do in Microsoft Office.

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Street Atlas USA 9.0 Review

Street Atlas USA 9.0
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I've used Street Atlas for many years. The latest release isn't a significant upgrade from the previous version of Street Atlas. There are updates to changes made in roads and points of interest, but not much beyond that.
I think the routing engine could use some work. I'd like to see a routing choice of "least turns" added so that it makes an efficient route with the least number of turns/roads. I actually own the latest Delorme Map n Go product and it does a much better job at routing between two points. The combination of the two products works well since maps are interchangeable between the products.
The software works great with the Delorme Earthmate GPS and I imagine with most/all NMEA receivers. While driving I usually throw the Overview Map up in the corner and it would be nice to have a direction/speed window you could put up too (vs the very tiny text showing current speed and distance to next turn). The GPS Status window has the info (plus much more) but it's bigger and takes up more screen real estate then a direction/speed specific window would. Also, though you can set it for voice prompts as you approach turns, most laptops aren't loud enough to be heard over normal driving noises.
I haven't looked at competing products since I first purchased Street Atlas so I can't compare the functionality and accuracy against products such as the Microsoft Streets. Even with all the minor annoyances, it's probably my most used product outside of normal office productivity apps and I would recommend it for folks looking for street level map data with routing and GPS capabilities.

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DeLorme's Street Atlas USA 9.0 quickly and easily maps the entire U.S. down to the smallest urban neighborhood. Features include automatic routing with a travel-time planner, fuel consumption calculator, stopping options, and easy-to-read travel directions. Detailed street and highway maps (6.2 million miles) locate places by address, intersection, area code, local exchange, latitude/longitude, ZIP Code, or place name. Print turn-by-turn travel directions via fastest, shortest, preferred, or scenic routes.
Street Atlas USA 9.0 plans your trip with precision and speed. Updated data quickly and reliably locates more than 4 million points of interest. Create automatic and customized routes without the need of Internet access. Easily locate exit services and interest points within a given radius or along a certain route. Search for banks, recreation areas, accommodations, schools, restaurants, and more.
Ideal for personal or business travel, the program can be loaded onto your laptop for maps on the go or connected to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for real-time travel tracking. When used in tandem with DeLorme's Earthmate GPS receiver or an NMEA-compatible GPS receiver (including popular Garmin and Magellan brands), the program displays a large arrow that tracks your travel route in real time, guides you back on course if detoured, and also signals upcoming exits.

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008
Average Reviews:

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Unless you really need the updated maps, I would not upgrade from Streets and Trips 2007.
* The 2008 version is the first one with a product key that needs to be registered. I assume this means I can no longer sell or give away the old version when I buy the new one. So I won't be upgrading every year anymore.
* After I did the install, it corrupted a dll that Money 2007 uses. I had to reinstall Money to get it working again.

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Travel with complete confidence!Product InformationPlan it customize it drive it. Every trip is a good one with Microsoft Streets& Trips 2008. This comprehensive trip planning software makes route planninga snap around town or anywhere across the U.S. and Canada. Microsoft Streets& Trips gets you where you're going quickly easily and without all theguesswork.Your trip...your way!Customizable trip-planning options allow you to planroutes scenic detours and fuel stops.Reroute any time you wish instantly without goingonline.Optimize your trip by calculating mileage time andexpenses in advance.Store or print your travel plans or share them online orthough e-mail.Find everything you'll need along the way from landmarksto airports to golf courses.Use full screen map view for easier map viewing on thego.Import contacts from Microsoft Office Outlook into yourmaps.Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008 gives you accurate driving directions tojust about anywhere in the United States and Canada with more trip-planningfeatures than major online mapping Web sites. Instantly find more than 1.6million points of interest such as hotels restaurants ATMs museumscampgrounds and more without the need to be online. Use Live Search to findadditional local business listings when you're online then take selectedlocations with you on the road. Get detailed door-to-door directionsanywhere along millions of miles of routable roads streets and highways.Planning your trips just got easier and more fun!New FeaturesNew features in Streets & Trips 2008 make your planning more productive andyour trip more enjoyable.Updated maps for the United States and Canada.NEW: Use the new perspective map view to get a view more like you wouldsee through your windshield.NEW Automatic re-routing helps you get back on track even when you miss aturn.Customizable trip pla

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DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2010 Review

DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2010
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The reviewer who can't get the multi-stops chosen to be in geographic order is not entering them correctly. When deciding to put a "stop" into your route, how you do it determines how the software works. If you choose "ADD A STOP" the software will put that stop into the sequence that you entered it. For instance, if you want to stop at Aunt Jane's first, then go to Sam's house, you would add those stops in the order you want to do them.

If you want multiple stops to be made in the shortest geographic distance and the sequence of the stops is not important, use "INSERT A STOP." The software will then arrange the stops to be made in the most efficient manner.
To choose the ADD or INSERT for a STOP, go the Route tab, choose New/Edit, and use the drop-down box at the end of the Stop window to pick either Add or Insert.The new Street Atlas has excellent Point of Interest options, and allows flexible routing by using the ADD VIA and INSERT VIA options.

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Updated map software for PCs, Palm and Win CE touchscreen devices. U.S. and Canada street-level detail, automatic routing, 4 million places of interest. GPS-ready--on-the-go routing wizard, spoken directions, 3-D perspective.

Travel planning and GPS navigation for laptops, netbooks, phones, and PDAs Updated, exceptionally detailed map software you can use anywhere--on the go with your laptop PC, netbook, touchscreen phone or PDA. No Internet access or subscription required. Get street-level detail for the U.S. and Canada, plus highways and major roads for Mexico. Pre-plan your trips with automatic routing and over 4 million places of interest. User controls let you plan side trips, avoid congested areas, choose back roads, and more. Locate restaurants, lodgings, attractions, truck stops, sports venues, and businesses of all kinds. Calculate fuel usage and costs. Customize the maps to meet your needs. Import aerial imagery. Print a wide variety of map packages, or use MapShare to send maps, routes, and directions to others via a secure Web link. GPS-ready--connect a DeLorme Earthmate or other receiver to your laptop and receive spoken directions. New E-Z Nav wizard makes on-the-go searching and routing a breeze. Use NavMode for optional 3-D perspective.
Street Atlas USA 2010 Features
Street-level detail for the U.S. and Canada, highways and main roads in Mexico
Over 300,000 new or updated roads
Support for netbooks
Over 4 million places of interest in U.S. and Canada
Easy, automatic routing
GPS ready, with voice-guided navigation
Versatile, flexible editing and print capabilities
Support for Palm OS and WinCE devices
Available aerial imagery--$40 worth free
Share customized maps, routes, and directions
GPS-accurate placement for individual locations in 90+ chains in the U.S. and Canada
Truck stop data with extended information about service offerings
Airport and mall access roads
Major sports venues: college, professional, NASCAR
Support for UMPCs
Support for multiple monitors

Much More Powerful than Online Mapping Comprehensive tools for detailed desktop planning of your vacation or sales trip BEFORE you go, AND for on-the-go traveling using the latest electronic gear. Most other vehicle GPS systems are NOT planning tools and only track as you go. Support for Windows Vista, Pocket PCs, Windows Mobile 5.0 and later, UMPCs, and Palm OS included.
The GPS Leader Innovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands, spoken directions, automatic back-on-track re-routing with off-route distance settings, high contrast mobile map colors, and much more. All in addition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.
Up-to-Date Maps & Travel Information Comprehensive street and POI updates for the U.S and Canada, now with Mexico highways. Over 300,000 new or updated roads for 2010. Powerful travel planning tools, MapShare, and many data types.
Download Aerial Imagery Download $40 of aerial imagery FREE using included DeLorme Data Dollars and the software's NetLink tab. Imagery can be used with all of the Street Atlas USA routing, GPS, and draw tools.
Authentic DeLorme Maps Not licensed from 3rd party companies, the updated maps and 4 million places of interest are produced by experienced mapmakers at DeLorme.
See the Newest Street Atlas USA Features:
New--Support for Netbooks
New--NEW! Over 300,000 road and road name updates. Extensive map and places-of-interest updates for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
New--NEW! Easy-Nav wizard makes on-the-go routing a breeze. Find a Point-of-Interest Navigate Right form Your Search Results


Core Functions
Map Controls The maps can be controlled using a variety of methods, including the traditional push-button zooming, which drills in/out while keeping the map exactly centered. Also, holding down the left mouse button enables you to drag and zoom, left-to-right, across the map, and moving the mouse in the same manner but in the opposite direction zooms out.
Find DeLorme employs several powerful search capabilities within the software. The first is a simple box called QuickSearch where you type common requests including towns, cities, lat/lons, ZIP codes, street addresses, colleges, and many more to receive the quickest possible matches. The places-of-interest search offers more advanced parameters and the advanced search is used when locating exact matches requires additional customer input.
Draw Add MapNotes; draw your own circles, polygons, and squares; measure the area of your draw objects--even draw in your own roads and route on them--these are amazingly powerful draw tools for the money.
Info Right-click on the map to learn more about what's underneath your cursor. Lat/Lon, names of streets and bodies of water--even local radio station information--can be viewed in this manner. Moreover, the bottom toolbar of the software displays a continuously updated readout of what's underneath your cursor.
Voice Use your voice for issuing routing and GPS commands while tracking. Ask common questions such as "How far to my next turn?" and the software answers. Microphone recommended for optimal usage. The software also reads upcoming turn information, including the time to turn, time to finish, and name of the street to turn onto. New voice settings allow you to select how far in advance of your turn you'd like to be prompted. Voice can also be turned off if you prefer.
Netlink and Aerial Imagery NetLink is your online link to DeLorme for $40 of free aerial imagery now included with the Street Atlas USA 2010 versions. Select your areas of interest and download only those grids to the software. Toggle the imagery on and off in a single-screen view. Add notes and draw objects to the imagery to customize lifelike views from space.

Mobile Device Mapping
Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5.0 and later, and Palm OS Compatible Included at no extra charge is the DeLorme Handheld software, which now includes support for Windows Mobile 5.0 and later devices. Access the maps you want from the desktop software and hot-sync to your PDA. Add a DeLorme Bluetooth GPS for use with Bluetooth PDAs and navigate wire-free.
The DeLorme handheld functionality provides address-to-address routing, spoken directions, mobile map colors to reduce in-vehicle glare, and four million places of interest. Finding what you need is easy using the powerful search capabilities. Now you have powerful desktop mapping software and PDA software all conveniently provided in one Street Atlas USA 2010 package.
Maps on iPods Using a tool similar to how MapShare works, now you can select the maps you want from the desktop software and send them to your photo-capable iPod. These map images are static (e.g., cannot be manipulated once on the iPod) and come across in the order you select them, same as with photos. Once on your device, you can access the ones you need, when you need them. Due to the small screen size of iPods, we recommend these maps for urban walking situations where you can discretely reference the maps you need. (Not GPS compatible.)

Ease of Use
E-Z Nav Wizard New E-Z Nav wizard makes on-the-go searching and routing a breeze. Just search on any category (see below), choose your destination (retailer, hospital, gas station, friend's address, etc), and start real-time navigation with your GPS receiver on your dashboard. Great for daily and overall trip planning, too.
NavMode NavMode brings together all the primary GPS controls and readouts needed when using the GPS. Large-screen views make it easy to see the map and directions. You can switch between 2-D (standard) map view and 3-D perspective view for lifelike views.
Keyboard Shortcuts Set your own keyboard shortcut preferences for optimum control when using GPS. The key-bindings function is very powerful and advanced so you can design your ideal in-vehicle navigation solution to your personal specifications.
Right-Click Routing The easiest way for many to create and alter routes is to use the right-click feature. Select the route on your map and add new stops or vias, delete the route, all by simply right-clicking the object of interest. You can also add your own MapNotes or view the many pre-populated tags provided by the software.

Routing
Routing Create automatic routes using the quickest (time) or shortest (distance) routes. Use the E-Z Nav wizard if routing from a search result. Add VIAs to force the routing to take the roads you prefer. Turn on one-way indicators; select major areas to avoid; or select roads based on driving speed preferences. Add Stops and reorganize their order and the routing automatically recalculates. Create and manage routes either in the Route tab or by right-clicking on the maps. New translucent route highlight lets you see exit numbers and route shields beneath the route highlight.
Add Local Roads to Routing A DeLorme exclusive, this is the best way to update local roads when new developments are planned or added between DeLorme software releases. This tool is located within the Draw tab and lets you draw in the road segment, connecting it to another local road within the database. Assign a name, save it, and when you create automatic routes, the software is smart enough to include these new local roads in the routing calculations and also update the directions.
Personalized Routing with Address Book Create and save commonly-used names for places you visit often, such as "home," work," or "Dad's." Once these names are assigned, the routing Starts, Stops, and Finishes also display these names making retrieval easy for repeated usage. Customize routes using your own names and save them within MapShare for others to see -- they'll be amazed. You can also include up to 200 names from your address book to be recognized using this system.

Map & Travel Information
Map Data Because all DeLorme map data is created, updated annually, and owned by DeLorme, we are able to provide many features typically reserved for expensive in-vehicle navigation systems. Free from the license restrictions and third-party dependencies of other publishers, we can also evaluate customer-submitted revisions and implement these changes after triple-checking all submissions.
DeLorme currently has an enhanced commitment with staff in place to make as many customer revisions as possible.
Places of Interest (POI) Data The DeLorme database contains over 4 million annually updated places of interest across the U.S., with additional ones in Canada, including restaurants, lodgings, gas stations, travel services, RV stops, truck stops, malls, shopping--just about everything you could ever need on the road. The software settings let you choose the magnification level to display the various POIs to void cluttering your map views. The POIs can be accessed using the many Find capabilities or by right-clicking on the map and selecting places based on type and distance from map center.

GPS Features
GPS Radar Search Now you can travel with GPS and have the software find upcoming travel services based on their location from you. Find gas, hotels, shopping, and much more in your direction of travel and then easily make detours to these desired stops along the way.
It's like having your personal travel concierge with you at all times.
Automatic Back-on-Track GPS Using the Earthmate GPS LT-40, which turns a laptop PC into a powerful GPS navigator, it's possible to have the software offer new spoken and visual directions when you stray off course. Within the GPS tab of the Options section of the E-Z Nav toolbar, you can select or type the off-route distances you want to travel before the automatic recalculations kick in. Select short distances for city travel and longer ones for highway travel where you may exit frequently for roadside travel services.
GPS Spoken Directions The software can offer voice directions indicating upcoming turns and street names. It also can be set up to respond to your voice and answer common travel questions--a very powerful capability for mapping software within this price category. Several different voice types are included.

Printing & Sharing
Print Print crisp color or black & white maps that you control to best match what is seen on screen. Also print Travel Packages containing strip maps and directions to bring on your trip. Don't want to use a lot of ink and paper? Then print just the Turn Details which show thumbnail maps of each of the decision points along your route.
MapShare MapShare makes it easy to share your customized maps and directions with family, friends, and business associates. You create exactly the content you want and then post within our online MapShare library, which includes private administrative tools for you to manage. Similar to some of the better online photo resources, MapShare allows you to provide controlled access to your important maps without worrying about email and spam filters.

Demos & Tutorials
Getting Started Tutorial This tutorial provides a guided tour of the main capabilities of the software. It is also included within the software along with a comprehensive Help section with links to online discussion groups where DeLorme customers can help you.

Data
Included Street Atlas USA 2010 DVD contains the DeLorme produced and managed United States and Canadian street-level network. DeLorme highways and major roads for Mexico also included. The four million U.S. places of interest are updated annually based on phone book information and DeLorme's own research into exit services. Canadian POIs are also included, many with phone numbers.


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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2009
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
As a loyal user of Streets and Trips for several years, I have purchased every version (often by pre-order) since 2001. In short, S&T has several advantages over online alternatives (and a few limitations) that generally make it a worthwhile investment for both business and leisure travelers.
If you already have a previous version of S&T, purchasing this version would primarily be for updated map data and point-of-interest information. The cosmetics are slightly different than S&T 2008, but there are only a few minor feature enhancements. If you are using Google Maps or Mapquest, Streets and Trips offers four distinct advantages over these free alternatives 1) speed 2) control 3) no advertisements 4) offline access (i.e. no Internet required). Personally, I became a big fan of S&T when I began to travel more frequently prior to having 3G mobile broadband access on my notebook. The ability to quickly get directions while on a business trip is very, very helpful.
.............. Why Pay For Streets and Trips 2009 When Free Online services Exist?...........
1. The speed of S&T is far superior than Internet-based alternatives. This speed advantage is especially apparent when you pan across sections of a map. In S&T, the response is instantaneous. Also, showing the point-of-interest locations (subway stops, restaurants, hotels, etc) is lightening fast. Place the mouse on a particular address or intersecting and select "Find Nearby Places". Almost instantaneously, locations in pre-selected categories appear within a defined radius.
2. The ability to tightly control, save and print maps is big plus for power users. Planning a trip to a new city? You can save as map with directions and locations as a file. Just double click on the file when you are ready to use - just like any office document. For those who make road trips, S&T provides the option to apply different speeds to different types of roads (highways, arterial roads, local roads). Unfortunately, Microsoft stopped allowing input of specific speeds a few revisions ago and now merely has slider bars that range from slowest to fastest. Also as part of this function, Microsoft allows for input of highway/city vehicle MPG and fuel cost per gallon to calculate the cost of a trip.
3. Advertisements are irritating. Time is money. The ability to view and print maps without advertisements is a big plus in my opinion. Why waste your color ink to print a banner ad? S&T allows to see and print exactly what you want.
4. Don't have mobile broadband on your notebook? Want to check destination maps while in the air? Locally stored data is the only solution. Given that the map data is located locally on the user's hard drive, there is no need to get connected to the Internet. Of course, a hybrid environment that uses both locally stored data and online information is the best of both worlds. S&T is almost there (below).
..............What Has Changed Since Streets and Trips 2008? ..............
In terms of what has changed since S&T 2008, the answer is not much. If accuracy is important to you, it always makes sense to get the latest map data that represents both new data and corrections of old data. Point-of-interest data changes much more frequently than street data, so if you a big fan of restaurants this is a valid reason to get the latest version. However, it is important to understand there still appears to be a significant delay, sometimes over 1-2 years before a new restaurant will be added to the point-of-interest data. The inability to update this information in real-time is my biggest complaint about Streets and Trips. While Microsoft is slowly enhancing the live data capabilities, there is still a long way to go. I would guess the real issue is not technical, but financial. Map and point-of interest data is a multi-billion dollar industry. It would probably require a subscription on top of the purchase price to provide higher quality point-of-interest data.
The 2009 version appears faster in use but slower to load. This implies that more data is being loaded into memory upon launch. This might have something to do with a new process that is continuously running, streetsolkshim.exe for which I have not been able to find any information. Zooming appears faster than the already extremely fast 2008 version. However, I have no way of confirming this scientifically.
There are some different cosmetics than previous versions. Most notably are the icons on top menu bar are more descriptive and can be toggled between small and large. They have graphics like a steering wheel button representing the directions function. My guess is the icon scheme is probably designed for traveling retirees with diminished eyesight.
A minor enhancement is the ability to send an address to a mobile phone from within Streets and Trips. Somewhat oddly, the function does not allow directions to be sent. This may have something to do with SMS message length limitations.
One interesting new function that improves Streets and Trips interactivity with the outside world is the Coupon Function. This connects to Entertainment.com database of coupons. Entertainment Publications, the operator of the Entertainment.com web site, predates the web. Basically, it is a company that sells coupon books for $35 with deep discounts for restaurants and attractions. In Streets and Trips 2009, a trial to the service is suppose to be free for two weeks. Afterwards, you need to purchase a subscription. Unfortunately, I have not be able to get the service to work after six (6) calls to Microsoft's horrible Indian-based tech support. The support team members had a poor command of the English language and had zero familiarity with the 2009 version of S&T. The problem has still not been resolved.Pros
*Fast
*No advertisements
*Ability to save maps and directions as files for future use
*Locally stored map data
*Some external data connectivity (i.e. coupons, construction, live search)
Cons
*Still no core data updating via the Internet
*Lacks very recent point-of-interest data
*Ridiculously bad tech support....................Other Notes......................
As much as people tend to dislike Microsoft and complain about software bugs in general, problems with map accuracy are not Microsoft's fault. They don't create the data. Map data creation is a billion dollar industry run by Navteq (now owned by Nokia) and Tele-Atlas.

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NEW—Entertainment online's FREE trial membership for special savings; NEW—Send location information to your mobile device; NEW—Updated street maps for the United States and Canada; NEW—Experience an even more intuitive look and feel

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DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2010 Plus Review

DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2010 Plus
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Having used Microsoft Streets since its first release, I was reluctant to even try another product. I was grossly mistaken. The learning curve (for me) was a slight bit slower than the old familiar "Streets", but now that I have been using DeLorme Street Atlas for a couple of months, I have deleted "Streets" and use DeLorme exclusively. There are many extremely valuable tools (including a street level phone directory) and the routing options are far more comprehensive than those found in Streets. I recommend this product to all those (myself included) who are directionally challenged!

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Geo-locate your business data on updated street maps (U.S. and Canada). 150 million phone listings. Automatic routing, 4 million places of interest. Large-format printing, GPS-ready with voice navigation.

Travel planning and GPS navigation for laptops, netbooks, phones, and PDAs An affordable yet powerful set of mapping tools that allow businesses and advanced mapping enthusiasts to visualize their data on detailed DeLorme maps. Import and geo-locate your own text files from Excel, ACT!, and other database programs. Updated street-level detail for the U.S. and Canada, major roads for Mexico. Use the 150 million included phone listings to create databases (e.g., supermarkets within a radius), or find friends or services. Create driving routes automatically, with user controls to take the roads you prefer--avoid congestion or take scenic drives. Locate 4 million places of interest--restaurants, lodgings, attractions, truck stops, sports venues, and businesses of all kinds. Import aerial imagery. Add custom detail. Insert photos, documents, and Web links into your map files. Use MapShare to easily share maps, routes, and directions via secure Web link. Print a variety of map packages, including large-format plots. GPS-ready with voice navigation, new E-Z Nav wizard for on-the-go routing, and other high-end features.
Street Atlas USA 2010 Plus Features
Street-level detail for the U.S. and Canada, highways and main roads in Mexico
Over 300,000 new or updated roads
Support for netbooks
Over 4 million places of interest in U.S. and Canada
Easy, automatic routing
GPS ready, with voice-guided navigation
Versatile, flexible editing and print capabilities
Support for Palm OS and WinCE devices
Available aerial imagery--$40 worth free
Share customized maps, routes, and directions
GPS-accurate placement for individual locations in 90+ chains in the U.S. and Canada
Truck stop data with extended information about service offerings
Airport and mall access roads
Major sports venues: college, professional, NASCAR
Support for UMPCs
Support for multiple monitors
Put your contact manager listings on the map
Import and edit an unlimited number
Display their map locations, for strategic planning,routing, more

Print large-format wall maps
Link to photos, documents and URLs to the maps
Get 150 million U.S. and Canadian residential and business phone listings FREE--newly updated
Import up to 1,000 at a time
Query by Yellow Page headings and create your own databases
Right-click on a street and get all its phone listings

Delete duplicate records from Yellow Page phone search results
Support for multiple monitors

Advanced and Practical--For Business and Personal Use Everything you need to create, customize, print, and share detailed maps containing your own contact address locations, and much more. Create databases of your business information. Import, edit, and map your vital contact manager data, or additional data from Excel or other sources. Display radius information including acreage, square miles, more. Print notebook and wall-size maps for strategic planning, trade shows, dispatch, and other needs. Create ultra-detailed maps for high-impact presentations.
Importing a Custom Database Situation: A real estate agency's clients are increasingly asking for details on each property's location. Currently, the agents mark the approximate location of the property on paper map, photocopy it and attach it to the listing report. This time consuming process does little to win the confidence of the client.
Solution: Using Street Atlas USA 2010 PLUS, the property listings database is imported as a spreadsheet using the XData tool. Each location is accurately displayed on the map, and MapNotes are used to highlight properties that meet the requirements of the client. This powerful yet easy-to-used tool saves time, provides accurate results, and improves the efficiency of the agency.
150 Million Phone and Address Listings Included Complete U.S. and Canadian business and white page phone and address listings included. Query by Yellow Page category headings. Create and save custom phone and address databases. Turn phone numbers into places of interest you can find when on the road. Right-click on a street and see all phone listings and locations displayed.
Countless Advantages Over Internet Mapping Sites Comprehensive tools for detailed desktop planning of your vacation or sales trip BEFORE you go, AND for on-the-go traveling using the latest electronic gear. Most other vehicle GPS systems are NOT planning tools and only track as you go. Support for Windows Vista, Pocket PCs, Windows Mobile 5.0 and later, UMPCs, and Palm OS included.
No Internet connection or subscription required--always have the map you need as you travel, right on your laptop
Detailed highway and street detail for the U.S. and Canada, highway detail for Mexico
150 million phone and address listings included
Pre-plan your trips with automatic routing and access to over 4 million places of interest
Print travel packages, mosaics, or wall maps
Use draw tools to add customized detail
Import, display, and manage your contact data
Link photos, documents, and Websites to your map files
User controls let you override program routing so you can take exactly the roads you want
Avoid congestion, take back roads, plan side trips
Locate restaurants, lodgings, sightseeing stops, businesses and services of all kinds
Use DeLorme's MapShare to send maps, routes, directions, and notes to others via a secure Web link
GPS-Ready! Connect a DeLorme Earthmate or other GPS to your laptop
Hear spoken directions, issue voice commands, get large on-screen directions
Track your travels using NavMode option with large, easily-accessible user controls and 3-D perspective
Streamline your routing while on the go with intelligent new E-Z Nav wizard

The GPS Leader Innovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands, spoken directions, automatic back-on-track re-routing with off-route distance settings, high contrast mobile map colors, and much more. All in addition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.
Up-to-Date Maps & Travel Information Comprehensive street and POI updates for the U.S and Canada, now with Mexico highways. Over 300,000 new or updated roads for 2010. Powerful travel planning tools, MapShare, and many data types.
Download Aerial Imagery Download $40 of aerial imagery FREE using included DeLorme Data Dollars and the software's NetLink tab. Imagery can be used with all of the Street Atlas USA routing, GPS, and draw tools.
Authentic DeLorme Maps Not licensed from 3rd party companies, the updated maps and 4 million places of interest are produced by experienced mapmakers at DeLorme.
See the Newest Street Atlas USA Plus Features:
New--Support for Netbooks
New--NEW! Over 300,000 road and road name updates. Extensive map and places-of-interest updates for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
New--NEW! Easy-Nav wizard makes on-the-go routing a breeze. Find a Point-of-Interest Navigate Right form Your Search Results


Core Functions
Map Controls The maps can be controlled using a variety of methods, including the traditional push-button zooming, which drills in/out while keeping the map exactly centered. Also, holding down the left mouse button enables you to drag and zoom, left-to-right, across the map, and moving the mouse in the same manner but in the opposite direction zooms out.
Find DeLorme employs several powerful search capabilities within the software. The first is a simple box called QuickSearch where you type common requests including towns, cities, lat/lons, ZIP codes, street addresses, colleges, and many more to receive the quickest possible matches. The places-of-interest search offers more advanced parameters and the advanced search is used when locating exact matches requires additional customer input.
Draw Add MapNotes; draw your own circles, polygons, and squares; measure the area of your draw objects--even draw in your own roads and route on them--these are amazingly powerful draw tools for the money.
Info Right-click on the map to learn more about what's underneath your cursor. Lat/Lon, names of streets and bodies of water--even local radio station information--can be viewed in this manner. Moreover, the bottom toolbar of the software displays a continuously updated readout of what's underneath your cursor.
Voice Use your voice for issuing routing and GPS commands while tracking. Ask common questions such as "How far to my next turn?" and the software answers. Microphone recommended for optimal usage. The software also reads upcoming turn information, including the time to turn, time to finish, and name of the street to turn onto. New voice settings allow you to select how far in advance of your turn you'd like to be prompted. Voice can also be turned off if you prefer.
Netlink and Aerial Imagery NetLink is your online link to DeLorme for $40 of free aerial imagery now included with the Street Atlas USA 2010 versions. Select your areas of interest and download only those grids to the software. Toggle the imagery on and off in a single-screen view. Add notes and draw objects to the imagery to customize lifelike views from space.

Mobile Device Mapping
Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5.0 and later, and Palm OS Compatible Included at no extra charge is the DeLorme Handheld software, which now includes support for Windows Mobile 5.0 and later devices. Access the maps you want from the desktop software and hot-sync to your PDA. Add a DeLorme Bluetooth GPS for use with Bluetooth PDAs and navigate wire-free.
The DeLorme handheld functionality provides address-to-address routing, spoken directions, mobile map colors to reduce in-vehicle glare, and four million places of interest. Finding what you need is easy using the powerful search capabilities. Now you have powerful desktop mapping software and PDA software all conveniently provided in one Street Atlas USA 2010 package.
Maps on iPods Using a tool similar to how MapShare works, now you can select the maps you want from the desktop software and send them to your photo-capable iPod. These map images are static (e.g., cannot be manipulated once on the iPod) and come across in the order you select them, same as with photos. Once on your device, you can access the ones you need, when you need them. Due to the small screen size of iPods, we recommend these maps for urban walking situations where you can discretely reference the maps you need. (Not GPS compatible.)

Ease of Use
E-Z Nav Wizard New E-Z Nav wizard makes on-the-go searching and routing a breeze. Just search on any category (see below), choose your destination (retailer, hospital, gas station, friend's address, etc), and start real-time navigation with your GPS receiver on your dashboard. Great for daily and overall trip planning, too.
NavMode NavMode brings together all the primary GPS controls and readouts needed when using the GPS. Large-screen views make it easy to see the map and directions. You can switch between 2-D (standard) map view and 3-D perspective view for lifelike views.
Keyboard Shortcuts Set your own keyboard shortcut preferences for optimum control when using GPS. The key-bindings function is very powerful and advanced so you can design your ideal in-vehicle navigation solution to your personal specifications.
Right-Click Routing The easiest way for many to create and alter routes is to use the right-click feature. Select the route on your map and add new stops or vias, delete the route, all by simply right-clicking the object of interest. You can also add your own MapNotes or view the many pre-populated tags provided by the software.

Routing
Routing Create automatic routes using the quickest (time) or shortest (distance) routes. Use the E-Z Nav wizard if routing from a search result. Add VIAs to force the routing to take the roads you prefer. Turn on one-way indicators; select major areas to avoid; or select roads based on driving speed preferences. Add Stops and reorganize their order and the routing automatically recalculates. Create and manage routes either in the Route tab or by right-clicking on the maps. New translucent route highlight lets you see exit numbers and route shields beneath the route highlight.
Add Local Roads to Routing A DeLorme exclusive, this is the best way to update local roads when new developments are planned or added between DeLorme software releases. This tool is located within the Draw tab and lets you draw in the road segment, connecting it to another local road within the database. Assign a name, save it, and when you create automatic routes, the software is smart enough to include these new local roads in the routing calculations and also update the directions.
Personalized Routing with Address Book Create and save commonly-used names for places you visit often, such as "home," work," or "Dad's." Once these names are assigned, the routing Starts, Stops, and Finishes also display these names making retrieval easy for repeated usage. Customize routes using your own names and save them within MapShare for others to see -- they'll be amazed. You can also include up to 200 names from your address book to be recognized using this system.

Map & Travel Information
Map Data Because all DeLorme map data is created, updated annually, and owned by DeLorme, we are able to provide many features typically reserved for expensive in-vehicle navigation systems. Free from the license restrictions and third-party dependencies of other publishers, we can also evaluate customer-submitted revisions and implement these changes after triple-checking all submissions.
DeLorme currently has an enhanced commitment with staff in place to make as many customer revisions as possible.
Places of Interest (POI) Data The DeLorme database contains over 4 million annually updated places of interest across the U.S., with additional ones in Canada, including restaurants, lodgings, gas stations, travel services, RV stops, truck stops, malls, shopping--just about everything you could ever need on the road. The software settings let you choose the magnification level to display the various POIs to void cluttering your map views. The POIs can be accessed using the many Find capabilities or by right-clicking on the map and selecting places based on type and distance from map center.

GPS Features
GPS Radar Search Now you can travel with GPS and have the software find upcoming travel services based on their location from you. Find gas, hotels, shopping, and much more in your direction of travel and then easily make detours to these desired stops along the way.
It's like having your personal travel concierge with you at all times.
Automatic Back-on-Track GPS Using the Earthmate GPS LT-40, which turns a laptop PC into a powerful GPS navigator, it's possible to have the software offer new spoken and visual directions when you stray off course. Within the GPS tab of the Options section of the E-Z Nav toolbar, you can select or type the off-route distances you want to travel before the automatic recalculations kick in. Select short distances for city travel and longer ones for highway travel where you may exit frequently for roadside travel services.
GPS Spoken Directions The software can offer voice directions indicating upcoming turns and street names. It also can be set up to respond to your voice and answer common travel questions--a very powerful capability for mapping software within this price category. Several different voice types are included.

Printing & Sharing
Print Print crisp color or black & white maps that you control to best match what is seen on screen. Also print Travel Packages containing strip maps and directions to bring on your trip. Don't want to use a lot of ink and paper? Then print just the Turn Details which show thumbnail maps of each of the decision points along your route.
MapShare MapShare makes it easy to share your customized maps and directions with family, friends, and business associates. You create exactly the content you want and then post within our online MapShare library, which includes private administrative tools for you to manage. Similar to some of the better online photo resources, MapShare allows you to provide controlled access to your important maps without worrying about email and spam filters.

Demos & Tutorials
Getting Started Tutorial This tutorial provides a guided tour of the main capabilities of the software. It is also included within the software along with a comprehensive Help section with links to online discussion groups where DeLorme customers can help you.

Data
Included Street Atlas USA 2010 DVD contains the DeLorme produced and managed United States and Canadian street-level network. DeLorme highways and major roads for Mexico also included. The four million U.S. places of interest are updated annually based on phone book information and DeLorme's own research into exit services. Canadian POIs are also included, many with phone numbers.


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Microsoft AutoRoute 2010 Review

Microsoft AutoRoute 2010
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Just got back from a trip in Spain where we used Autoroute 2010 to find our way around (Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Barcelona). Unlike another reviewer, we didn't encounter missing streets, but some critical pieces of information were missing that resulted in several hours of extra driving. For example, trying to get from the Madrid airport to our hotel in the downtown area, Autoroute tried to send us across a plaza that was blocked to auto traffic (permanently). In several cities (Granada in particular) it planned for us to drive on a road that was restricted to Buses and Taxis. In Cordoba it sent us the wrong way down a one way street! All of these errors combined to make it a nightmare to drive in an old downtown area with many one way streets. When there is no parking and no place to pull over to study the map, you get into trouble, fast. On top of that, add road construction and closed streets when Spain beats Germany in the world cup semi-final and you have a real headache. Then, since the recalculated routes often return you to the problem spots, you're left driving in circles or way out of your way to find a place to pull over and then have to route on your own, dragging the path to a usable street (at least you can do that). Glad I used the 60-day evaluation copy and didn't spend money on it. Unless they improve the quality of the map data, I will be looking for another solution the next time I'm in Europe.
Other gripes:
The Navigation view pane splits into three horizontal strips: list of directions, map, and next turn/trip info. On a widescreen laptop, this makes the map way too small (the benefit of a laptop over a standalone navigation unit should be the extra map real-estate). It would be much better to have the list of directions show in the vertical "pane" on the left and leave room for a larger map. It's possible that this can be configured some how, but I couldn't figure a way to do so.
It seems that pushpins (saved locations) can only be entered by clicking on the map at a particular location with the pushpin tool. I wanted to enter them by address (as I had the addresses of our 5 hotels and wanted to save them so I wouldn't have to search each time I started the software. Also, it would be nice if custom pushpins could be selected from a drop-down as an origin or destination for routing. Instead, I had to right-click, choose "Route" and then "Add as start" or "Add as end". That's tedious when you want to route to a pushpin that is outside of the current map's zoom level (zoom-out, pan to pushpin, possibly zoom in to differentiate, right-click, select).
Finally the pronunciation of the Spanish road names was atrocious ("Plaza de Espana" => "Plaza dee ess pot yawn". While this may be expected, I was particularly annoyed with the way it pronounced "onto ramp" (as in "merge onto ramp"). It sounded like "on tramp". For an English phrase that got used regularly, the pronunciation should be fixed.The integration with the USB GPS antenna was nice and the software ran fine in a Windows XP virtual machine on a Mac laptop.
In conclusion: the application itself shows promise, with a few annoyances that should be fixed, but the map data absolutely needs some sanity checking.

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Microsoft AutoRoute makes it easy to plan the perfect trip. When planning your holiday or business travels, Microsoft AutoRoute allows you to focus on your destination and enjoy the ride. AutoRoute is the customisable travel planning software that provides accurate directions, helps you to easily explore new areas and find the services you want and need along the way.

Plan your complete trip including multiple destinations, rest stops, scenic detours, petrol stops and more. On or offline, AutoRoute gives you detailed door-to-door directions and more than 5 million miles of navigable roads and motorways throughout Europe right at your fingertips. Personalize and save your maps, adding drawings, notes and drawing pins with important information or import your contacts directly from Microsoft Office Outlook and Excel.

AutoRoute 2010 Features
New--Updated maps for Eastern and Western Europe: 37 countries covered
New--New, intuitive user interface
New--Maps seamlessly update as you cross country borders
New--Identify one-way streets at a glance
New--Easily delete or hide groups of drawing pins
New--Save time by setting your map to always start at a particular location
Improved--Includes over a million points of interest including post offices, chemists, restaurants, petrol stations, cash machines and more
Improved--Now comes with more than 300 unique drawing pin images to choose from
Improved--Choose the roads to use on your trip or make fast changes to your route by simply dragging and dropping the route
Improved--Includes over 5 million miles of navigable roads and motorways throughout Europe
New--Use Bing Maps to find more places

Country Coverage AutoRoute makes it easy to plan your trip in 37 Western and Eastern European countries, with more than 5 million miles of navigable roads and motorways.
AutoRoute Makes Planning Trips Easy
Route Planner Use the route planner to help you to plan your trip. You can create multiple stops--and even add stops or change your route along the way. For trips with multiple stops, let AutoRoute optimize the route to get you there even faster. Use drawing pins to mark a single place or to represent data that you've imported to the map.
Customizable Driving Preferences and Maps AutoRoute provides you with the flexibility to choose how you would like to travel. Change your preferred road types, petrol costs, driving speeds and the frequency of stops. Then customise your maps with imported symbols, icons, pictures, graphics or logos.
Find Nearby Places See what there is to do along the way. With more than a million points of interest, including hotels, historical sites, post offices, chemists, restaurants, cash machines, nightclubs, golf courses, railway stations and much more. No matter what you or your family wants to do, you can make the most of your trip.
All of your travel notes in one place Personalized notes can be added to your maps. With addresses, phone numbers and other notes beside your planned stops, you'll have all the information you need in one handy place.
Which Version of AutoRoute is Right for You?
Turn your laptop into a navigation device For spoken directions and turn-by-turn navigation, consider AutoRoute with GPS Locator. It has all the same features, but adds a sleek GPS receiver making your laptop or netbook a navigation device.
Note: GPS functionality requires a GPS device that supports NMEA 2.0 or later. The GPS device is sold separately/not included with AutoRoute Standard.


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AAA Map N' Go 7.0 Review

AAA Map N' Go 7.0
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I just bought, installed, and used this product to lay out a long trip. This software quickly plotted the trip which would be over roads ranging from interstates to secondary roads. It has a very large points of interest database and produced an extensive report (maps of various scales and lists of points of interest) and features (personalization options, integration with GPS).
After about 5 hours of use, I found the product was not acceptable for my purposes and returned it. Some problems were:
1. When I tried to constrain portions of routes from interstate to secondary roads, the program would either show both routes or show the secondary route with a return to the secondary route start on the interstate. (Same behaviour if the road was a state vice interstate route.) Although an annoyance, this behaviour effectively added duplicate miles to the route total milage.
2. When points of interest are added, a bulk add to map feature is available. No delete from map is available. In one case I had added 208 points to the map, only to find that they all appeared in the final printout report. In order to remove the points, each had to be deleted individually - a large chore. In addition, some information apperared in the printout report of no value to me. I could find no way to delete this other data.
3. Documentation is marginal at best. Workarounds for the problems may have existed, but I could not find them in the documentation.
4. I am a AAA member so expected to see all AAA points of interest and accomodations. The information, when compared to AAA books, was incomplete.
5. The internet download features (road conditions) produced error messages but some data appeared.
The above shortfalls may not be important to all - but evaluate this mapping product carefully before committing to extensive planning.

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Street Atlas USA 2011 Review

Street Atlas USA 2011
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I have been using Street Atlas 2008 for a while and decided that I needed the newer version as I use it everyday in running appointments around a very large area. With all the development over the last several years there are many neighborhoods that were not appearing in the 2008 version. The use of it is the same and happy overall with that...but a lot of the streets have NOT been updated so really it was a waste of money. I expected that since I bought this in the Fall of 2010 and it was the 2011 version that it would be fully updated with all the new streets but that is not the case.

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Much More Powerful than Online MappingInnovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands spoken directions automatic back-on-track re-routing with offroute distance settings high contrast mobile map colors and much more. All in addition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.New E-Z Nav WizardTry out the new E-Z Nav wizard for on-the-go routing. Just search on any category (see below) choose your destination (retailer hospital gas station friend s address etc) and start real-time navigation with your GPS receiver. Great for daily and overall trip planning too.The GPS LeaderInnovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands spoken directions automatic back-on-track re-routing with offroute distance settings high contrast mobile map colors and much more. All in addition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.Up-to-Date Maps & Travel InformationComprehensive street and POI updates for the U.S and Canada now with Mexico highways. Over 180000 new or updated roads for 2011. Powerful travel planning tools MapShare and many data types.Download Aerial ImageryDownload $40 of aerial imagery FREE using included DeLorme Data Dollars and the software s NetLink tab. Imagery can be used with all of the Street Atlas USA routing GPS and draw tools.System Requirements:MinimumWindows: Windows7: 1 GB RAM.Windows Vista : 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended).Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2 and later): 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended).900 MHz or higher processor (1.6 GHz recommended).700 MB of available hard-disk space (1.8 GB if all map data is loaded to hard drive).Microsoft Internet Explorer7 or later.DVD-ROM Drive.3D-capable video card with 32 MB VRAM (64 MB VRAM recommended).Macintosh:Compatible with Intel -based Macintoshcomputers running Boot Camp . GPS Requirements: DeLorme Earthmateor any fully compatible NMEA receiver that communicates through a COM port. Forma

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This remains an outstanding trip planning and GPS program. Unfortunately, some of the map details are still not as good as were found in the 2004 version of this program. I can't understand why MS would dumb down their product. Also, the street names seem to have been dumbed down as well. For example, Golden Eagle Ferry Road has been reduced to Ferry Road. There are innumerable examples of this dumbing down and simplifying which only serves to confuse.
Despite the dumbing down of the actual map data the program remains a superb mapping program with many updates since the 2004 and 2005 versions. New streets, restaurants and other points of interest are now incorporated. This program offers a truly affordable GPS guidance system for nearly all consumers without having to go to the expensive Garmin or Magellan systems. If you find yourself traveling to points unknown I cannot imagine a better more affordable solution for getting around than this product in conjunction with your notebook computer. Even if you have an "all in one" solution such as the Garmin Nuvi Streets and Trips can help you plan your trip and routs. I have both and they compliment one another very well.
A few comments about the Streets and Trips mapping software. I am familiar with the Delorme product and the Garmin product and Streets and Trips blows them both away - no contest. Instantaneous panning, zooming in and zooming out, outstanding routing software, and a plethora of other features makes Streets and Trips, by far, my favorite mapping software.
I heartily recommend this product! The updated mapping details and new points of interest are also useful.

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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 is the customizable trip planning software that lets you easily explore new areas and find the services you need along the road. You get more trip planning features than any online mapping site, so you can plan a trip based on your preferences.

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006
Average Reviews:

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I got Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 w/GPS early in 2005 and there were quite a few usability issues with the program. The biggest gap was no voice commands. This new version includes new voice command prompts, which are pretty good and on the screen in VERY large size font it shows you what you will do next along with how much of a percentage you've traveled on the road at that moment. For example, if I am on Smith Rd. and will travel on that road for 5 miles before I turn left onto Jones St., on the screen it shows "Turn left in 5 miles onto Jones St.," plus it has a progress bar showing how many of the 5 miles you've traveled.
I was a simple upgrade (have your CD ready when you plug in the GPS device for the first time), and upon my first use it appears that they haven't fixed some of the bugs and annoyances in trying to find a restaurant or gas station. To illustrate this, if I wanted to find a gas station on my way home from work (15 mile ride), I could choose within so many miles of my current point or so many miles from the entire route. Let's say I'm half way home and decide to look for a gas station, I put 1 mile from my current point, and it looks at a one-mile radius of 5 miles ago?? (Bug, I suppose.) So instead, I put within 1/2 mile of my entire route. Then it lists all gas stations within 1/2 mile of my route (from beginning to end regardless of how far I am from the beginning) and organizes them by distance from my route (instead of how far I am from the station at the moment).
These observations are subject to change as I use the program some more and if I find that I'm doing something wrong. I will post more comments if I can in the future.
[UPDATE - 3/1/06] I continue to have usability problems trying to find places, such as restaurants. I got so frustrated trying to find an Applebee's on a trip lately that I used by cell phone as a modem for my laptop to use their website's locator. Microsoft, I hope you read this!
Overall, it is a big improvement if you want to keep using your Microsoft GPS module from 2005.

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 is the customizable trip planning software that helps you get accurate directions, easily explore new areas and find the services you want and need along the way. With more personalized trip planning features than online mapping sites, and complete map coverage of both the USA and Canada, Streets and Maps 2006 will quickly prove to be an indispensable companion for all of your trips.Trip Planning with Door-to-Door Convenience Streets and Trips 2006 is an easy-to-use, hands-free trip planning and guidance solution. Whether you're running errands or planning a cross-country road trip, Streets and Trips 2006 offers customizable maps and information on more than 1.8 million points of interest (POIs), such as restaurants, ATMs, museums, campgrounds and more. Online or off, Streets and Trips 2006 provides updated maps that give you accurate, detailed door to door directions and puts 5.9 million miles of routable roads and highways throughout the US and Canada at your fingertips. While you're driving, verbal turn-by-turn directions let you concentrate on the road while the software guides you. Customizable trip planning features allow you to plan multiple stops, find nearby places to visit, calculate drive time, and more.Taking advantage of the enhanced trip planning software is easy. To create a route and generate directions, you simply type in the starting and ending locations and click on "Get Directions." It's that simple. Your trips can include multiple segments, and you can instruct the software to customize your route by telling it what types of roads you want to travel, how much gas your car has, and the general area where you want to stop to gas up. Streets and Trips 2006 will do the rest, giving you your optimal itinerary, down to the precise gas station. Overall you'll have access to over 1.8 million local POIs such as hotels, restaurants, gas stations and ATMs, and by planning ahead, Streets and Trips 2006 will help you avoid delays with construction updates and other recent changes to your route.Microsoft's "Locate Me" technology uses Wi-Fi hotspots to pinpoint your location, so you'll know precisely where you are as you're traveling. If you drive past your planned exit, a single click will get you back on track. The "Re-route from Here" feature quickly recalculates directions if you miss a turn. To find a certain POI, such as a restaurant or gas station, you simply select from 35 POI types to display on the map. You have the option of searching within a certain radius of an address that you choose, your current location, a specific direction within a planned route, or all of the POIs along the entire route. Your results are displayed in a directory-tree listing. When you click on a POI, a balloon box pops up on the map with detailed information, including an address and phone number, and if you right-click on the POI icon, you can add it to your route list.MSN Virtual Earth and Other Extras To enhance to your travel experience, Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 offers a link to MSN Virtual Earth, Microsoft's online repository of satellite maps. Let's say you're viewing a map of the theater district in Manhattan. If you want to see a bird's-eye view of it, just click the Virtual Earth icon and a satellite image of the area will load into your browser. Another convenient feature is the "Night Map Style" which makes reading your routes at night or in other low-light conditions a breeze. The map's background is black, and roads and street names are shown in shades of green for easy viewing. Also included with Streets and Trips 2006 is Pocket Streets for your Pocket PC or Smartphone, which you can load onto your compatible Windows-based Pocket PC or Windows-powered Smartphone for greater travel convenience.And best of all, once you register your software, you can access a full year of email and toll-free customer support, and you'll also have access to an online knowledge base dedicated to Streets and Trips 2006. So no matter where you're travels are taking you, you can drive with the confidence that you'll have Microsoft's extensive support and software behind you every click of your odometer.

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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2011 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2011
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have been buying each version of this program for many years. This time, I really think that Microsoft simply did a text replace operation 2010 --> 2011 and shipped the thing out. The 2011 program seems to be bug-for-bug identical to the 2010 iteration.
Were any maps updated for 2011? Maybe. I don't have the resources to check this. Here is one data point. Over a year ago, a new freeway entrance was added near my home. A few months ago, the maps on my TomTom GPS were updated to include this. Finally. But Microsoft Streets & Trips 2011 does not include the new freeway entrance.
Microsoft has a web page dedicated to its Streets & Trips product line. There is no mention of new features there. For a marketing-driven company like Microsoft, this is remarkable.
At this point, I could copy and paste my review for Microsoft Streets 2010 right here. Nothing has changed! The maps are still very good, although perhaps becoming old. The user interface is great, except for Microsoft's treatment of "bookmarks." Searching, editing, and organizing saved locations is primitive and inconvenient.
As in previous versions, maps will not print out at 1200 DPI (dots per inch). I can print them at 600 DPI though. I have tested this on three different printers.
I use this program from Windows 7 and it installed cleanly. However, I cannot launch it in the normal fashion. Windows complains that the program was not installed properly. The solution to this problem is to always launch the program with administrative privilege. This is slightly inconvenient.
If anyone finds a difference between this program and the 2010 version, please post your findings.

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Microsoft Streets & Trips helps you plan and map your travels in advance, make your business travel more efficient or inspire your next RV adventure. Streets & Trips allows you to tailor your trip to your personal style, such as preferred road types, start and stop times and more. Streets & Trips makes your travels an adventure with 1.9 million points of interest to help you find interesting stops along the way--no Internet required. Get lost in the adventure not trying to find it.
Get accurate driving directions to just about anywhere in the United States and Canada. Click here for a larger image

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2009 with GPS Locator for PC Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2009 with GPS Locator for PC
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I purchased this program with GPS recently to use with my laptop as a navigator on road trips. I have used it on a couple short trips so far, and it works great. Getting ready to use it on a long, 7,000+ mile road trip. Easy to use, easy to change course for side trips. I like the display of all restaurants and motels at any given spot. Great price - approximately $50. I saw this same product at Office Depot for $75. I like it better than a Garmin GPS I purchased a couple years ago for $500.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Streets and Trips 2009 with GPS Locator for PC

Updated street maps with improved interface. Multi-destination routing, calculate mileage, timetables&costs. Customize your trip to match your personal travel preferences. Free highway construction updates from the Web. Send location information to your mobile device3. Spoken street names&directions, automatic re-routing. Compact GPS locator & cable included

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS
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The program installed fine, but in order to use it, you have to 'activate' it online (as you do with, for example, Microsoft Office and Windows). This is the first time activation has been required for Streets & Trips.
The activation process refused to function on my laptop. And despite the program's assurance that "you can use it for up to 60 days without activation," the program in fact would not run at all without activation.
I placed two calls to Microsoft Support about the issue. The first technician worked with me to reboot, uninstall, reinstall, etc., with no luck. The second technician acknowledged that there is a known issue with activation on some PC's. He suggested I could either wait for a patch (but he could not predict when one would be forthcoming), or I could get a refund.
It's a shame, because I've liked previous versions of S&T and was really looking forward to trying out the GPS features. I haven't decided whether to request a refund yet. If I keep the program and a patch is released, I will update this review accordingly.

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MicrosoftStreets and Trips (GPS) 2008 Win32 English US Only DVD Mini Box

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Streets and Trips 2010 Review

Streets and Trips 2010
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I've used MS S&T since it was initially offered (pre-affordable GPS) and gradually watched it decline in usefulness as the net and technologies evolve. With this current version, even with the few improvements over the 2009 version, I wouldn't recommend it at all to a new user and only would recommend it as an upgrade if your version is more than 2 years old (unless you can find it for less than twenty bucks).
While netbooks (and to some extent the new generation of energy efficient processors just coming out this Xmas) have extended the life of this product, it is just not as functional while traveling as a good GPS unit. I still use it for planning, but more and more I find other online mapping tools more useful as wifi becomes more ubiquitous and 4G broadband adds coverage. The maps are not updated (I find major local errors still uncorrected after 4 years here in Ohio and on a trip to California, numerous serious flaws in Sacramento, the Napa Valley, and the Sonoma Valley - not to mention an abrupt loss of functionality along the way).
I like (and have) the GPS version while on the road at night (using the night map) and also use it while traveling to find side trips of interest (one thing not a strong point of auto GPS devices). But our Garmin GPS is much stronger for routing and seems to have a much better POI dataset. In fact, the online mapping services also have better POI info and MS S&T is unlikely to improve unless it is integrated with Bing or something.
Overall, licensing restrictions (1 machine - should be at least 2 including a laptop/netbook), lack of adequate data revision/updating, and the availability of cheaper GPS units and wifi, I'd say - give this one a pass unless you have a very compelling reason to use it.
Edit 7/12/2010 - Somehow I got the licensing wrong, actually S&T DOES allow 2 installs. My bad.


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Microsoft Streets & Trips makes trip planning easy, so you can relax and drive with confidence. Whether you are traveling across country or across town, Streets & Trips has the easy-to-use tools to help you get there. Streets & Trips requires no Internet connection and includes more than 1.7 million points of interest to choose from--plus additional listings that you can view when you're connected to the Web. The perfect trip is at your fingertips.


Product Features
Includes updated street level maps for U.S. and Canada
New--Send your route to your GPS device
Calculate fuel usage and costs before you leave
New--Share trip details or itineraries with friends and family
Get free construction updates to avoid potential delays
New--Save time by setting your map to always start at a particular location
Personalize your maps with comments, phone numbers and notes for planned stops
New--Easily delete or hide groups of pushpins
Find special savings in restaurants, hotels and events with Entertainment Online trial offer
Improved--Choose specific roads to use on your trip just by dragging and dropping the route
Include multiple destinations and stops to refuel
Improved--Comes with more than 1.7 million points of interest including post offices, pharmacies and more
GPS Ready--connect your GPS device to your laptop to get spoken directions including street names, automatic re-routing and large on-screen directions
Improved--Streets & Trips now includes more than 300 unique pushpin images to choose from

Microsoft Streets & Trips makes trip planning easy. Accurate maps and route-planning options help you get nearly anywhere in the United States and Canada. Customizable features let you plot your course down to the last detail. Once you've planned your trip, you can send your route to your GPS device for navigation on the go.
A Great GPS Companion Streets & Trips is a great companion to GPS devices. Use Streets & Trips to plan the perfect trip, including multiple stops, points-of-interest, and start and stop times. Then export the route to a personal navigation device for easy navigation along the way.
No DVD Drive? No Problem! If your computer doesn't have a CD or DVD drive, you may still purchase Streets & Trips. Find out more at www.microsoft.com/activate today.
Calculate your mileage, trip costs and arrival time before you leave. This is a great planning tool, especially for comparing different routes you're considering.
More than 1.7 million ideas for stops along the way! Looking for an Italian restaurant in Des Moines? A hotel in Vancouver? Streets & Trips comes with detailed information on over 1.7 million locations--ATMs, hotels, restaurants, post offices, pharmacies, gas stations and other points of interest. No Internet connection required.
Comparison to online mapping Streets & Trips delivers a mapping solution that offers much more than online mapping solutions. It doesn't require an Internet connection to use, and there are no distracting ads. You also get options to customize your trips by start and stop times, driving speeds, or even road types.
Access street-level maps and personalized directions. Updated street-level maps and turn-by-turn directions make it easy to stay on track. You can also add personal notes to your maps. With addresses, phone numbers and other notes alongside your planned stops, you'll have all the information you need in one handy place.
Spoken street names and automatic re-routing. With a GPS receiver, Street & Trips can provide spoken directions and street names as you drive. It can also put you back on track if you make a wrong turn!


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National Geographic TOPO Expansion Pack U.S. Streets 3D Map CD-ROM (Windows) Review

National Geographic TOPO Expansion Pack U.S. Streets 3D Map CD-ROM (Windows)
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Don't bother with this, as it requires you to have the more expensive parent software or it's worthless. Even so, it's going to be outdated before you get any real use out of it. Beware....

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With the National Geographic TOPO! Streets and 3-D Views expansion pack, you can enhance your National Geographic TOPO! State Series software with 3-D views, updated streets, and Live Map Update. TOPO! Streets and 3-D Views also enables you to use your TOPO! software with the newest GPS receivers, including units from Garmin, Eagle, Lowrance, and Magellan (see technical specifications for compatible units.) For hikers, TOPO! Streets and 3-D Views allows you to draw your own trails and stop anywhere along the trail to zoom and pan to see the view. You can get the latest USGS quad maps and updated roads for any of the TOPO! state products. Live Map Update automatically searches your defined areas to see if something new is available and gives you the tools to quickly download new information to replace older quads and roads. The software also lets you simply click on any street to see its name and easily find your destination. Take advantage of the resizable split screens to expand any screen for better viewing. Meanwhile, you can lay an updated road network on either the 1:24,000 or 1:100,000 scale USGS topo maps.

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