Showing posts with label streets and trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label streets and trips. Show all posts

Microsoft AutoRoute Europe 2007 Review

Microsoft AutoRoute Europe 2007
Average Reviews:

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As far as GPS software goes, there is nothing better available than Streets & Trips and AutoRoute. There are dozens of features that you can't find with the self-contained GPS units. It is easy to add multiple stops and to optimize them into the best order, night-view is another great feature, as are the topographical maps. The new feature offered this year, of easy-linking to satellite photos of places on the map, is also a welcome addition.
The only reason I'm giving it a four is because of the following:
1) There is STILL no ground-level or 3D view of the roads for use in the GPS function
2) They still haven't added an option to exclude roads that ban trucks or commercial traffic form using them.
3) There isn't a lot of coverage for Eastern European countries, most notably, nothing in Russia.
Nonetheless, it is still better than any other GPS software on the market.

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Microsoft AutoRoute 2007 is the customizable trip planning software that helps you make the most of your trip in Europe. With map coverage for all European Union countries, AutoRoute 2007 makes it easy to plan your trip.

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Microsoft MapPoint 2009 Review

Microsoft MapPoint 2009
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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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DeLorme Earthmate LT-40 GPS Review

DeLorme Earthmate LT-40 GPS
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This is a difficult item to review simply....in part because it is three different items (hardware, software, compatibility). I'll review them separately. I am an established Delorme customer, with a long history of their products (10-12 states of TopoQuads, a Xmap license, both 1.0 and 2.0 versions of 3D TopoQuad software).
The GPS unit itself is really a gem of a product in its own right and an update of the earlier Earthmate GPS units. I rate the LT-40 highly (5/5). It is small light and accurate/fast, from my experience. On a cross-country trip, it rarely was off the road centerline. My only gripe is very poor (well -- Non! ) support of this unit in earlier software products XMAP and 3DTopoQuads. This is not documented by Delorme, and in fact there is an Earthmate link and a USB option in the earlier software. Also, their web site suggests it should work, and there are instructions for installing a Serial-USB emulator that will allow it to work as an NMEA device (it didn't work!). I also obtained some support from Delorme trying to get it to operate. But their tech support had to eventually say "we don't guarantee backward compatibility..." for their own product to work with their own product. 5/5 (but see compatibility below...)
The software is good to work with in 2-D mode and follows the tried-true Delorme right panel/bottom panel navigation model. The 3-D mode does have a nice "big number" mode that is useful on the road, although the 3-D view reminds one of a bad video game and is only useful for people who absolutely cannot read maps. The routes one chooses do have to be checked and if necessary "fine tuned" by adding "via" points, but that is surely true of all navigation software. I like the customizable preferences for speed/road type. Yes the Microsoft Mary and Mike voices are dreary, but one can't blame that on Delorme (I am waiting for Microsoft Obama.....with proceeds going to the Hillary campaign fund!!). But the voice interface has great potential for vehicle work, and I plan to experiment with a microphone for software control. Voice speed can also be tinkered with, and we found that slowing Mike down made him more understandable. My main complaint is that the top-line interface is non-intuitive, with no "File/Edit" bar and just a bunch of fairly non-customizable icons. 4/5
Compatibibility: poor. No, completely lame. I think it is unconscionable how poor the support of the LT-40 is for earlier Delorme TopoQuad software, and, for that matter, why can't Street Atlas support earlier state 3-D topo quads. This is either bad design/engineering by Delorme, or extortion of users to have to re-purchase data products (I have $1500 or so invested now). This is complicated by the fact that the state TopoQuad series no longer exists and one now has to purchase the whole country in DVD (same maps...) to get new software that will work with this GPS. Come on guys -- patch your supported products to allow us to use the LT-40 with Topo Quads, or patch street atlas to work with topo quads. If the LT-40 is not supported by earlier Delorme products then you should at least have the courage (chutzpah?) to state this in black and white in marketing materials and on your web site.0/5
Average 3/5 for an excellent little GPS unit, from a very frustrated Delorme user.....

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Turn your laptop PC or UMPC into a powerful GPS navigator, with voice-guided navigation, automatic back-on-track, GPS Radar to locate travel services, and other top-end features. DeLormes newest USB-powered GPS receiver includes a new super-high-sensitivity chipset, support for ultra mobile personal computers, superior on-screen GPS displays, and updated Street Atlas USA 2009 DVD software included. New Sicroelectronics GPS chipset delivers faster satellite acquisition, and DeLorme ConstantLock technology means surefire signal retention even in challenging GPS environments. GPS tracking is easier than ever with NavMode, including optional 3-D perspective and larger, more accessible user controls. Locate over 4 million places of interest (hotels, restaurants, attractions, sports venues, and businesses of all types most with phone numbers included). Create routes automatically with user controls to ensure you take the roads you want. Calculate fuel usage and costs, and GPS-navigate with total confidence anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and on major roads in Mexico.

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Rand McNally StreetFinder & TripMaker Deluxe Review

Rand McNally StreetFinder and TripMaker Deluxe
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There are many things not to like about this app. The interface reminds one of Win 3.1 apps and quickly becomes frustrating when you want to do anything other than find a street.
You want continuous zoom or pan? Forget it. You can only position and zoom at preset intervals which are too large for detailed work and there is no mouse interface, its either keys or a tiny menu impossible to work with.
You want to know the name of a small city? Forget it. You can see the streets but not its name.
The maps are also very old. For example, Madison WI maps are at least 10 years out of date.
You cannot plan a precise trip. For that you have to switch to their TripMaker, but alas, the trip you create in TripMaker cannot be read into StreetFinder. Problem is, TripMaker has only the larger roads and freeways, so its useless to plan trips within cites or on small county roads, and StreetFinder does not allow for multi-waypoint trip. So both are useless for side trips unless you want to go from places like NY to SF. But we all know that for that you just get on 80 and go West.
So, save your money and buy a map. Better yet, use several of the on-line maps. They're free and give you almost everything this doesn't. In all fairness, there a few good things there, but they're not worth the frustration the other things will cause.

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With more than 130 years of experience, Rand McNally knows whattravelers need and want in mapping and travel planning products.StreetFinder & TripMaker Deluxe offers routing, travel planning,organizational tools, and area attractions to users--all in aneasy-to-follow design with helpful guides and tutorials that make planning andfinding directions easy. This is the ultimate routing and travelplanning suite for the business traveler and vacationer.

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Delorme Street Atlas USA 2007 Review

Delorme Street Atlas USA 2007
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I broke down and bought this software after having owned the 2006 version, what a waste of money. It does not list roads that are 8 years old and has my neighborhood listed as outside the city limits, we were annexed in 1999. These maps are not as up todate are mose online maps were 3 years ago. Oh well, I might try again in three or four years.

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DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007 is a leading GPS tool for helping you get to your chosen destination. It features 133,000 new U.S. streets and roads, triple-referenced for accuracy by DeLorme mapmakers. you also get 3.4 million updated U.S. and Canadian streets and road, as well as Canadian street-level maps. Street Atlas USA 2007 also includes the ability to add your own local routable roads -- a DeLorme exclusive. Get nearly 100 square miles of free aerial images via online download. Simply select the hybrid view to see DeLorme road vectors on top of the imagery.New built-in intelligence overrules common typing errors to help return good matches Handy new slider control -- when paired with a GPS device, it allows positioning of the logfile playback New auto-zoom-to-turn feature now includes a maximum zoom setting control Support for GPX files, plus better waypoint management with the draw table view Also supports Windows Mobile 5.0 (including the portrait, landscape, and high-resolution configurations)

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Delorme Street Atlas USA 2008 Review

Delorme Street Atlas USA 2008
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I moved near the Hilton Head Island Sun City and ordered Street Atlas 2008 to update my five year old 2003 edition. Sun City and the surrounding town have doubled in size in the last five years, but Street Atlas has not added a single new street to the area in that time. Also, mislabeled roads have not been corrected.
I returned it to Delorme.

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DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2008 is the most powerful atlas program available for your PC, PDA or GPS. These comprehensive tools offer street information and points-of-interest (POI). It also features innovative GPS features: voice commands, spoken directions, automatic back-on-track re-routing and much more. These authentic DeLorme maps are guaranteed accurate -- they're produced by their own mapmakers, and triple-referenced to ensure you have the correct guidance anywhere you go. Explore America's back roads without getting lost and get where you're going faster than ever with Street Atlas USA 2008. GPS navigation with spoken directions and voice commands Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5.0, and Palm OS 3.5 (and above) support

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Microsoft Street & Trips 2008 GPS with Connected Services Review

Microsoft Street and Trips 2008 GPS with Connected Services
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I've owned several of the earlier versions of S&T including 2007 and have used them extensively on road trips throughout the Western US. While my previous reviews have had issues with S&T I still really like S&T. I just wish that the development team owned cars and tried their product.
Then along comes 2008 with Connected Services. I tried it out in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. The traffic information is completely unreliable. I was stuck in stop and go traffic in green zones in S&T. A zone is a traffic direction on each side of a freeway on the map. The red and yellow zones rarely show at all. Instead you have to guess what may be happening when there is a gap in a green zone. Is it supposed to be red, yellow, or no data? So the strategy is to look out the window and figure it out as you drive along. That may sound similar to what you do now without S&T CS.
The incident markers are consistently outdated. Rarely is there any sign that an accident ever occurred there. Don't bother re-routing away from accidents because so far they don't exist and usually traffic is flowing as well as could be expected for the time of day.
The GPS unit is a pain and loses the connection somewhat frequently, like twice in a six hour drive or more. The 2007 model is much more reliable and I've switched back to that unit except when I want to test my humor. Hint: You have to reboot not just the computer to get the 2008 CS GPS unit to work again, but you have to pull the cable from the unit and switch it on and off with a pocket knife point. Try that on an LA freeway late in the afternoon.
I do recommend S&T but pass on Connected Services for at least this version unless you are an early adapter who loves self-abuse with innovations.
- jim

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MicrosoftStreets Trips Connected Svcs 2008 Win32 English US Only DVD Mini Box

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008
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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:

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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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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 with GPS Locator Review

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 with GPS Locator
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This remains an outstanding trip planning and GPS program. But by far the greatest improvement is in the chipset hardware included. The new GPS locater is MUCH smaller than the previous versions and includes the SIRFstarIII chipset. Now your asking what the heck is that?! Well, it is the most sensitive and accurate chipset out there and it acquires the satellites nearly instantaneously and holds on for dear life under nearly all conditions. It is a VAST improvement over the old 360 locater MS used in the past versions. My only minor complaint: it might be TOO small. The old one was the ideal size. In so small a package the antenna is necessarily smaller with somewhat reduced sensitivity than otherwise might have been obtained. But not to worry! This little device works just fantastic.
The GPS functionality has not changed significantly and still does NOT include automatic rerouting once you get off route. For me this was a major disappointment. Nearly all of the "all in one" GPS devices (such as the Nuvi 360 & Nuvi 660) include this very useful feature. It would have been so easy for Microsoft to respond to the needs of their customers and add this feature that one wonders just why they heck they didn't do it! The voice and large visual prompts, which make using the program in an automobile MUCH MUCH easier, remain essentially unchanged from 2006. The little car cursor in the 2005 version has been replaced by a much more visible circle with a large arrow in it indicating direction.
Unfortunately, some of the map details are still not as good as were found in the 2004 version of this program. There are small dirt roads that were on the 2004 version that are not on the current version. 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 may reduce the size of the program but detracts from its overall usefullness.
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.
This years program does automatically load the drivers for the GPS locater device which the older versions tended to do sporadically. This is done, as should have been the case for the older versions, seamlessly and without any difficulty whatsoever.
I heartily recommend this product! The new SIRFstarIII chipset alone justifies the price of the upgrade. The updated mapping details and new points of interest are also useful. The ONLY quibble I have with this program, and it is not insignificant, is the failure to include automatic rerouting if you get off the indicated route. Also, remember you will need a DVD player to install this program which now comes on one DVD rather than two CDs as it did in the past.

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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 with GPS Locator combines Streets & Trips 2007, the customizable trip planning software, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. With advanced GPS features and voice-prompted directions, you'll always know exactly where your next turn is.

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Microsoft MapPoint 2010 Review

Microsoft MapPoint 2010
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First, I recommend that you download the free full-featured 60-day trial and experiment before deciding whether to purchase. Except for the download time, installation is easy (trivial). The trial's reminders occur only when you start the app. If you decide to buy, activation is trivial--simply enter the key.
I got this package (for review) primarily for the "visualize business data" aspect advertised. What it turned out to be was an inconsequential update of what I remember of Microsoft Streets & Trips circa 2004. Then, the only reason I ever used S&T over online maps was to display address info from a simple spreadsheet. Recently, some of my colleagues would have benefited from importing spreadsheets with address info into a map application. When they tried to do this in Google Maps, their (understandable) reaction was best summed up by "Google doesn't want people like us to use this" and "Life is too short". Although MapPoint 2010 is "integrated" with MS Office, that integration fails far short of their needs: The data you can import into a map, and what you can do with it inside this app, is so severely constrained that I don't see any benefit to their types of tasks.
The maps themselves are of poor visual quality, especially the poor contrast. Some labels are medium gray against a light olive background. I routinely missed items I was looking for, not just labels, but push-pins and even bar charts. The characters in the labels are akin to what you got from a very low-resolution printer, one where the jagged edges from the pixels are readily apparent. Because of this, my sense is that as you scan the map the street labels--being at various angles--can slide from being perceived as text to being simply noise in the background.
I don't see myself using MapPoint 2010--for the things I do, it is no better, and often worse, than free Web-based resources. My key requirement was to be able to augment the places in the database, both annotating the ones they provide and adding places of my own, and then be able to execute searches against this augmented database. MapPoint supports none of the former and its searches ignore any tags, keywords and other annotations you might attach to an entry via the free-format field (searches are limited to name and city).
Note that Windows 7 is not on the list of supported operating systems. This could be an inadvertent omission in keeping with the lack of attention to detail in this product.
The remainder of this review gives details of the problems I found. Note: When I say that MapPoint cannot do something, it should be taken to include that I couldn't find how to do it. The "documentation" is limited to the usual Microsoft Help topics - snippets that help with potential terminological confusions and with finding items that are deeply buried in the menus, but mostly tell you what is blindingly obvious.
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The user interface is badly inconsistent and is clearly a mash-up. For example, in Find Nearby Places, a single-click on the name of a restaurant in the LHS pane produces a small semi-transparent box on the map showing its location, and a double-click produces the display of the information in an opaque box, but for other categories, such as Pharmacies and Schools, a single-click produces nothing. Another example: Some of the sub-panes in the LHS navigation pane are dismissed by clicking the "x" in an upper corner, others on the side (different icon), while yet others use a pop-up menu. Another example: The Undo capability applies to some categories and not others, without any discernible logic.
There are lots of little UI annoyances. For example, when the cursor gets within 16 pixels of an edge of the map, it turns into a large arrow, signaling that clicking the mouse will scroll the map. However, MapPoint doesn't seem to take that margin into account when calculating where to position clickable content, and I found myself too often having to scroll the map to be able to click on such items and then scrolling the map back to the original position.
The maps themselves were troublesome. I could not find how to display municipal boundaries. Names of cities were hard to find among all the other labels. Minor adjustments to the map would cause "strobing", for example, clicking on a balloon could radically alter which street labels were displayed. This was disconcerting when working on a map of a city I was familiar with, but for a city I was unfamiliar with, this was frustrating ("Where is Center Street? I thought it was on this map just a second ago."). Aside: You see bad choices of what to label on the world map as well, for example in looking at the Pacific, you find that the "Palau" label (tiny island nation) extends over the (unlabeled) Philippines.
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Map items--balloons/push-pins--that you import from a spreadsheet onto the map are limited to 8 fields: 2 are for names, 5 are address components and 1 is for your use (free-form data). The caption displayed when you selected a balloon is a small fixed size, so there is truncation of the info that you enter in these fields. Although there is plenty of room in the LHS navigation pane, only the first 8 entries are listed, rather than having a scroll-able list. Names have no structure, for example, if your database/spreadsheet has separate fields for first and last names, you need to merge those fields before importing (there is a second Name field, but it is not included in what is displayed in the navigation pane). Similarly, if you have a contact person in a department in a company, you need to combine them into a single name field. Similarly if your database uses multiple fields for street addresses (common because it simplifies validating data entry and selecting sections of a street). MapPoint does NOT support importing email addresses (other than as plain text in the free-format field), but it does allow you to enter Web addresses into the free-form field and it does recognize those and make them click-able, but it is so kludgy that it comes across as a quick patch (in a location's Properties window there is a non-functional text-entry field for the URL). The balloons/push-pins are in such muted colors that it was easy to overlook some of them.
Note: If you want to import a subset of data from your address book/contact manager application, the XLS or CSV file that it creates is likely to have similar problems. Since Outlook is/was part of the MS Office suite, I had expected at least that its export format would be directly import-able into MapPoint.
When importing data from a spreadsheet, MapPoint does some corrections. For street suffixes--St, Ave, Rd, Lane, Way, Circle,...-it did a good job on the spreadsheets I used as tests (from real-world applications). However, my city is not a difficult case: Except for cul-de-sacs, there are no name conflicts between categories--for example, there isn't a First St and a (perpendicular) First Ave--and circumstances mean that the street numbers in those cul-de-sacs are rarely (never?) possible ones on the corresponding main street. However, the correction algorithm is very simplistic and makes lots of mistakes. For example, in importing 250 addresses within my city, two entries were missing the city field. One street name was very unusual and the city was guessed correctly, but the other had a street name of "Lincoln" and the guesses were all from the other side of the country--MapPoint did not use either the addresses already imported or the locale being displayed on the map to bias its guesses. Similarly on the misspelled street name "Bryon": MapPoint guessed "Bryson" from a nearby ZIP Code rather than "Byron" from the Zip Code given in the entry. Corrections are limited to selecting one of its guesses: If it guesses badly, you have to tell it to skip the whole entry rather than providing guidance or a manual correction. For a product that prominently advertises its integration with MS Office, I expected it to offer the option to have corrections also be made to the spreadsheet being imported. But MapPoint does not even log the corrections being made so that you can later update the spreadsheet yourself--you need to manually create that list as the error messages are displayed.
Because of the constraints on the data you can import into a map, I would likely do my filtering of my dataset within the spreadsheet, using MapPoint only to create the map to be printed or exported into an MS Office document. Because I can't import data directly from my spreadsheet and database formats (names and addresses need to be collapsed), it is pointless to do any updates to the data within MapPoint because the exported format would require difficult processing to get back to the underlying format.
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FIND: The Help topics state that the Find operation connects to the Internet. For me, it only searched the program's database. For added items, it searched the name field, but not the free-form text field.
The Find operation cannot be geographically limited, for example, to the area of the map currently being displayed or a ZIP Code. You _can_ include the city name as a search term, but it is subjected to the same fuzzy matching as other search terms. Adding a street name or ZIP Code to the search terms produces substantially _worse_ results, indicating that those fields are ignored by search. Example: "peet's coffee, palo alto" produces 6 matches (the 3 sought, 1 understandable, 2 inexplicable). Add the ZIP Code of one of them ("94306") and there are over 130 hits.
Note: The SEARCH icon on the toolbar seems to have no real purpose: It brings up a LHS pane for "Search results", but nothing seems to use it--the...Read more›

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Microsoft MapPoint 2010 gives you the power to visualize business data, communicate insights with instant impact, and integrate maps into the work you do in Microsoft Office. Get trip routing and turn-by-turn directions to easily plan better trips.


MapPoint 2010
Updated maps--New geographic and demographic data
Customize map settings--Choose whether cities, highways, local roads and parks show on your map
More pushpin images--Includes those from previous versions of MapPoint
GPS ready--Send your route to your GPS device*
Data mapping--Use maps to visualize the meaning of your data
Create territories--Define your own delivery or sales areas
Programming--Build custom solutions and Office add-ins


Product Features

MapPoint helps you visualize your business data:
Create maps using custom Map Settings to display your data with only the details you want to appear. Easily turn labels on or off, change font style or map style.
Dramatically improve decision-making by bringing clarity to tabular data.
Use information-rich maps to illuminate important data relationships, identify business trends, and illustrate opportunities.
Create sales territories and share performance maps to clearly visualize, analyze, and communicate business information.
Combine business data with included demographics to target potential customers and focus decisions.


MapPoint helps you streamline your travel:
Arrive on time. Detailed directions--voice** and text-prompted--make it easy to follow your route.
Optimize your trip. Quickly calculate mileage, drive time, and expenses in advance.
Navigate with ease.Plan your trip on your PC and then print, or send your route to your GPS device.*


MapPoint makes it easy to use maps in combination with your Microsoft Office documents:Seamlessly integrate maps into the work you do in Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Office.
Tell a story, visually.Insert maps into Word documents and PowerPoint presentations to illustrate everything from sales performance and customer locations to new business opportunities.
Tap into existing data sources Create maps from data stored in current versions of Office Excel, Office Access, Microsoft SQL Server, or other database sources.
Extend your business. Take advantage of the extensible MapPoint object model to build custom business solutions such as fleet tracking and business intelligence.

* Exporting to GPS must be done via MSN® Direct (subscription required) or via USB. Separate download of free plug-in may be required. Not all GPS devices are supported. Visit www.microsoft.com/mappoint/devices for more information. ** GPS device sold separately. GPS functionality requires a GPS device that supports NMEA 2.0 or later and an available USB port.


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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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DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2009 Review

DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2009
Average Reviews:

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I had a previous version of this and wanted to update it to get the latest road changes. I was very disappointed in how out of date the maps are. It was almost no change to the 2 year old version I already had for the area I live in. Even corrections I sent in over a year earlier were not included.

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Updated, exceptionally detailed map software you can use anywhere – on the go with your laptop PC, ultra mobile PC, PDA, or touchscreen phone. 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. Use new NavMode for a 3-D perspective, and locate upcoming travel services as you drive.

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