Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 With GPS Locator[Old Version] Reviews

• Good news and bad news.

  
  By A3IPSECQAUAT8V on 2005-10-28
  The bad news first: 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 simpifying which only serves to confuse.
  
  The good news: The GPS functionality has been vastly improved with voice and large visual prompts which make using the program in an automobile MUCH MUCH easier. The little car cursor in the 2005 version has been replaced by a much more visible circle with a large arrow in it indicating direction.
  
  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 solution for getting around than this product in conjunction with your notebook.
  
  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.
  
  One problem I had, and hopefully this will help others who might encounter the same problem: Downloading the software into your computer does NOT automatically load the drivers for the GPS locator device! This must be done separately with the Setup disk when you first attach the locator device. Should you fail to put the Setup disk in and let your computer find the driver automatically ON THAT DISK, then your program will not recognize the locator! I wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure out what was wrong. If you don't add the drivers manually your device manager will automatically load drivers that will not be recognized by the program! I had to go into my Device Manager and uninstall the drivers that were added and then manually install the MS drivers for the GPS locator. Not an insurmountable problem, but it does require a bit of experience with computers.
  
  The included driver software turns your USB port into a pseudo-serial communication port enabling the software to recognize the locator (only serial ports are recognized by the software). The software will not recognize the locator UNLESS it is attached to a serial (or in this case pseudo-serial) communications port. So be careful and follow the installation instructions closely. The locator is made by Pharos GPS and if you have any installation problems go to their web site for further instructions.
  
  I heartily recommend this product however be aware of the minor software and driver glitches I've described above. All in all, I think you will be VERY pleased.
  
  

• Major improvements over previous versions. Must buy.

  
  By A30CJG1E43RG75 on 2005-10-09
  I've been using MS Streets and Trips since 2001 and I honestly say this version is a major improvement. This version has voice turn by turn directions (example, right turn in 200 yards) which was not avaiable in previous versions (must have GPS and Windows XP for text to voice feature); also shows the information visually on map as you drive. If you are near a wireless hot spot it can automatically locate your postion on a map without a GPS attached (its called Locate Me). Very interesting feature.
  
  The new maps also show building and sports arena locations on the map as gray outlines of the building structure (not just as tiny icons). Very useful for major downton metropolitan areas. Major highways (4-lanes, none interstate) stand out more clearly with newer visualizations and colors, which is great for finding shortcuts in non-urban areas that don't have interstates or limited access highways. Probably the most unique features is the night map visualizations. The night mode shows the map in a visually enhance mode for use a night (black background with bright green roads).
  
  MS S&Trips also links up with MSN website to show the current location you are view on the web with satellite images. Similar to Google Earth.
  
  The negatives are that you can't type in your exact driving speed in the route planner (unlike MS S&T 2003). It only gives you the options of setting your driving speed to Slower-Average-Faster. Even thought the program contains up-to date road information, it stills has some out of date information. If you look at the product descriptiong for 2003/2002 vs 2004/2005 verisions you notice they it contains information for 1 million plus more miles of road. The is more of an issue when interstate exit numbers and street names have been changed over the years.
  
  Overall its worth buying. Lots of new features not just updated maps.
  
  

• Totally affordable GPS solution, with voice guidance

  
  By A5JLAU2ARJ0BO on 2005-12-01
  This will be a long review, so sit back and relax. I hope my review can help you make your decision.
  
  I bought this product this morning at my local Staples store (...). I took it out for a spin and have been quite happy with it. It works really well, (...).
  
  First, a little background on my own needs. Ever since I bought my 2-pound ultralight Sharp Actius MM20 notebook computer last summer, I'd been looking for a GPS locator to go with it. I had used various stand-alone, windshield-mounted GPS units such as the TomTom 300. I never quited liked them very much because their screens were too small and not bright enough on a sunny day. Also, punching in street addresses one character at a time is just not my cup of tea, and I hated it. Given my Sharp laptop has a bright 10.4" screen and is so lightweight, I thought it would make a good road companion with GPS installed.
  
  Back in the summer I looked at Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 with GPS but didn't like the fact that it did not have voice prompt. I thought voice prompt (aka voice guidance, which reads out turns before they come up) was a must-have because, as my laptop wouldn't be dashboard-mounted and would mostly sit in the front passenger seat, I'd want to hear, rather than constantly glance over to check, the directions and road names. I also looked at Garmin's laptop-friendly GPS offering but it was a little too expensive (compared to the Microsoft product) and people were not happy with it.
  
  Anyway, so I was very happy this morning to find out that not only was the new version of Microsoft Streets and Trips with GPS available now, but was at such a great price at Staples. I rented a car from Avis after buying the product, and drove around Harvard Square on this rainy day to test it.
  
  Before I share with you my quick test results, let me say a few things about the software and the GPS receiver. The mapping software is Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006, which is the consumer version of Microsoft's industrial-strength Mappoint system. While not as well known as Mapquest, Mappoint is actually the most accurate and comprehensive mapping data software on the market today. Microsoft combined mapping data from several sources to create Mappoint, as opposed to other vendors' relying on only one source -- this explains why, when you read through GPS reviews, you'll often see people discussing the pros and cons of Navteq data vs. GDT vs. other companies. No single mapping data vendor has all the coverage a user might need, so combining multiple sources as Microsoft does is a good thing.
  
  Even though it's the cheap, consumer-oriented version, Streets and Trips is nonetheless very complete, detailed and powerful. The new version covers 5.9 million miles of streets and highways and 1.8 million POIs (points of interest) in the U.S. and Canada. While street-detail coverage and turn-by-turn routing are both second to none, the number of POIs is a little disappointing, considering other GPS vendors go up as high as 5 million. At least, in my experience, Streets and Trips' POI database is up-to-date, so you are unlikely to run into a POI that turns out to have vanished a long time ago. There is an Internet update feature in the program whereby you can get road construction (but not street name or POI) updates from Microsoft when you are connected to the Internet.
  
  (BTW, POIs are such things as restaurants, service stations, gas stations, rest areas, banks, ATMs, hotels, bars, camp grounds, rental car agencies, attractions, etc., etc.)
  
  The software's interface has remained largely unchanged from the last version I used, the 2002 version. (That one has been a lifesaver in quite a few situations for me, even without a GPS receiver.) The interface feels a little cluttered, as is the case with most Microsoft software titles. It's not something you can pick up and become comfortable with right away. You should absolutely spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the interface at home before venturing out on the road. In the user-interface department, stand-alone products from TomTom and Garmin win hands-down.
  
  In terms of routing, you can save as many routes as you hard disk space allows. You can also reroute on the fly. One really cool feature is, when you plan your route (before the trip), you can tell Streets and Trips (by dragging and dropping the routing line) whatever wayward points you'd like to hit between starting and end points. For example, say you are driving from Point A to B, but want to stop at C, which is not on the calculated route, for a quick bite. You can easily add C to the trip, and later if you change your mind and want to stop by D instead, you can just drag the route line from C to D. It's hard to describe how this is done in words; but it's very easy and intuitive in action.
  
  At last, this new version has voice output, using Microsoft's synthetic text-to-speech technology. I'll be honest: the synthesized voice just sounds silly, unnatural. But, all considered, it's actually tolerable and makes GPS-guide driving a lot easier -- and safer.
  
  Unfortunately, we still do not get the 3D overhead view that's now common on stand-alone GPS locators. Since I wanted that feature, I deduct at least half a star in the rating for this being absent from this otherwise feature-rich product. Microsoft does allow you to rotate the map so the direction you are traveling in points up. There are also other map view options.
  
  The small GPS receiver is made by, I believe, Pharos, a Microsoft technology partner. It's a small, square receiver with a blue LED that lights when connected to the USB port. This receiver (or its predecessor) has received rave reviews from users. It connects to a regular USB port. The USB cable, which detaches from the receiver, stands at 6 ft. long. There's a little flimsy plastic suction cup that slides along the cable; needless to say (but I'll still say it) it's for attaching to a windshield or dashboard.
  
  (The package includes mapping software for Pocket PC and Microsoft Smartphone, but you'll need to buy a separate Pocket PC-compatible GPS receiver in order to use GPS on your Pocket PC.)
  
  The biggest problem with using a GPS-equipped laptop is you can't readily mount it on the dashboard (or windshield). There are rigs available, or you can make your own, that allow you to do it, but since I drive rentals only, I'll have to make do with leaving the laptop in the passenger seat. I'll just rely mostly on the voice prompts to get around. Another inherent shortcoming with using a laptop is, because the screen is not touch-sensitive (I do not know whether this product supports Microsoft Tablet PC fully), everything is by keyboard and mouse. While entering addresses on the keyboard cannot be beat, certain operations become hard or unsafe, or both, when you are driving. So it's probably best to have a companion traveling with you when you use this product on a laptop. Or at least memorize the Fn key shortcuts, e.g., F3 to reroute, F7 to toggle voice prompt on/off.
  
  Now my quick impressions from today. As I drove around Harvard Square navigating streets reminiscent of country-side winding paths, I found the GPS receiver pretty fast in acquiring a signal and maintaining it. Even though it was raining and the clouds were thick, the receiver found a signal in about a minute. And it was very good at maintaining the signal, even when I drove between tall buildings. The software accurately located where I was all the time. I did a few routes and everything worked beautifully. I was really impressed with the quality of the (supposedly) Pharos receiver. It did not disappoint, period.
  
  In summary: Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 with GPS Locator combines a powerful, detailed mapping program with a high-quality receiver and features a few driver-friendly amenities such as rotating map and voice guidance and night view (greenish view that's easier to read when driving at night). It puts full-featured GPS capability in the hands of the poor (assuming the poor can afford a laptop; (...)). The software has a fair learning curve, but the big screen GPS display is just great. I wish the interface were cleaner, there were more POIs, and the voice more attractive and natural-sounding. But let's face it: no matter what vendors do, we can always find fault with a product. The bottomline here is, this is a great, cheap GPS bundle that will please its audience crowd: those looking for a very affordable way to get on the GPS bandwagon.
  
  Hope you've found my long review helpful. (...) BTW, my Sharp Actius MM20 laptop is terrific and can be purchased at sharpsystems dot com -- (....)
  
  

• New wine in old bottles.

  
  By A2K3T9X1QUO68I on 2005-10-20
  
  Glad to see there're several improvements since my last review of the 2005 version of Streets and Trips with GPS Locator last year.
  
  It is great that Microsoft adds voice prompt and night map view to this version, although the voice is far from true human voice.
  
  The bundled GPS receiver is the same as last year (only tracks 12 channels), instead of the latest SiRF Star III chipset (available in the market nearly a year so far) which can track 20 channels all-in-view with better performance and less power consumption. The sad point is this version does not support auto reroute functionality, either. You have to click on the 'Go' button or press 'F3' to instruct the computer to reclaculate the route for you if you are off the claculated route. What a dumb application!
  
  The pocket streets included in the 2006 version CD-ROM is the same as last year, 2005 version, no route calculating for PDA yet.
  
  Guess the Microsoft programmers never use this software by themselves when they are travelling.
  
  
  

• Title updated, but not streets

  
  By A30SNRLNB64XFC on 2005-10-17
  I use this program daily for locating addresses and printing maps. I also use printed street maps and on-line maps to locate newer construction. Microsoft is behind as much as several years on some subdivisions. I will look for alternatives before buying the next update.
  
  
• Great to have a GPS, but not without quirks
  By A2FB472O4G9O6F on 2005-12-04
  Pros :
  1. A mapping software that I have used for 5 years... same Streets and Trips. No learning curve there
  2. Nice auto pan and zoom
  
  Cons:
  1. The audio directions occur only just before the turn I need to make, does not give me enough time to change lanes etc (this could be big issue in NY and NY area :). In other s/ws Delrome, Tom Tom etc you get more than one prompts. But Streets & Trips gives only one announcement and that too only about .1 - .2 miles before you gotta make the turn or take an exit.
  
  2. Voice prompts are text-to-speech, and not the pre-recorded voice, which I think is better to understand
  
  3. Voice volume is very low, even though I have changed and played with all my Windows XP as well as laptop volume settings.
  
  4. No indication of 'miles to destination' - it shoul be in bif bolds.
  
  
• Best tool in the 18-wheeler!
  By A31KHPLQ6GJ1WB on 2006-04-09
  Only adding a quick two cents... I am sure others have adequately described the good and not-so-good features, but overall, I find this program to be user-friendly, for the most part very accurate, and very useful. I drive 18 wheeler and go to and from different pickup and drop destinations every week. When you live in a 7' square space most of the time, space is at a premium. I chose this program because I could run it on my laptop, thus saving space and money over buying a stand alone unit. I have been very happy with this purchase.
  
  I use the Microsoft program on a daily basis. I have had GPS's since their invention which I used in my airplane, but Microsoft has done a great thing by developing this product. I have the program running on my laptop sitting in the passenger seat next to me almost everywhere I go. I don't have any fancy mounting brackets for my laptop and find it sits in the passenger seat just fine. The voice prompts let me know when I am getting close to an exit or turn point, and the directions to and from delivery locations is usually right on target. I have only had one recent occasion where the street was not in the correct place but from what I could tell they had extended the street and the program had just not been updated yet. It is truly amazing to me that this product is as accurate as it is.
  
  Anyway... I bought it because I needed a GPS for my business and was trying to save money over a stand-alone vehicle GPS. I have not been disappointed. It works. And that works for me!
  
  
• What's the point
  By A2E095CSKT76DE on 2006-04-20
  The whole reason I wanted a GPS system is because I am bad with directions. This product, though semi-up-to-date with roads in the area, is only good if you don't miss your turns. If you miss a turn it says "off route" over and over again but it doesn't recalculate your route for you. And if you're the one driving, you can't exactly reroute from your current location if you're trying to watch the road. Lucky for me, the store I bought this from allowed me to return it since it was hardware and software. I wouldn't recomend this product to anyone. There are many other products out there that are much more user friendly and less costly. I would definitely recomend Garmin 18 with Nroute instead.
  
  
• Easy to install and use
  By AAH2N3U436ADC on 2005-12-01
  Reviewer Burke Churchill is mistaken about one thing: the setup utility *does* install the GPS driver automatically. I have two copies of this package and installed them on two separate laptops and both had no problems whatsoever installing the GPS receiver driver. I have Windows XP on both machines.
  
  However, you *must* install the software first (which automatically installs the driver), and then launch Streets and Trips 2006, before connecting the GPS Locator for the first time. You can also use any other GPS receiver (except the Garmin GPS USB one which outputs data in a proprietary format).
  
  The bundled receiver gets a sattelite signal real fast. It's also tiny and light-weight. It glows blue when connected, kinda neat. This is a good package for an unbeatable price.
  
  Because the receiver is light-weight, it sticks to the windshield easily with the included suction cup.
  
  
• You need a better GPS than this, sometimes
  By A38R6K4AGOC0Q3 on 2005-12-16
  Why do I say this? It's because when you're stopped or near an intersection, the software can get totally confused and send you, with the voice navigation, 90 (or 180) degrees in the wrong direction. Then you have to stop and get directions again, or turn around if you discover in time. U-turns are frequent enough to cause it to lose 1 star.
  
  However, I like the software because it greatly helped me during a cross-country drive to move to Syracuse, NY, with no navigator to help, and it fit every need at least fairly, including trip planning from start to finish. I was able to estimate my trip costs, plan for hotel stays, and know exactly how many days it takes to get from the West Coast to Central New York (depends on how many hours you drive, sightseeing, etc), as well as how much driving I would have to do each day. Also, the one time I missed a freeway exit, I was able to take the next exit and find a quick short cut to the correct route that I may not have found (at least without panicing), to get me back on track.
  
  The reason the software doesn't know where you're going is that when you're stopped, it is not able to sense the direction the sensor is pointing, because the sensor has no specified orientation within the vehicle. Also, it doesn't know about which way you're steering or anything like that (as with some in-car models). This is ok for a GPS which is as cheap as this one. However, it is worth noting this, and you can expect to make a few wrong turns now and then, even after you get used to this software.
  
  It really helps if you have another person to tell you what you'll be doing next, and if you don't, this software will substitute for that, but not do as good of a job as you wish, on some occasions. However, it will do it for cheap, and this is not normal for a GPS unit. (There is an equivalent, almost as cheap, but it suffers from many of the same flaws)
  
  Also, it doesn't know every street and in some cases will not be able to find streets when searching, even when you enter the name in correctly. Mapquest or Google Maps is much better in this regard.
  
  Sometimes it does not accurately point to the ending location, especially where there is an overpass, or change in street numbering. This flaw is known to all of the different map programs, including more expensive systems. You just have to rely on the locals (or your cell phone) to get you to the final destination, sometimes.
  
  Features include:
  
  1) The ability to plot your directions based on your current location, even if you do not know your current location.
  2) The ability to search for nearby gas stations (saved me one time), hotels, ATMs, and restaurants.
  3) The ability to give vocal prompts when you need to turn or when it thinks you need gas or need to take a break. (The gas mileage and time between breaks, when you start and end the driving day, etc., is all easy to configure.)
  
  4) The ability to replot your directions if you go off-route, with a single click of the mouse.
  
  5) The ability to plan trips, including where to stay overnight, where to get gas, etc. Or, the ability, if you are "winging" it, to get to the nearest gas station if you are about to run out of gas. (The ability to search for almost every meaningful landmark within a 35 mile radius.)
  
  6) USB plug-in GPS sensor unit keeps your position most of the time, even if the unit falls off the dash (see below).
  
  7) The ability to synch with a more expensive GPSs (although I'm not sure if it's compatible with the majority or not); ones that will sense direction as well as position.
  
  Cons:
  
  Sometimes the software tells you to do something that sends you in the wrong direction. Related: often it says "off route" without you being off-route. This can be very confusing at times.
  
  Sometimes the software will tell you "Turn in 2 tenths of a mile", but you are at a point where you can't tell which block to turn on, even if you do happen to look at the odometer. It won't say, "turn now", or "turn in 50 yards", as with some more expensive systems.
  
  The suction cup on the GPS unit will not stick to anything, and will not stay stuck to glass for very long, either. You may lose your signal if it falls off. This can be remedied by not using the suction cup and just putting it on the seat or with your passenger. It will not lose the signal there, unless it falls under the seat, at which point you may have to stop to get it back.
  
  You are unable to pick the "fastest route" vs. the "slowest route", as with some GPS systems, and it is very difficult to change the route without adding artificial stops or using the sub-menu which doesn't always list the segment you need to avoid.
  
  Also: sometimes it's just easier to memorize the directions and not worry about having a laptop to tell you which way to go. Mapquest (or whatever) will do that for you just fine. However, if you get lost, then having a GPS can really help. Just don't rely on this every time you need to find something, as it will let you down.
  
  
• Ok, but has some gaps
  By A2EPGG4GHZB9CE on 2006-01-04
  Overall this is a decent product. The bundle with the GPS is great and affordable. After using it in the car for a few days I can see the advantage of a wireless GPS receiver. When it's time to replace this one I'll look for a receiver that does not need a cord attached to my laptop.
  
  The software has some great features, and also a few huge gaps. It's easy to get going, and generally does a good job of mapping routes and managing the display. However, I was astounded to see that fuel stops could not be managed in this software. The program implies that this can be done, but the estimates don't take into account you may get gas earlier or later than recommended. You essentially have to manage gas stops manually and outside of the program, which is a glaring omission.
  
  Another disappointment was the inability to easily determine the distance from your current position to a point on the map. The directions window will show you the distance to your next stop, but it should be easy to find the distance between your current locatoin and any point on your route, or between any two points. I found it hard to beleive that this capability wasn't in the software, but it isn't.
  
  The final issue is the same installation problem that others have found. Microsoft really needs to fix this. It's completely unacceptable that software and the bundled hardware simply do not work after installation and require independant troubleshooting on another web site to resolve. There is no mention of the installation issue anywhere on Microsoft's web site.
  
  
• A Great Resource for the Price
  By A1BM6K7D6IG5WO on 2005-11-13
  The program is easy to use & the accuracy of the maps are as good or better than any comparable source. The software alone is great, if you travel with your laptop the GPS is well worth the little extra price. I used it on a 6000 mile family RV vacation across the US and I would have been lost several times if not for the GPS. I also use it regularly for business appointments locally and out of state.
  Throw your Thomas guides away, this is much easier.
  
  
  
• Excellent product
  By A3DWN5CHWNZDOR on 2005-12-07
  I'm new to GPS world but I think this peoduct is great. Installing the software and the GPS locator was very very easy. It worked right away. I took my laptop for a spin in my car and I was impressed. the GPS maintained its lock in all considtions. There are a couple of things that I would like to see changed though
  
  1- I didn't like the synthetic voice. I couldn't get it loud enough to hear over my radio. A solution is to hockup one of those signal transmitters and listen to the audio through your car radio. I havn't tried it yet but I will soon
  
  2- When I'm off route, The program didn't try to calculate another route unless I'm closer to a new exit in the street that the one I missed. Instead it insisted that I turn back. I wish they could fix this.
  
  Other than that. Its a great deal (software + GPS), good price. I highly recommend it
  
  
• A very good mapping program, but not so good verbal directions.
  By A2RUEXQ7N9IDE9 on 2006-08-03
  Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 with GPS Locator is a great program for accessing maps all around the United States. The GPS works well and is never too far away from your target when it is given full view of the sky. But, if you are are buying this product for verbal directions, DO NOT BUY THIS ONE!!! It gives you very little verbal directions and if you go off route, it says ONLY the following: "off route" What help is this? Where do you go? You tell me! I would, totally, buy DeLorme with the GPS locator before buying this one. DeLorme tells you (verbally) every turn in good detail and tells you how to get back on the right road if you stray off route. An example of what it says when you are off route is: "off route. Recalculating route. Turn left on Baltic Avenue, approaching in 4.3 miles, 5 minutes away." This is much better then what this program will tell you: "Off route". This program is better then DeLorme as far as the maps are concerned but DeLorme is better as the GPS is concerned. This product has really dissapointed me, because I thought Microsoft would work very hard to compete with DeLorme, but they did not try very hard and the verbal directions turned out to be very, very poor. Thanks for taking the time to read my review and I hope you found it to be helpful. Have a great day. :-)
  
  
• Not good, it works, but several complaints. Plus Pocket PC version worthless
  By A1ZU55TM45Y2R8 on 2006-08-25
  This was my first experience with mobile GPS. I decided after riding in my mom's Toyota Sienna that her GPS system was excellent. Keep in mind, she had a high dollar system so I expected it to be much better then anything I would buy that is portable.
  
  I bought Streets and Trips 2006 at my local best buy store for $89, it came with the GPS locator. I had my laptop in the car with me so I installed the software and it started to work immediatly, I was impressed that it pinpointed my location as quickly as it did. I typed in my home address and bingo, it routed me onto the interstate and home. That part worked perfectly. I will say that on the way home on I-40 they shifted the road for road construction, the system was so accurate there that it kept saying "OFF ROUTE" because the lanes were temp. shifted about 30 feet onto the shoulder, that was pretty cool. Overall with this I was impressed.
  
  What I was not impressed with was: I live on a major road, about 1.5 miles behind my place is a wal-mart with several roads that go to it. When I used the GPS system to navigate me to the store it tried to route me on a 10 mile trip, apparently some of the roads I normally take were not in the map database. In fact there was a total of 3 missing roads in this one 1.5 mile area that had been in Knoxville since I moved here 4 years ago. These are not brand new roads, they are at minimum 4 years old and SHOULD be in the map database.
  
  Other issues I have with the software include the Pocket PC piece. While the pocket PC does display the maps perfectly it will not create routes for you. Additionally if you try to hook the GPS locator up to your pocket pc you will find that it does not ROUTE or NAVIGATE you. The GPS locator simply shows you on the map where you are, in my case it was about 1/4 mile off, this was a huge problem for me. The reason I bought it was so I could put my pocket pc in my truck and use that as my navigation system. Not so, it doesn't speak, it doesn't route, it doesn't navigate. It's just a picture with a moving dot that represesnts your current position.
  
  Speaking of, speaking. The program does offer verbal turn by turn guidance, however do NOT expect this program to announce the names of the streets you are to turn on. It simply says "TURN LEFT", I would have liked it to say "TURN LEFT ON MAIN STREET" for example.
  
  North, south, east or west??? One more thing I don't like about this program is lack of detail in directions. I punched in to go from work to home and it routed me via interstates. When I left work and neared the on-ramp it said "TURN RIGHT in .3 miles", the screen showed "TURN RIGHT ON I-40", it didn't tell me east or west. Then on my way home I take the I-75 split, it said "STAY RIGHT" but it didn't display if I needed I-75 North or south. Had construction been going on and lanes shifted, etc I would not have known what road to take because it didn't say the direction to go in. Simply not enough information.
  
  Another gripe, re-route is not an automated feature. I wish Microsoft would have put an option on the program to "AUTO RE-ROUTE" if you are off of the designated route when using your laptop and the locator. Instead it says "OFF ROUTE" and you either have to drive back on route or press the F3 button or click the "RE-ROUTE" button. Seems silly it can't do this automatically.
  
  And one last gripe, there is an offramp here in knoxville where you can not make a right turn, it is posted and illegal. This software when I am on my way to work constantly tells me to make that right turn. That is one big issue.
  
  Overall, the product works as expected for a $90 GPS solution. It would have received 5 stars if the Pocket PC piece actually was useful and if a few of the roads around me that had been around were in the database. It works decent, but not good enough. This is a good "test" program to use to see if GPS is for you. I have since stopped using the GPS locator part and simply use streets and trips at home to plan my trips, figure out mileage, etc. I now use a Magellan Roadmate 760 which I purchased here at Amazon as my in car navigation system.
  
  I would have expected Microsoft, the large company they are to have a more up to date, hi-tech program. This thing doesn't speak street names, doesn't tell which dirction to go when approaching freeways and interstates. It will get you where you are going, but the lack of updated roads make take you well out of your way to get there.
  
  
• Streets & Trips vs Garmin MapSource (nRoute)
  By A21LMY0Q4XUTBL on 2006-02-12
  I recently had the opportunity to travel with the Garmin MapSource (actually the program used is nRoute). Being impressed I went to buy my own copy, but was discrouaged by the lack of NMEA compliance in the GPS sensor. I bought Streets & Trips instead, and traveled much the same route. These are my findings:
  
  nRoute places the driving guidance pane on the top of the display, S&T places it at the bottom. I found it more ergonomic on the top of the screen. S&T does not allow you to arrange the position of the panes, nor resize them (unsure if nRoute does this either).
  
  In addition to distances, nRoute gives you estimated times until a maneuver needs to be performed. S&T has no time based predictions. In fact, S&T is severly lacking on time features. The only way to figure out the predicted time of arrival is to set your "driving day" preferences. S&T then calculates at what time each menuever will be performed, and the arrival time. Or course, if you leave at a different time, you have to go back and set your "driving day" to match your departure time. If you get stuck in traffic, too bad. S&T will not recalculate. nRoute does this.
  
  Like nRoute, S&T has a nightime map (switches the background to black to reduce glare). nRoute does this automatically at a preprogrammed time that you select. With S&T you have to select View, Map, nightime. Annoying when you are driving. Also, the map is the only thing with a nighttime mode. The GPS task pane is still super-bright, along with the toolbars. In short, the nighttime mode in S&T is not very helpful.
  
  Now for the upside. S&T actually runs on my PII 300mHz with 64mb of RAM and Windows 98. Consequently, I do give the software some credit. It may not have the time predicting, but I'm not sure how well that would work on my computer. Sometimes the map will stall when in a dense area (NYC for example) and you will lose the indicator that shows your location on the map. However, the driving guidance still works flawlessly. You may not have a pictoral view, but when it says "Turn right in 100 yards", it is dead on. Incidentally, zooming the map in will correct the stalling problem, but doesn't give you much idea of where you are going.
  
  Lastly, voice prompting doesn't work in win98 (at least not without 3rd party software, and even then, I doubt it would). Not really a problem for me, BUT.. if you don't use voice prompting, you don't get any audible prompts! Not even a beep! COnsequently, you are always looking down to make sure you are on track. Seems pretty stupid not to program a simple system beep when a maneuver is coming up. The lack of configurability is dumbfounding considering MS Word has so much annoying functionality (a talking paperclip?)
  
  So, I give it 3 stars. Not much functionality (consequently the manual is tiny and not worth the read), but it runs on low-powered computers and has an NMEA compliant GPS sensor. Shocking on both accounts.. for a Microsoft product.
  
  
• A Life-Saver
  By ATJMNFQX0YDTQ on 2005-12-11
  As a Federal Law Enforcement Agent with a lot of unfamiliar territory to patrol, this product paid off many times over.
  
  I first began using Streets & Trips 2005 w/GPS Locator on a trip to Washington DC. There was not a street in DC that it did not know, leading to a much more enjoyable vacation than those of straining to read paper maps.
  
  This version is much improved with the voice prompts and night driving maps. I work the night shifts and the brightness from the previous day maps was straining my night vision. The night driving maps allow me to see where I am going much easier. The new GPS prompts allow me to get places fast, allowing me to drive and not watch the screen. I can easily see when I have to make my next turn, which direction, and how far, allowing me to focus on driving to emergencies.
  
  My only complaint is that it does take some interesting ways of getting you to your destination. Just take some time when planning the route and make sure it is taking you the way you want. If not, just click on the route and drag it to the street you want to take. It is that easy!
  
  Overall, this outstanding product has allowed me to be very efficient in many unfamiliar cities, responding to areas I have never been like a pro.
  
  
  
• Not bad, but could be much better
  By A3S5EXYZDEBF3K on 2006-04-09
  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.
  
  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).
  
  I don't have any experience with competitors, but no you know the drawbacks. Overall I'm happy, but don't let your expectations be too high.
  
  
• Great GPS package for under $100.00
  By A3SF7GM1NCU0BM on 2006-06-09
  I first saw this item in our local Warehouse Club ($99.00) and tried to talk my husband into buying it. He was very skeptical, thinking there was no way one could get a GPS system for under a $100.00. After reading the reviews on Amazon.com, we decided to order from Amazon and go for it.
  
  We have used it locally, as well as on a 12 hour trip from Ohio to Connecticut and back again. The unit worked nearly flawlessly for this trip. For some reason, it lost the signal in and around Scranton PA both coming and going, but I am wondering if it was satellite or weather related, as we had terrible storms while going through this area! Otherwise, it took us from our driveway in Ohio to my daughters' apartment in Connecticut and back again. We used it for a few side trips in and around Connecticut, and had no problems whatsoever.
  
  The installation process was a breeze, and we had very few problems during use. Even when we intentionally made a few wrong turns, all you do is hit the F3 key, and it recalculates your route very quickly. (We installed this on a newer Sony VAIO laptop)
  
  The software itself is very good, and before we left home, we were able to download updates for construction, so we knew what to expect along the way. (Internet connection required for updates).
  
  While driving in the car, it can be difficult, at times, to hear the spoken directions through the small laptop speakers. To remedy this, I bought a tape adapter so that the directions could be heard through my car stereo system . (The adapter is a cassette tape, with a wire at one end, and a headphone jack at the other that connects into the laptop.....crank up the volume in the car, and presto, you are set!)
  
  All in all, we are very pleased with this package. You can't beat it for the price, that's for sure. Amazon now has it $20.00 cheaper than what we paid for it, so it is even a better bargain! Go for it!
  
  
• Clunky - Difficult to use enroute - no "back on course" advice
  By A17QMWC4XN8B9U on 2006-09-29
  This software does have some good features. Once you've successfully planned a route, it will show your location, has voice, and big instructions. However, this software's has glaring feature lapses in areas critical in a GPS travel aid.
  
  GPS based software is supposed to be helpful if you get off track (say you're in the wrong lane and can't make the correct exit, etc). It should easily adapt if you decide to change your stops along the way. This is where the Microsoft product really falls down. My overall impression: It seems like a "living room" pre-planner with a GPS functionality hastily slapped onto it. The GPS & Planning/Mapping parts of the program are not well integrated. Here are some examples:
  
  Let's say you get lost - you're in the wrong lane and can't make your turn-off. You find yourself off course, maybe lost in a major city (this just happened to me). I know what you're thinking "Doesn't the software tell you how to get back ON course?" Sadly, no. It only says you are off course, not how to get back ON course.
  
  Now, since the GPS knows exactly where you are - you'd think there would be the ability to get directions based on your current position. Oops, Microsoft forgot to add that.
  You should be able to enter a single address (such as your desired destination) and get directions from your current location. Oops, they left that feature out evedently.
  
  We were lost in a tangled warren of San Francisco streets for an hour and a half (crawling through heavy traffic). Meanwhile, my wife is beating on this software trying to get useful directions. It was truly infuriating. In this situation, the software is virtually worthless. It's faster to use "Gas Station 2.0" - this is where you stop at a gas station and ask for directions (by the way, there are not many gas stations in San Francisco).
  
  Adding to the frustration is the fact that the route planning feature is hard to use. It is not obvious at all how to delete or re-arrange destination points. In most Microsoft programs, you can drag and drop to re-arange. Or you could right-click an item and select "Delete" - or click the item and hit the delete key. Not so with this software.
  
  Another downfall is how it gives directions. Part of most trips is a long drive on a main freeway, ending with some city street turns to get to your final destination. On my recent trip, the main "leg" was around 68 miles. After getting onto the freeway near my starting point, the software announced "In 67.8 miles, take right ramp". When I got there over an hour later, it gave me no more warning until the ramp was 1/10th mile away. If I didn't already know that area, I would most likely have been in the wrong lane. In heavy traffic, you often cannot change lanes with that little notice. The software should give more lead time after a 68 mile leg!
  
  Also, it does not give advice on which lane you should be in to make your turn. Part of my trip was in a dense metro area, where the lane was critical (left, middle, or right) Of course, Civilian GPS cannot tell which lane you are in, but the software could at least TELL you which you SHOULD be in. My bad trip experience happened initially, and was made worse later, because of this shortcoming.
  
  In summary, my honest view is that this software is clunky to use, poorly integrated, has no "back on course" advice, and lets you down when you need it most.
  
  I'll never use it again for in-trip directions. I can't imagine recommending this software to anyone.
  
  Please keep in mind, I don't go around giving products a bad review for the fun of it, but don't let my bad experience happen to you.
  
  
  
• Not perfect but it is working
  By A3D704BMPQYJDE on 2006-03-29
  It is not as good as Neverlost, but it does work.
  It was very useful to find my location when I travel Vancouver, Canada. If you have a labtop and need cheap way to GPS navigation, then you may consider to buy this one.
  
  Pros
  1. It will pinpoint your current position
  2. Does cover US and Canada
  
  
  Cons
  1. Voice direction really sucks
  2. It cannot find optimized route in city
  3. Difficult operate
  
  
  
• Don't Buy This Product From Amazon
  By A35KUG6GK5GCDK on 2005-12-21
  ...unless you don't need it for awhile. They are slow in shipping, you can't cancel your order and there is no phone number to call for help. I doubt if they will even post this but it is the only form of communication they will allow.
  
  
• Microsoft Street and Trips with GPS Receiver
  By A2152JNI77K8DU on 2006-01-04
  This is my first experience with Microsoft Streets and Trips with the GPS receiver. My old laptop with DeLorme 2005 Street Atlas and GPS were stolen from my car. I would like to "Thank the Thief" ... right before I shot him. Microsoft's maping software is unbelievably better. The GPS locates me within seconds, versus DeLorme's minutes. The maps are a better color, and easier to locate yourself on the trail. The voice commands are well timed and very accurate.
  ALL-IN-ALL Microsoft has the best GPS receiver and map!!!
  
  
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006
  By A2ZRKAOYEJ1KA8 on 2006-02-16
  Product was fairly straightforward to install. It was DIFFICULT, however, to get a simple SHORTCUT for the desktop. Typical Microsoft nonsense I suppose.
  
  As far as using the product it is relatively easy.
  
  Product is, however, very rigid. If you divert a bit from the recommended route, it cannot help you re_route or find another way.
  
  Also, the instructions are spoken very rapidly, making them difficult to comprehend in a car. And the volume is not adjustable. Thankfully, the instructions are written below the map if needed.
  
  Overall, it works. But it could be SO much better if the routing would adjust to a new route and if the instructions were louder and spoken more slowly.
  
  
• Hopelessly out of date
  By AJRXSK5JNLLQR on 2006-06-17
  I purchased this product with moderate expectations, and I suppose that's what I got. I had no problems installing it and was able to use all the features I wanted without much trouble. However, in attempting to plan a trip, some annoying flaws became apparent.
  The first is that when you are trying to find a destination by zooming in on an area, the map detail goes to nearly zero in some areas and there is no indication of any roads at all until you are completely zoomed in. Try zooming yourself to the Grand Canyon North Rim. You can't do it! I was able to search for it and add it to my waypoints, but it was annoying since I knew where I wanted to go.
  The second was that the maps are so out of date on many items that they are embarassing. Looking around my home town for a grocery store, for example, will not find the Kroger that has been there for 10+ years. My house is not there either, and it is more than 10 years old. Same thing with restaurants -- some have their 10-year old locations (before they moved) and others that have existed for 5-10+ years are simply not listed. Hotels that have been here for 25+ years... I could go on, but you get the point. It is ridiculous to publish a product that is this far out of date. It may find something for you, but you may drive by a lot of others on the way that it did not tell you about.
  One other detail is that it did not seem to handle stops where you spend more than one day, and want to see different sights each day. I had to input each night's stop separately to avoid complete chaos on routing me to those sights. Maybe I need to read the manual on that one...
  There is pretty impressive detail on some items like major freeway intersections with all their associated access roads, etc. and I liked the ability to download current road construction info. That turned out to be fairly complete on my 1500 mile trip. One thing I could not find was a way to track total trip expenses, like hotel costs, though it will calculate its own fuel costs based on your input for city and hwy mpg and $/gal. Overall a usable product, but plenty of room for improvement!!!
  
  
• VERY SLOW SHIPPING!!!!
  By A32ZX49T58S87O on 2005-12-15
  I really can not rate item itself, I HAVE NOT RECIEVED IT YET!!
  
  I AM VERY DISSATISFIED with Amazon's shipping.
  I Ordered on 12/5/05 Item said it would ship in 2 days it has now been 10 days and is still waiting to be shipped. I was origianly quoted as it being delivered between the 12-14th. Now they say 21-23.
  
  10 DAYS AND ITS NOT EVEN LEFT AMAZON YET!!!!
  This is NOT GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE!!!
  
  
  
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 with Voice is a Winner
  By A5TTUFVWLEJ0E on 2006-02-25
  Pros: Easy setup, Voice and text directions, GSP displays real time location, speed, and driver view direction.
  
  Cons: Could have more points of interest. Found some street names missing.
  
  The software loaded flawlessly however I never used mapping software before on my PC so it so I spent a couple of hours familiarizing myself with the menu and software features.
  
  I plotted a couple of shorts routes near my neighborhood, plugged in the GPS, and went for a drive. The voice prompts worked flawlessly and give me plenty of advance notice. I also found the night screen easy on the eyes and street names easy to read.
  
  The real test was on a business trip with an associate out of state to visit 3 vendors. I plotted the one way car rental trip from airport 1 to hotel 1 to vendor 1 to vendor 2 to hotel 2 to vendor 3 to airport 2. We didn't lose the GPS signal once.
  
  Vendor 3 was the biggest test. Their remote location required several road changes all on two lane hilly roads. We did make one wrong turn but the voice let us know right away and with a quick look at the map we found a road ahead that we could turn on to get us back on track without turning around.
  
  The software and GPS worked perfectly. The associate I was with was so impressed he's buying Streets & Trips 2006 for his laptop PC.
  
  Bottom line: Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS locator is an inexpensive alternative to other GPS vehicle navigation systems as long as you have a decent laptop PC.
  
  
• Streets & Trips 2006 - Great
  By A1NP57CQT2J08S on 2006-03-01
  My wife and I used Streets and Trips 2006 with GPS locator recently while traveling. My intentions were that she would navigate the program while I was driving.
  
  If you're driving and expect the functionality you would get from a much more expensive GPS, forget it. If you have someone else in the car who can navigate the software for you, then it is great.
  
  For starters you have as large a screen as your laptop provides. The software takes a little getting used to. I'd recommend taking a few short trips with it before using it on an important trip. Learn to drive to the closest McDonalds. Figure out what to do if you miss a turn. The software is good but it isn't perfect so you have to accept a few gotchas. Like some of the other reviews indicated, the voice can be a little low - not a problem though if someone other than the driver is navigating the software. Sometimes you'll get instruction to get off an exit - and you're in the far left lane and don't have the time and distance to do it.
  
  In all, though, it has lots of features for the money and once we spent a good hour or two learning about all of the different features, we felt comfortable with it. In this case I believe you get more than what you pay for.
  
  
• Good Product......Once installed!
  By A36R8GEUEZWJBO on 2006-03-27
  The product worked flawless and as expected. The learning curve is not too steep and if one is familiar with previous versions of Streets and Trips, easy to set up.
  
  Now to the bad:
  
  The installation was plaqued by incomplete install with the ERROR 1402. Could not open Key: Unknown\Microsoft.MapPoint.WiFi Scanner.1\CLSID
  Even a trip to the MS Support website only provided a hint to the solution, that sadly required a registry hack, so not for the faint of heart.
  For anyone with the ERROR 1402, you will have to delete ALL registry keys that are related to MapPoint. After accomplishing that, installation went smoothly for me.
  Would have given 5 stars, but the install problems reduced that to 4.
  
  
• cross country trip
  By AIKSXXHRIEZB5 on 2006-02-20
  I used MS Streets and Trips w/gps when I went from Sacramento to Washington DC, New York City, Orlando, Atlanta, Memphis, Las Vegas, and back to Sacramento pulling a 26 foot trailer. I used it everyday to plan the next day's trip. It found campgrounds, banks, walmarts, all my relatives. It was indispensable. I found only one error. It placed a campground on the wrong side of the freeway outside of Atlanta. Because of this program I only made one wrong turn in 70 days and 10,000 miles of travel.
  
  

• Microsoft Windows Live OneCare 1.0 [Old Version]
• Bluetooth Dock Allows GPS-360
• Compactflash Adapter Allows GPS360

• Xantrex Technologies 851-0400 XPower Plus 400-Watt Inverter
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 with GPS Locator [DVD] [OLD VERSION]
• Jensen JP20 160-Watt DC-to-AC Power Inverter
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS [OLD VERSION]
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 GPS [Old Version]