Customer Reviews

Microsoft MapPoint 2002 [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This product has all the same features as Microsoft Streets and Trips 2001. And for the average home user, that is all you need as the price is significantly lower. What you're paying for with MapPoint is all the data features. It analyzes business info and puts them on a map (usually through an Excel spreadsheet). It also has some more web collaboration features than the standard version.

Unless you are going to seriously use a program to analyze business needs (e.g. where customers are coming from, where you should put a store, etc.), it's not worth it. (It does make some pretty maps and graphs, though.) I would have never bought the program in the first place, but I got it as a promotional sample from Microsoft. I like it, but I will probably never use most of the data tools.

On the mapping side, it's great. Read some of the reviews over for streets and trips and you'll see what a great program it is. MapPoint does all the same things.

(For those who care, this product does not use the controversial product activation sequence as other office 2002/xp programs do.)

I have used MapPoint for about three years now and I just upgraded. Overall, it is an excellent, full-featured product that is very intuitive and easy to use.

I use MapPoint along with a full-blown professional ArcView-based GIS system. I find that MapPoint allows me to perform "quick and dirty" and relatively simple GIS tasks without having to get into the more complicated and time consuming - albeit more capable - ArcView GIS system.

Truth is, I could probably rely completely on MapPoint except for one shortfall in the program. You can only create customized boundaries based on the pre-existing included boundaries (Census Tracts, Zip Code areas, etc.).

For example, rather than being able to go in and create a boundary around a neighborhood, I have to conform this "custom" boundary to something like Zip code boundaries or census tracts, etc. that are inluded in MapPoint.

Microsoft, include this feature in MapPoint 2003 and you will get 10-stars!

While the mapping and search capability is awesome, the package is hopelessly obsolete when you get it.

Freeways that went in near me three years ago are not reflected. If the files could be updated, I say it's a worthwhile product. In this case, though, it is not.

The program is a good idea and has potential but the documentation is very poor. Don't expect to get help from the Microsoft web page. When you call Microsoft for assistance they tell you that because you didn't buy the program as part of the office suite, they don't support it.

I still manage to get great maps but I always feel like I'm only using about 25% of the programs potential but then again, how would I know? The program also has Microsoft's goofy new validation scheme on it. You can find better software at lower prices that are easier to use.

From an interview held between Glenn Letham, Managing Editor, The GeoCommunity ... and Rik Temmink Group Product Manager, and BJ Holtgrewe, Senior Product Manager Microsoft Corporation.

MapPoint, now in it's third official release, has been developed by Microsoft's 90 person development team. Temmink tells us that mapping is not really anything newto the company and that the geography team was developed in 1995 when Microsoft acquired UK based Nextbase. The team is organized around two efforts, The Core maps and mapping technologies (responsible for Expedia Maps Encarta World Atlas) and Geo applications utilizing the core maps and technologies (MapPoint, Streets & Trips in North America, AutoRoute in Europe, Pocket Streets).

Scheduled for a May 31 release, clients upgrading to MapPoint 2002 can expect to get the following out of this release: - Updated and expanded map content and demographic data - Greater map customization - Application programmability via ActiveX control, extended object model and Add-ins - Tighter integration with Office XP Particularly exciting about this release is the provisions for programmability through an extended Object Model, COM support, an ActiveX Control, and tight integration with Office XP (XP offers Context-sensitive smart tags provide speedy access to relevantinformation - more info about XP here).

Some key features of MapPoint 2002: - Over 6.4 million miles of routable roads in North America - Over 4.8 million kilometers of roads and streets in Europe - In excess of 70 measures of demographic data - Creates and licenses highest quality spatial and demographic data from - GDT, NavTech and Claritas - Create territory wizard enables users to create custom areas from existing data or manually. - Custom designed push pins - Charts on maps, including pie charts, shaded circles, and column charts. - Integrate MapPoint functionality into line of business applications and custom solutions - ActiveX control - More comprehensive object model - Improved support for COM Add-Ins - Tighter Office XP integration - Incorporate maps into everyday work - Take data from Excel, Access, Outlook or Word - Include maps in documents, email messages, presentations or newsletters - Office XP Smart Tag technology - MapPoint buttons on Office application toolbars - Users can create custome drive time zones with MapPoint 2002

When asked about the multiple versioning required for North American and European based users, Temmink notes that developers will be provided with an ActiveX control allowing users to quickly switch between US and European versions. MapPoint and custom app's are now easily customizable by taking advantage of existing VB programming skills - no custom programming skills or third party add ons are required. Like many GIS developers and map product users, I'm always curious about the data that comes bundled with software and once again it appears that a real strength in the MapPoint product lies in the data. In the North American version, more than 100,000 miles of road data have been added to the database of 6.4 million miles of streets and users will also find 3 digit zip code data now available. The most recent demographic information has been provided by Claritas and CompuSearch. In total, the product ships with an impressive 65+ gigs of compressed data! The European version is shipping with 4.8 million kilometers of roads and streets in the data base and includes address matching in all of Europe. MapPoint 2002 Europe has significantly improved data for Spain, Italy, France, and Germany.

"...Making maps is real serious for us" Rik Temmink, MapPoint Group Product Manager"

I have used De Lome and have their GPS etc. MS Map Point is far superior in my opinion. Easier to use, more features, ... , hands down better.

James J. Van Vooren

I will have to say that first and foremost the streets are exactly correct here in southeastern Wisconsin whereas StreetAtlas does a horrific job in that department, MapPoint is just as bad with GPS functionality. The vehicle cursor only updates every 15 seconds and on the highway that's more than enough time to miss an exit. StreetAtlas does a superb job with GPS but in a subdivision less than three years old you can turn it off and guess your way better.

Fix the GPS functionality and MapPoint is the best mapping software on the market, hands down.

If it's what you need, it may work well. Unfortunately, it was a waste of money for my company and our needs. We need to be able to define worldwide territories as well as a few within the US, and it wouldn't do both. Importing from an Excel file would not work for both the US and other international regions. Further, it took up nearly a full gigabyte of hard drive.

This product has proven itself to be very accessible at my office. Importing of data is extremely easy, and the ability to portray the data in a variety of ways is nice. I have used it to plot out office buildings by square footage, and by the number of businesses located in a group of buildings.

At home, my wife and I use this program to help us plan routes for road trips, and even trips across town (we're relatively new to the St. Louis area). MapPoint updates construction information to help you avoid potential traffic snarls along your route. We like to use this in conjunction with our Rand McNally Streetfinder map. Sometimes we can find a better route by looking at the Streetfinder map, but MapPoint has yet to get us lost.

One project we did as a family was to plot the addresses of all of the places we frequent on a regular basis. Then, we identified a list of homes that we were interested in purchasing. We were able to see which homes were most conveniently located to schools, doctor's offices, favorite stores, work, favorite hangouts (like Dave and Buster's), etc. Being able to do this type of analysis helped us rank the homes in order of best physical location. Kind of dorky, but it was useful nonetheless!

The program installed easily on my Windows 2000 computer at work, and on my Windows 98 SE computer at home. I first got to use this at work, and I liked it so much, that I couldn't resist buying a copy for home. It is somewhat pricey, but it is so simple to use, and it has lots of uses, that I found it a good value.

As with Microsoft's other trip planning software the data supporting places is both missing in many cases or just bad data. I had hoped that in their high end product that they would have improved the data supporting their product. They should leave the mapping software to Rand McNally and similar professionals.

As a business professional I can't afford to use Microsoft's product and arrive at the wrong site.