Customer Reviews

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2004 North America (CD-ROM) [Old Version]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Streets and Trips 2004 is the third version of Microsoft's popular map software that I have owned and reviewed. This latest edition offers both major and incremental improvements over its predecessor. It is vastly superior to online map offerings and other map software that I have owned. For more information on how S&T compares to competing products, please look at my previous reviews for 2002 and 2003.

Specific Improvements for 2004 include:

1) Real-time GPS
2) Drive-time zones (show me where I can go in X minutes)
3) Arrows showing one-way streets on maps
4) Markers representing exists on major highways

Apart from these improvements, there appears to be an increase in accuracy. However, Microsoft doesn't seem to have a good method of removing long-defunct restaurants from its points of interest database.

What it is lacking:

1) Integration with real-time traffic
2) Map and location data updates via the Internet
3) Paths for pedestrian and bicycle travel
4) Coordination with other online map services, such as municipal door-to-door public transportation travel planners
5) Better integration and standardization of imported data so data sets like health clubs and WiFi hotspots could be included in the points-of-interest database at the user's choosing.

In general, the absence of connectivity is my biggest complaint. However, I would guess there is no business model for this as it would have to be supported by user subscriptions or advertisements, neither of which would be accepted in the marketplace.

As a final note, I recently tested the real-time GPS as a passenger with my Deluo USB GPS receiver. It is operates smoothly and with [apparent] great accuracy. Unlike OEM navigation systems, it doesn't include real-time direction, speed and travel status. Perhaps this is intended as watching the screen as a driver would be extremely dangerous. Nonetheless, it was helpful for finding obscure locations in rural areas.

Streets and Trips is the best mapping software I've used - and I make a lot of maps. It's easy to use, generally gives good driving directions, and makes great printed maps. I much prefer it to using online maps such as Mapquest or Yahoo.

That being said, there isn't much new in the 2004 version. I upgraded from 2001, and there are really no new useful features to speak of (a few small things, but come on, it's been *three* releases since 2001!). The only major improvement I've seen is that the maps have been updated with some road changes around here and I would assume some of the business listings have been updated as well.

Bottom line: if you don't have Streets & Trips, this is a good version to buy. If you have S&T 2001 or later, don't bother upgrading.

Do you ever feel that buying upgrades are a waste of money. Well, this one is a waste of your money. I bought into the hype that you can locate ATM's anywhere in the country and the maps were updated.

If your looking for an ATM in Maine, Alabama, Vermont, Wisconsin, and other states, don't bother. Streets and Trips show there are no ATM's in most of the United States. Canada has a few.

The Maps are not updated as well. A seven year old neighborhood still isn't showing up in Streets and Trips. Other programs and the internet map sites have had our neighborhood for a few years.

If you have an old copy of Street and Trips or MapPoint, continue to use and save your money. I guess this is how a company can continue making a billion dollars a month without creating anything new. Lets hope in a few years Streets and Trips will be brought up to date and include what the marketing guys tell us.

I've been using the streets & trips package for a while, and was excited to see that 2004 had finally come out. I decided to go ahead and try it out and see what was wonderfully new and improved. So I went though the install process, and launched it for the first time with anticipation...

My thoughts chronologically: "Hmm, new spash screen.. Yay, I'm in. Ok.. whats new? Um.. (click click click) where's the new stuff? I wonder if there is a versions.txt...nope. Maybe they fixed that one route bug.... (crash) nope. ARGH! Wait, is this 2004? Maybe something happened, and it left 2003 on my system... Lets see.. (Help->about) No "2004" there... Well, it did have that new spash screen. WHAT DID THEY CHANGE?!"

I was so depressed to see so little changes. They didnt incorporate any kind of new support for waypoint files like GPX like I was hoping they would, they didn't fix the bugs i was hoping for... In fact, I'm still not positive they made ANY changes except for the spash screen.

Bottom line is this: If you have 2003, keep it. Don't waste your money. If you don't have anything this is a great piece of mapping software that you should definately check out.

I got this as a substitute for Rand McNally's SteetFinder (with NavMan receiver) which sucks at trip planning (read my review). My primary use is in conjunction with a GPS receiver.

PROS:
- In the short time I've had it, S&T's strengths are planning, routing, and on-th-fly rerouting.
- It has MapQuest-like features for finding addresses location and plotting directions. You can save it for reloading later.
- While using the GPS tracking, it can plot a route from your present location to any designated location but not in real-time (see below).
- The planning is nice with estimated travel times, estimated refueling stops.

CONS:
- In general, all the GPS-related features are very weak.
- It can only tell you your present location.
- Doesn't provide speed or direction.
- No "snake" to indicate the path you've travelled.
- If you created a trip plan with a routing you'd like to follow, tough! It doesn't track your progress. As a result, it doesn't provide distance or time remaining or est time of arrival to destination or next turn.
- Your car icon does not stay centered on the map until you reach the edge of the screen; annoying if your next turn is just off the screen. Docs say it should but it doesn't work.
- Map has a fixed orientation, North is always up. It would nice if the map rotated based on on your direction of travel with the map always pointing ahead.
- Minor point: color of car icon is too similar to map colors and makes it hard to see.
- Minor: Not enough contrast in some map colors, roads are white and urban areas are light gray, thus hard to tell apart. I guess So. CA. needs more parks and lakes.
- GPS position wanders in hilly areas.

A nice product (much better than Delorme or Rand McNally). If you don't have this, I would opt for a previous (cheaper) version. Some new subdivisions are updated, but lots of things which happened in 2003 (oops, i mean 2004) are NOT updated.

The outerloop I-485 in Charlotte. It's the same as in S&T 2002. Not updated.

I-90 East Ted Williams extension to Logan Airport from Bigdig project. Not shown.

Huge bug with I-65 circling around downtown Nashville. They simply changed I-265 to I-65, but left the old route also signed as I-65. How could they overlook this? I saw this right away. Not one (Microsoft) tester saw this?

US31 hasn't gone through the heart of Indianapolis in years. It's been merged onto I-465 a long time ago. It's still inaccurate on this map. They don't even have the I-865 dogleg on the map for Indianapolis yet and that's been over 2 years.

Even simple stuff like the devil's US-666 in NW New Mexico changing to US-491 is not there.

Bugs with railroads in Canada disappearing are still not fixed.

This is called 2004!! But, I see nothing for 2004 here. If you're going to charge me for updates, then I WANT TO SEE UPDATED MAPS. 2004 doesn't even appear in the Help menu, Install menu, or the splash screen. It's extremely rushed, but I see no reason it should be rushed since it came out in July 2003.

Some changes are there (Phoenix), but many are simply left out. UNSATISFACTORY to road geek fans who look forward to accurate updated information each year.

You'd be better off going to the used software shop and getting yourself an older edition to save money. It's practically the same thing.

Used Delorme's products for over 10 years but made the switch this year to Microsofat's Streets & Trips. Overall, pretty happy with the product. COMPARED to Street Atlas version 9:

WHAT I LIKE. It works with my Magellan 315 GPS!!! "Snap Routing" really does work and makes re-position to your desired route EASY. Found it very easy to locate businesses, restaurants, service stations, REST AREAS, etc. Many many GREAT feaatures too numerous to detail out here.

The INTERFACE is FAMILIAR, standard keyboard strokes to all of us Microsoft users. Includes detailed maps of Canadian roads.

BEWARE HOWEVER: Unlike DeLorme products, distances to next turn, stop, or the "finish" point are NOT furnished enroute! I miss that greatly as it was helpful to know how far you are from the next turn or stop! Also, NO voice (audio) which also helped alert you that a turn was coming up!

Also: found that the latitude and longitdue readings do NOT correspond to my GPS (nor to Delorme's products). Seems there are different mapping "datums" (bases) and the one MS chose does not match my GPS so it is useless.

Finally, the "auto ioon" is a little hard to see on the road. It would help if it had a "snake" or trail to see your current position on the map (like Delorme's).
All said and done, howeveer, I would make the purchase if you need to update your "points of interest" and USA roads.
From reading others reviews of Delorme products over the past two years, THIS is a much better product and for half the cost. My only HOPE is that Microsoft will enhance their product to give us GPS users a. Distance to next turn or stop point and b. give us audio response.

Looking forward to upgrades and enhancements from Microsoft and won't go back to Delorme which appears to have Major weaknesses.

I was disappointed to find that the 2004 version of S&T has a significant functional regression from the 2001 version.

In S&T 2001 you could paste a USPS conforming address into the Find box, and S&T would convert it to its internal format. For example, an address such as 13350 US Highway 19 N, Clearwater, Florida would be converted to 13350 US-19 N, Clearwater, FL.

S&T 2004 no longer does this conversion and therefore you can no longer just copy and paste (or import) a 'standard' address. It is really hard to believe no one noticed this during pre-release testing. The end result is that when you copy / paste or simply type a perfectly legitimate address into the Find box, the software won't find it!

Among the online sites Rand McNally, MapQuest, Yahoo! Map, InfoSpace and Multimap all handle the conforming addresses just fine, but MapBlast and Maps On Us choke on it just as S&T 2004 does. Maybe the software that doesn't work is using the same mapping data base? Anyway, this is a fatal functionally regression and makes the software unusable for my purposes.

I'd return this new version but it was given to me as a Christmas gift, so I guess I'll just add the two CDs to my existing stack of AOL coasters.

Good for maps, really poor support for GPS. It only shows your current location as a car icon on the map.

No direct support for major GPS brands (i.e. no waypoint management or downloading, track upload or download, etc.)
No route downloading to or uploading from GPS!
No speed, heading, direction indicator on the car icon, etc.
No map rotation (North is always up)
No Track recording
No Screen and/or Voice turn commands! (it won't tell you that you turn is coming up)

It amazes me that some of this functionality with is available in freeware apps isn't included in S&T 2004. Gonna try Street Atlas.

Good ease of use and functionality for regular map users.

I'm not sure why Microsoft decided to distribute this version. It may be easy to use, but among other things, many addresses are not recognized, what you see on your computer screen is not what comes out on your printer, the location icons are misplaced on the printed version, street names are often not included on the screen - and often when the street names ARE on the screen, they are NOT on the printed version. There are a lot of problems with this program. I used to use Rand/McNally's Street Finder, but they don't currently have a PC version or one compatable with XP. My advise - Keep looking.