Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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 The little car cursor in the 2005 version has been replaced by a much more visible circle with a large arrow in it indicating direction.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.

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.

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 -- (....)

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.

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!

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 location and any point on your route, or between any two points. I found it hard to believe 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 independent troubleshooting on another web site to resolve. There is no mention of the installation issue anywhere on Microsoft's web site.

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.

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.

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!

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.