Customer Reviews

TOPO! Explorer Deluxe

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

They finally issued release 1.0.5.0, which enables it to run on my Vista PC. However, it is not nearly as functional as the old State Series software--and harder (maybe impossible) to configure as well. Many key functions are not yet available. It would not access my old State Series. Support is abysmal--the only way to get phone support is to finally figure out their support email, then wait 72 hours for a phone call in response. SOME DAY they may get their act together--the concept is good, but they are just over their heads.

Other reviewers are correct. This is a horrible implementation of a good idea. I already had installed the National Parks and a state TOPO set. Thinking an upgrade to the latest version MIGHT pay off, I paid additional for an upgrade.

Unfortunately, the programmers didn't have enough wits to install the upgrade into the same (default) directory as the legacy products I'd bought -- so I couldn't use the program. The interface was simply a confused mess when trying to analyze the problem. A call to "customer service" led to a message saying to send them a detailed email about the problem.

Finally, I figured out that the app had installed itself to the wrong directory, so I reinstalled and changed the default installation directory. That got the program working. Sort of.

Now, when I click on a National Park from the main map, it tells me I need to buy some other product -- even though I've paid for the National Park maps and this was supposed to upgrade me to use them better.

The user interface is simply awful. It is non-intuitive, clunky, and obviously designed with the user's needs as an afterthought. Think: early 1990s Windows3.1 applications on a modern platform, and you'll get the idea.

I also notice that the elevation shows up upside down on many maps. For example, when looking to see how high a point is, the maps show "0098" instead of "8600" when looking up the side of a mountain.

I "updated" the map I was viewing online, and maps from 2002 were installed. Why weren't they included on the installation CDs that were just recently released? Beyond that, the maps I've sampled are simply wrong. I see a jeep trail where I KNOW none exists, and other trails I know about don't show up. Without going any further at this point, I am sure the app has many more bugs to be discovered.

The 3D mode won't draw across dual monitors, unlike Google's offering.

National Geographic reminds me of Disney's software: turning out a lot of junk to milk unsuspecting consumers just cause they're big and they can get by with it. This app will make you pay more money to National Geographic in "updates" to see useful detail(i.e. 7.5 series).

Yep, unless you're on dialup, use Google Earth instead. It's free and it works far better for seeing the true lay of the land.

This isn't the 1 to buy. Topo! uses USGS data. It is a long way from what we have come to expect and use when compared to Google Earth. As you zoom in, the maps get fuzzy. If you export these maps to a gps unit, the maps look the same as on the computer. Zoom in and they get fuzzy.

The engine that Topo! is built on seems to operate in in an odd way. Certainly not smoothly as in Google Earth. The data on the DVD is only basic. You have to connect to the web and the "store" to see more mapping detail. It isn't a free standing program that can be used in the field unless you have already downloaded the detailed maps.

Need topo maps for your Magellan? Try Topo USA. Topo! isn't the 1 for you.

I purchased this program today alongside a set of state disks and have been playing with it for over four hours. I still have no idea what's supposed to happen. I've been downloading "superquads" and have no idea where they go or how to open them. I feel as though I've wasted $50 entirely, especially since it seems the Topo Explorer doesn't jive at all with the TOPO! state disks. I've heard people say that this program is a poor implementation of a great idea, but I can't even decipher the great idea.

Before purchasing, I would recommend talking with someone that knows how to use this program well and what it supposedly does well, and move forward from there. It seems that TOPO! Explorer is an entirely mutually exclusive program from the TOPO! state disks that you might have so don't get caught thinking you need to have both to run either effectively.

TOPO! Explorer links to a website and I'm unsure which is the primary navigation tool, the disks I spent all this money on, or the free website. I haven't yet accomplished any viewing of any maps from the program that I installed from these $50 disks.

I recommend returning to free Google Earth that is easy to use effectively, efficiently, intuitively, and cheaply. If NatGeo gets their ducks in a row and comes up with a good alternative to Google Earth then maybe I'll open TOPO! Explorer again and at least try to access (once again!) the help menu that tells me "Help is not available for TOPO! Explorer." Until then, I hope NatGeo can at least get that part of the program running effectively.

It's been a long time since I've bought any software this bad! I can at least buy the maps I want, download them, and see them on my monitor, but I can't print them (all I get is a "Coming Soon" message). The maps look good, but without being able to print them, they're not much use! However when I perform a screen capture (iMac) I get an image that I can adjust in Photoshop to make something usable. The real salt in the wound is that I can load the same maps directly from the USGS site for free, and do the same thing in Photoshop. The $39.95 I spent is money down a hole. I expected much more from National Geographic!!! What a disappointment.......

I'm writing this a day later, after taking the DVD to work and installing the program on a PC. At least now it works and I've been able to print from the program. BTW, I'm using 8 1/2 x 14" Adventure paper, which is working out well. I haven't tested it's waterproofness yet, but so far, so good. Back to the program, my antivirus program considers it "suspicious" and I've had to override (where I could) the antivirus block to the installation. It's not an easy program to learn except for the basic essentials in selecting and printing maps, but that's good enough for me for now. Based on it's performance on a PC, I would change the rating to three stars. Anything from National Geographic should be FIVE stars!

Bad bad bad:

Limited zoom levels.

It's very difficult to find trails. Once you find trails, it's very difficult to buy 'quads' (the topo maps for your area).

Trails I imported from their website duplicated all the labels, which now I can't delete and are obstructing map features.

Distance labels are at the ends of the maps, so you can't tell which distance at an intersection goes with which trail.

Can't set a proxy server, and the program requires internet for some features (like importing trails).

Terrible tech support, no way to call, days after submitting my bug reports, still haven't heard back (not even an automated reply).

No indication of SCALE on the main map interface window!

When drawing your own route, you draw freehand. If you mess up, you can't correct it. if you need to scroll while drawing, it ends the route with no way to continue the line.

No keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Would like to be able to use arrow keys to move the map, but you have to switch to Pan mode and use the mouse. This makes it difficult when using other modes: you keep having to switch back and forth.

When printing at certain zoom levels, the labels are illegible on the print out.

I got the TOPO! DVDs with a fairly cheap Magellen Triton. (NOTE: No matter what you think it says, the Tritons DO NOT WORK WITH A MAC. No way, no how). "Free" was way to high a price.
Anyway, the user interface on this thing must have been written in COBOL. It's inconsistent at best, and a piece of junk at worst. For example, when I finally figured out to attempt to upload a map to my Triton (note that the nomenclature for TOPO! is *EXPORT* - it's program-centric as opposed to device-centric) I filled in the form for naming and map type - but if you don't hit "enter" after entering the information, it reverts to the defaults when the page came up (like the name of the map set is "TOPO" instead of what I typed. Forgetaboutit..

All of the other reviewers are exactly right, this is a very poor implementation of a very nice idea. I wasted three hours diddling with the software figuring I must be doing something wrong. In the end, I discovered that it just doesn't work particularly well.

Support is by email only and I just don't have the patience for a multi-day correspondence. All in all, this is a product to avoid.

Wanted to put maps in my gps but the 25 credits you get barley put the area where I live in it.The superquads they make you purchase are way too small
could spend a small fortune loading maps.Very unhappy with this product
Don't buy.
Wish I had read the reviews.

I should have done my homework better before ordering this. I cannot see how anyone can use this for any purpose. The software takes several minutes just to start and basic features such as adding a waypoint to a route just do not work.