Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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148 of 154 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Important features removed, October 2, 2004
I upgraded from S&T 2002 and have found features I relied upon, missing! You can no-longer enter specific speeds for specific types of roads. I used this for creating bicycle routes for my bike club. I could enter 16 mph for all roads and the 2002 version would calculate the correct time for the ride. Now there are slider controls with no mph numbers. Totally useless!
I have also noticed that major rivers and lakes are missing! Excuse me, but this is a map. These water features are needed to help you determine where you are!
I am going to search for a 2004 version and hope that that version is not as goofed-up as 2005!
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157 of 168 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Serious Map Data Flaws, October 1, 2004
Be warned: by Microsoft's own admission, there is no way to update the maps provided with this product and Microsoft doesn't much care about them anyway (deferring to an unnamed "third party" when confronted with inaccuracies). That wouldn't be a problem if care had been taken in ensuring that the product ships with accurate maps, but it doesn't. Though this is a recent release, its map data (again by Microsoft's own admission) is almost a year old. Worse than that, it contains fatal inaccuracies that are older: for example, the I-95, I-295, and I-405 in Maine are in the wrong places and don't reflect a "redesignation" of exit numbers that took place there last year.
There's really nothing here that one of the many online map sources can't provide for free -- except interstates in the wrong place! (MapQuest gets Maine right.)
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55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Map Software, Needs to Integrate Third Party Data, September 6, 2004
As an enthusiastic user and reviewer of Streets and Trips 2001-2004, I felt compelled to purchase the 2005 edition as soon as it became available. Unlike the previous versions, there were no dramatic improvements that inspired me to purchase this product. However, I am happy that Microsoft is continually improving Streets and Trips' accuracy and functionality. Yet, the latter has a long way to go if Microsoft wants users to fully realize the power of software based maps. In fact, the fundamental business model needs to change so as to allow dynamic data, including that from third parties.
The biggest enhancement in 2005 is delivered in the form of a GPS pane, which now includes a rotating compass and velocity. It is a nice feature, albeit one that will be a bit difficult to use, especially on a laptop. I have used the GPS function with my Deluo USB GPS receiver in S&T 2004 with some success. As a driver, it is quite dangerous to use as there is no easy way to view the screen. As a passenger, it is still a bit cumbersome. I don't see any laptop-based map software providing a legitimate replacement for the OEM navigation systems nor the high-end aftermarket offerings from companies like Pioneer.
There are some incremental improvements in the display capabilities. For example, pushpin labels can be reoriented into one of four positions (upper right, lower right, etc). However, this is still not a robust as it should be. The labels need to be fully adjustable, including the length of pointer to the location on the map. The Route options have been modified in a way that is a step back. Instead of allowing designation of specific speeds for the different type of roads, such as 90 mph for Interstate highways, there are now slider bars going from slowest to fastest for each of the five road categories. Clearly, these won't work for the extreme lead foot or for emulating rush hour traffic.
While it is hard to determine the accuracy of the map and POI data without extensive testing, I did identify some corrections. In one instance, a very new development within the city of Chicago had roads that did not appear in S&T 2004 but now show up correctly in the 2005 version. My research indicates that the roads in question were built between 2001 and 2002.
One of my favorite restaurants in the Old Town area of Chicago, Bistro Margot, was listed as "Margot Bistro" and was not in the correct restaurant category (French) in 2004. In now appears spelled correctly and is categorized as a French restaurant. Without dynamic connectivity to both Microsoft and third-party data sources, POI data will always be a catch up game. Wouldn't it be nice to have a Citysearch or Metromix plug-in for Streets and Trips 2005 with new POI's appearing weekly?
My primary complaint with the application is its lack of robust functionality for getting data in and out of S&T. Microsoft should provide online updates for the map and POI data. Moreover, there should be better information on public transportation systems, such as overlays of Chicago's CTA and New York's MTA.
Interestingly, Microsoft does offer the ability to update construction information. Why not take it a step further? There probably isn't an easily supported business model for data import and updates. This unfortunate reality will restrict further development of the tool and its larger community. Yet, with the growth of mobile device enabled with location based technologies, Microsoft could benefit from fostering a developer community. In fact, location-based services (LBS) is one of the hottest areas in the wireless industry.
As I have mentioned in my previous reviews of Streets and Trips 2004, 2003, and 2002, there is no comparison between Streets and Trips and online map offerings. Not only is it faster while providing far better map quality, the functionality in areas like trip planning and annotation is vastly superior. Moreover, there are no advertisements, which appear when one prints the online maps!
In summary, Streets and Trips 2005 is a great tool for travel and local navigation. It is one of the most useful products you never thought you could use so frequently.
Pro's
1) Excellent map quality
2) Extremely fast zooming and panning
3) Powerful route planning
4) Real-Time GPS
What it is lacking (still!)
1) Integration with real-time traffic
2) Map and POI data updates via the Internet
3) Paths/routing for pedestrian and bicycle travel
4) Coordination with public transportation systems
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
6) Ability to save and categorize bookmarks
7) Map data for other countries available for an additional fee
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