Microsoft Streets & Trips with GPS Locator (2010)
by Microsoft Software
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Our Price: $69.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Software See more product details and other editions |
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Software Reviews of Microsoft Streets & Trips with GPS Locator (2010)
Customer Review: Worse than no map at all!
Summary: 1 Stars
This software is absolutely worthless. (The GPS antenna is functional, but useless without software.) The user interface is difficult and non-intuitive. It appears to be impossible to view your current location and movement without entering a start to finish travel plan. And--worst of all--it gives the wrong directions! At a simple turn from one main road to another, going to WalMart (which you can see from the road) the directions say turn right, when the place is obviously on the left. Other turn directions seemed to be opposite from any logical moves. It's amazing Microsoft would put their name on this product.Customer Review: Nothing I can't live without
Summary: 3 Stars
The on-line "live" aspect of this program provided through "Bing" is much better than the program that comes on the disk. The "Bing" maps will show names of malls, manufacturing plants, and other data that most on-line maps ignore. How many times have I tried to find a mall, or a restaurant on my navigator, only to come up empty handed? Well, there is it on Bing!
The PC program itself is not what I hoped. It was not very intuitive; I could easily turn "on" the boxes to show points of interest and such, but how do I turn them off? How can I make the boxes bigger? They were very tiny. It's not obvious. I like being able to create and save my own "push pins," and even customize what they look like somewhat, but when I wanted to delete one created in error, there was no clear way to do that. Also, attempts to make the map opening larger all failed. There was a lot of blank space at the bottom of the window I couldn't get rid of.
I haven't tried the GPS tracking. That might be useful, but as of yet, I'm not sure how. I would have to take my computer with me to see how the GPS feature works. Obviously, the GPS feature is NOT for a home PC, but for a laptop or similarly portable computer.
I was also disappointed that the CD version of this doesn't provide hybrid maps overlaying satellite pictures, the way many online maps can now. Overall, so far, I'd say this was just an average map program.
Customer Review: Great product and value
Summary: 5 Stars
I use this software both in my real estate appraisal office and on the road, loaded onto my laptop with the gps receiver included, in order to travel to the homes and properties I am appraising. Put simply, you create your route plan, by entering the list of addresses you will be visiting, while in the office. Then using the route planner and the gps, you are led from location to location, easily and without having to pull over and consult paper maps. I like the use of the laptop, as the screen is larger than those little dash-mount gps units that cost as much as a laptop, but don't do the service.Customer Review: Great programs and bonus gps
Summary: 5 Stars
Been a user of streets since it first came out a long time ago. I love the program so looked forward to this update. I never had the GPS unit previously, so I enjoyed the GPS it really caught a signal quickly and accurately tracked. It's a pity that streets and trips has lost much of its lustre over the years with standalone GPSs now so affordable and online mapping sources having taken over. But still, I love streets because I can quickly map and get detailed stuff printed without ads in the way or getting confused. Scrolling is super duper fast since it's all native to your PC, no remote caching is done. Customer Review: A European Perspective : recommended - with some reservations
Summary: 4 Stars
A review from a Europeans' travel in the US.
The item was bought to assist with navigation for our trip from New York City to South Portland, Maine. In short, the software made the journey effortless from A to B. And overall I recommend this purchase and have, with some caveats, no regrets.
Additional observations:
1. Installation on the EeePC (with external CD) drive is easy and without any problems. Note: if you have a web book, you cannot download the software.
2. The software caused me no surprises and the menu is, by and large, intuitive.
3. Toggle between map view or 3-D navigation view with several, easy to access, additional options.
4. Accustomed to a small TomTom screen, it is very pleasant to have the luxury of the web book, full screen. In the map mode it is possible then to view the surrounding areas, together with the option to display 'nearby places': from restaurants to gas stations, ATM etc. airports etc etc. And navigation to any place is made easy - click on your choice and add it to the route planner - you're set.
5. On the road: it has been said, and I repeat the observation, keeping the laptop in place when driving is a headache. On your own you will yearn for some kind of docking frame. If you are driving with a navigator: no problem - the lap becomes the docking station.
6. Plugged directly into the USB port I could not get a signal from the GPS 'dongle'. With extension cable, and the dongle on the dashboard, signal strength was excellent, for most of the journey (4-5 bars).
7. The display also shows how many satellites are delivering a signal, up to a possible 9. I always saw 8 or more. And navigating around the NYC, there is good signal lock and strength - but our travel in the city was limited.
8. There are other display features e.g. compass direction, altitude, lat / longitude - no use to me, but perhaps others will find practical applications. And a great source of amusement for the techno- nerd to exploit this detail and torture his fellow passengers.
9. The cable length was barely adequate with the laptop on the 'lap' or on the passenger side floor. And the slippery plastic dongle, slides off the dash with every turn of the wheel or push on the gas. I found a a place to 'wedge' the device in the corner of the dash - it was a compromise solution. A small piece of velcro could solve the problem
10. The connection between the cable and dongle is loose and if there is unexplained signal loss check the connection before you delve into the software configuration. I sent 15 minutes doing just that before the solution came to me. :-(
7. The display automatically zooms in and out depending on your 'needs' as determined by the software. So that if there is no directional change for e.g. 60 miles, the map zooms out, and vice versa. Neat. BUT, if you want to pass the time panning the map, you will need to 'stop GPS navigation' or the software locks back on the preferred view. This is done with a click of a button and no major problem, but you kind of get to figure this out yourself ( unless, I guess, if you can find the energy to view the Help menu)
8. Voice directions. Volume is a problem and even set on high it is insufficient, This can be overcome, to an extent, with a headset. With a navigator, the spoken instructions are less important.
9. Cables - I had a cable to power the PC via the cigarette lighter and the 'mi 75 watt mobile power invertor' ($20 well spent - but you need good clearance as the unit is bulky - fortunately, the rental car had a second power point. The GPS extension is the second cable and if you need a regular headset to hear spoken instructions, you might have a third cable. Too many cables !