Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre, but what choice is there
Review: After reading all the negative reviews, I almost returned my copy without opening it, but I'm glad I didn't. If there was some better software out there it would be a different situation. In it's limited form it's still quite useful. It took me a while to figure out the backwards interface, and there's not even any real documentation. It did crash on me when trying to print a turn-by-turn route, but I went to their website and installed the latest software update, and that fixed it. Its redraw speed is fine on my G4 powerbook, and it doesn't crash when zooming in like others have said. The redraw problems others have complained about only happen when your display is set to thousands instead of millions of colors. I haven't been successful in using my Garmin Vista GPS with this software. I set it to NMEA mode, like it said, and it can see the Vista, but it just says waiting for information, even though the GPS has a satellite lock. Another problem is that the points-of-interest are very hit and miss. In the Seattle area, it's missing a lot of big retailers who have been at the same location for a lot longer than the map data is old. It doesn't see Costco, IKEA, Safeway, or Albertsons, except but a few locations. For the price, I think it's near or better the quality of similarly-priced shareware apps, but it's not quite commercial-grade quality yet. Hopefully they'll improve this with free updates, downloadable from their website. Your only other street-mapping option on Mac OS X is to run a Windows version inside Virtual PC, which I'm not about to do.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad!
Review: As a longtime DeLorme user under Windows - and after reading the myriad pans of this product - I was not hopeful. But I have been very pleasantly surprised by the product. And I'm just so pleased to have a mapping product for the Mac. I consider it just shy of comparable to StreetAtlas's Windows functionality.
The street database seems quite comprehensive, with some occasional errors, ommissions, and stale data, but that describes most products I have seen in this space. I think think the address search capability exceeds what I am used to with DeLorme - RouteUSA will search the entire US and Canada for a street name and return all matches.
The biggest flaw I have seen is in how point-to-point directions are described, with extraneous streets spuriously absorbed into the route. However, even with DeLorme I got used to relying on my own routing once I had located points on the map.
the handling of place name labels when zooming in and out is handled exceptionally well, and I find the zoom in/out navigation reasonably intuitive. I was able to figure out the product easily without consulting the manual.
This product fills a previously gaping hole in Mac OS Software offerings, so I'm happy. Here's hoping this is the first of many improved editions to come.
Rating:
Summary: Solid 1st Try, But Improvements Would Be Welcome
Review: As much as I want to highly recommend this software, I can't. After running the install (which took way to long for 3 CDs) and applying the latest update (3.6.0.3) I ran the software on my 1.33 Ghz 17" Powerbook with 1 Gb RAM; and it was slow. For some reason this application is slow in redrawing a window that is being resized; I'm talking a 1-2 second lag sometimes in the refresh when you resize or scroll a window. Overall performance is somewhat sluggish as well. The GPS I have (TN200) was recognized and works fine. Unfortunately overall usability could be better. If you think about it, street-mapping software with a GPS is intended to be run on a laptop (duh) so you can track where you are and have the software assist in navigation. I have the fasted Powerbook currently shipping, loaded with RAM, and the software performance is tolerable (I suppose I could use a Dual G5 and get better performance but I haven't figured out how to attach a 2,500 mile extension cord to my car...maybe a small Honda generator). I can get maps and routes faster and in a more usable format from MapQuest when I'm at home. Unless the performance of the software is improved this will only be usable on the fastest Macs. In addition, the routes that are generated are not very usable. For example, I generated a map and route from where I live in Shingle Springs (CA) to Walnut Creek (CA) where I catch BART (local subway system) to go to the San Francisco MacWorld Expo, a trip I make every January. The software generated a very interesting route. I generally drive down US 50 to US 80 to US 680. The software sent me on the exact same path but it reported a very different looking street route. It seems that every time there's an overlap on a freeway of two highways (i.e. a local highway and a state/fed highway that share the same pavement) the software shows that as a route change. Using the above example here is what I got: US 50 to El Dorado Freeway to US 50 to Capital City Freeway to I80 Business Loop to US 50 to W Sacramento Freeway to Highway 113 to Highway 12 to US 680 to Luther E Gibson Freeway. That is technically correct but confusing as h*ll. Each of these "segments" are reported with their own distances and it looks like you're merging and changing freeways all the time. If I had never driven this route before I'd be in trouble looking for all these route changes when in fact there are only 2 (50 to 80 to 680). The rest are all those nice little signs you seen on the side of the road (not navigation signs but memorial signs) that say things like "Luther E Gibson" freeway, which is really 680.
If there is a way via preferences to change this behavior I haven't found it (see P.S.). So, the software seems to slow to run effectively on many current Mac laptops and it gives very strange driving routes (the maps look fine), which doesn't make for very a useful product. Technically it does work, but come on! And I haven't even talked about how it works or features it should have (like the ability to speak these routes as you travel with your GPS attached). I am very glad that someone is producing map/street route software for the Mac and the Route 66 people should be congratulated for entering the Mac market space. But there is plenty of room for improvement with this software. I look forward to the next version! I gave them an extra star for entering the Mac market... P.S. I did find that you can turn on "Concise route descriptions" which helps a great deal in removing the confusing route information. It still shows the local highways as the main route but the State and US markings are displayed as well. Also, the longer I've used the software, the faster the screen refresh seems to be. It may have to do with it loading maps from disk and once they are cached things speed up. Once I get used to how this application works it might be more usable than I first thought. I'll try and post an update after I've used it for a couple of weeks.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Worthless
Review: Do not waste your hard-earned money on this product. I'd heard it was buggy and slow but in my case I couldn't even get it to load on my TiBook 667 running OSX 10.3.6. multiple emails to the company have been ignored and phone calls are impossible since they are in the Netherlands and list only a fax number. Looks like I'll have to keep using Street Atlas in classic mode.
Rating: 
Summary: Route 66 USA 2004 for MAC still has bugs, weak support.
Review: I anxiously awaited my copy of Route 66 for MAC. As a recent convert from Windows XP, I have been spoiled by Microsoft Streets and Trips maping software. I was at first very pleased with this program as it has very complete and accurate streets and directions for my area, (a suburb of Los Angeles). It is not completely intuitive and the user instructions are somewhat difficult to follow. It does not come with any manual or written directions and the website has scant information. The FAQ section is worthless. However with a little patience one can use it without too many problems by trial and error if you have ever used Microsoft Streets and Trips, it is very similar. However, now for the down sides. It will not print directions or strip maps. I have a new copy of Panther, (not an upgrade) on a new G5 with top end everything. I have tried it on laserjet and ink jet printers with the same results. Every time I hit the print command, the program either freezes and must be forced to quit or it will quit unexpectedly and all your directions are lost so you must then again open the program and find all the streets and so on over and over. It will Print the map using the current view command but you must manually write all the directions. I have tried to contact the company for support but they do not list a phone number and the only way to contact them is by email. I have written them several times over the last two weeks and all I get is an automatic response saying the email was received by Route 66 and channeled to the proper section. The have not responded and they have not apparantly fixed the bugs. There are a few other more minor problems, for expample, when you put in all the destinations you want to map out it will sometimes pick a less desireable or illogical route than you might if you analyse the streets for density and traffic controls. However it will get you there and you an alter the route without too much difficulty. Overall I am mixed on the program. For the moment, there is nothing to compare to Microsoft Streets and Trips other than this for MAC and it has potential, but I need to print out routes quickly and easily without all the problems I am now experiencing. I would say wait to see if they work out the bugs and then you will have a great alternative to the PC programs available.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed
Review: I bought this hoping to have a map program that I could use on the Mac. I am running Panther and initially could not install it. The support web site was no help. I finally figured out from researching the Apple web site that I had to change my permissions on the Applications folders in my home directory. This information should have been on the support web site-Panther has been out for several months. Next I searched for my home address. It placed my house on a non-existent section of the street and showed other non-existent streets in the neighborhood. This neighborhood is up to date in the Thomas Guides and on Mapquest!! Finally, I created a route to a place in San Francisco-a very straightforward route. No matter how I tried it, it routed me through cities or up highways I never would take. There was not an option to modify the route without adding roadblocks or intermediate points. If I need to do this, I might as well use a paper map and skip using this program. If I cannot have accurate information and routes in areas I am familiar with, I am reluctant to use it for unfamiliar areas and routes.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: I bought this software because, well, it was the only one available for OS X. This is beta stage software at best - it doesn't tend to crash, but the UI is really poor. It is as if 12 different people wrote different pieces of the program and then tried to cobble them together. Nothing is very intuitive, and things that should be simple are cumbersome. The routes are sometimes often adequate, but not infrequently poor choices or just wrong. For instance, I tried to plot a route from Durham to Salisbury, MD. I had a nearly impossible time 'forcing' it to choose the most logical/shortest/fastest route. It continually tried to send me 100 mi. out of my way. Even when I roadblocked all of the roads it wanted to send me on, it sent me 250 mi out of my way rather than the most direct route.
I hope this software improves. If the company is motivated, it could be the basis for a really good program. However, any company that would put something this haphazard on the market with almost a complete lack of documentation AND no competition is unlikely to put much effort into this. After all, why should they? In summary, if you need a map program for your mac that has a lot of points of interest, a good database of roads (although poor search engine), GPS input capabilities, doesn't require a CD in the drive, and 35 bucks doesn't seem like too much for slow, unintuitive, occasionally counterintuitive information and interface, go for it.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible Refresh Time
Review: I hate to say it but this product is horrible. The redraw time is just unbearable. For anyone that has used M$ Streets and Trips which is what i am used to using as far as mapping software goes this simply will not due. It takes anywhere from 2-5 seconds to redraw the map depending on how much data you are displaying on the map. So imagine trying to navigate a area on the map with your arrow keys and it taking between 2-5 seconds to redraw the map everytime you click the arrow key. This unfortunatly is the way it is. I really hate to say this but using Streets and Trips via Virtual PC is better than using this product. This seems strange to me I would think that during the development of the product they would have used Streets and Trips as a benchmark for creating it. I have e-mailed them several times inquiring about these issues but have never heard from them back. On the Plus side they seem to have put alot of effort into including tons and I mean tons of landmarks, restaurants and etc into the maps so whatever you are looking for be it a Applebees or whatever you should be able to find it. Sadly this product just plain sucks it only gets a extra star from me because they are at least making software for Macintosh.
Rating:
Summary: Printing problems!
Review: I must concur with the previous review. The mapping software is really quite good and shows much promise; but there is a major bug in the software. It will *not* print directions - only an overview map of your trip! Very odd. I thought this might be a problem unique to my G4 Powerbook, but I encountered the exact same problem on a desktop and another more up to date Powerbook. Again, to echo the other reviewer: Route 66 software is on the right track, but this piece of software is *certainly* not past a beta testing stage and shouldn't be offered as a fully functioning, full-priced product. If and when they iron out the kinks, they'll be cooking with gas.
Rating:
Summary: Talk about buyers remorse
Review: I purchased Route 66 Street Network 2004 US/Canada for finding directions for myself and my drivers on delivery. I have found that it is nearly useless for finding addresses. It seems that updating their "2004" maps for Boise, Idaho has not been a priority. As a matter of fact, I find that naming it "2004" is very misleading. There are areas of this city that have been developed for over five years that do not appear on this program. In addition, many streets are incorrectly named, do not exist in the manner that this program shows them to, or both. On a daily basis I have to use MapQuest to find the actual routes when my drivers call to inform me that this program is again incorrect. I wrote to Route66 customer support and was told that it's not their fault the product sucks and blamed it on the company they purchased the maps from.
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