Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed with GPS Compatability
Review: If you look on the cover of the box of the TOPO California you will see a picture of a Garmin etrex GPS handheld reciever. One would think with a picture of the exact same GPS handheld that one owns that it would work. It does not. The latest Garmin etrex uses an USB port to upload / download data to the PC which is not compatable with the TOPO software that uses the com1, com2 etc. ports. I wrote an email to TOPO asking how to correct this problem and they indicated that I could buy the expansion pack for the State series for about $20 and then it would work with my GPS reciever. So I went to their website to buy the expansion pack and it was priced at 24.95, and it is not availabe at this time. So it looks like I will be using Garmin's Mapsource product for all of my uploads to the PC. The problem with Mapsource is the level of detail. Its scale is 1:100000 vs. TOPO's 1:24000... But at least it works.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple, but effective backcountry tool
Review: Love the backcountry? For those of us who love the backcountry in Utah, this is an outstanding tool for the modern wilderness traveller. Combine this with a GPS and a large-format printer, and you've got the sweet system for customizing, then printing out maps you can use in the field. This has saved me SO MUCH MOOLA over buying (and wrecking) 2 or 3 quads for each weekend's adventures.It's pretty simple. You can trace routes and add text annotations, measure the length of routes and construct an altitude profile; define a printer area and print it out. It works much better to drop the print output (Tiff) into Photoshop and adjust it for your printer. Printing on 8-1/2 x 11 paper doesn't get you much, but printing on 11 x 17 or 13 x 19 makes really nice maps. The Topo "Scan" is not as fine as it would be "really nice" to have, but is about the information you can see (unaided) on a standard Topo map. Working with the Etrex GPS unit is easy. Mark waypoints on the computer, upload them to the handheld unit. Overall, it works really well and is easy to learn and use. It requires a bit of an investment up front, but for the serious off-trail traveller, it is money well spent....
Rating: 
Summary: Great product if your expectations are realistic
Review: National Geographic topo maps are great if your understand their strengths and limitations. First, don't expect to import the actual maps into a GPS receiver. These maps are raster-scanned directly from USGS 7.5' topos; GPS receivers use vector-graphic maps that are only available from your receiver's manufacturer (and they are much less detailed than NG maps). But you should never expect your GPS receiver's display to completely replace a paper map anyway. It's too small to show much detail, and if your receiver fails, you'd be out of luck.
Since these are based on USGS maps, they have the same high quality including tons of detail, but since many USGS maps are more than 10 years old, you won't necessarily get up-to-date information. Since topographic features don't ordinarily change as frequently as man-made features, you're usually OK, but keep this in mind.
These maps allow you do a lot of other things with your GPS. You can create waypoints on the computer, either by placing a marker on the map or by entering in the latitudes and longitudes of your points, then transfer them to the GPS. This is much easier than manually entering the info through your GPS user interface. You can also download tracks from your GPS receiver onto the map to see where you've been. And you can draw intended journeys directly on the map screen, then measure the distance and elevation profile of the route. The elevation profile is a bit noisy, but you get a pretty good idea of how much elevation change you'll experience on a hike. The tool you use to draw the route on the screen could benefit from an improved user interface, but with a little practice you can get pretty good at it. If you make a mistake, hold down the right mouse button to erase the error. One thing I like is that you can print out a custom paper map, and if you print using your inkjet on NG's waterproof paper, you can get a custom color map that really is waterproof.
The major limitation at this point is that the software is not fully compatible with some of the newest GPS receivers. I can't use the USB cable with my Garmin GPSMap 60CS, but it works pretty well with the Serial cable, other than garbling waypoint names. Hopefully this will be fixed soon.
Rating: 
Summary: National Geographic TOPO Colorado, Thumbs Down
Review: The Colorado Map series does not display the same detail as a real 1/24000 official USGS map. I wonder which Colorado maps that National Geographic scanned? Hopefully I might be able to use the GPS and way points with my Garmin GPS 72, however the software setup does not list the Garmin GPS 72. I must have received last years version.
Rating:
Summary: Georgia version is terrible
Review: The Georgia version of this set is Terrible. I already own National Park version which is great. I was planning on staying on Cumberland Island and doing some hiking and that National Park isn't on the National Park cd set, so I bought the Georgia set. Well, Cumberland Island is on the set but it only shows some of the trails. Parts of the Map are crooked. Some of it doesn't line up with other parts. It looks like it was scanned it from a bunch of seperate pieces of paper by a 8 yr old.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Thing
Review: This is a 'must have' software if you hike, bike and recreate outdoors. The software interface takes a bit of getting use to, but once mastered it provides simple navigation and a lot of information. I do a lot of mountain biking in Northern California and this software lets you 'preview' a trail by mapping it (you draw a line on the trail) and the software then calculates distance travelled and the cumulative vertical ascent. This is very helpful in determining how long a ride will take, and how much physical exertion will be required. It also helps you to track your condition level - as you get in better shape you will be able to do more vertical in less time ...
Once you have created a route you can send it (via e-mail) to friends, or post it on the Topo website to share with others. Other neat features are a 3 dimensional viewing package (sold separately fo $20) and the ablity to send waypoints to handheld GPS units.
There really aren't any 'cons' to the software. Some things you should be aware of though are that Garmin (maker of many handheld GPS units) promotes its own topographical software. This is a pain because Garmin only allows you to send waypoints form the 'Topo' software and you can't upload the detailed maps into the handheld GPS unit. I own an Extrex Vista and the inability to load maps without buying the Garmin software is an irratant. The only other comment is that some of the maps in the software are dated so they don't always show the latest information in terms of roads and buildings. This you just get used to. Similar to other posts - When hiking or biking in remote areas don't rely on a handheld GPS exclusively, bring a printed map, and have some familiarity with a compass and know generally the area into which you are going - also let other people know where you are going (send an e-mail of your route ...). This is common sense that will save a lot of headache.
Overall this software is 'a good thing' and I highly recommend it to people who enjoy spending time outside, and it is particularly good for the mountain biking community.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Printing Maps & Loading Data into GPS
Review: This software is fairly easy to use and contains all the detail of the USGS 1:24000 scale. The scale of these maps allows you to plan and map your route very precisely for use with a GPS. Unlike the paper maps, these maps are continuous, which makes it easy to print what you need when the trail is on the border. There are a total of 6 CD's. You can easily upload and download data to/from your GPS. I have a Garmin GPSMAP 76S. Although the 76S was not in the drop-down list of GPS receivers, I was able to locate the configuration files and create a new line for my unit; the file name is MODELS_G.TPP for Garmin units and can be edited with Notepad. After you run the software, go to "GPS" on the menu bar and then go to the "Change GPS Settings" menu item; here you'll get a feel for the type of data stored in the file and then you can enter your current unit's data into the file using the same format. The amazon.com website review says that you can download the actual maps into your GPS. That is NOT true. You can only upload/download GPS data with this software (i.e., waypoints, routes, and tracks). In order to download the actual USGS maps into your Garmin, you'll need to purchase Garmin's MapSource Topo CD (also sold by amazon.com).
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