Rating: 
Summary: This product is a major [joke]
Review: ... The street data is at least 5 years behind any decent atlas such as Delorme and there are many errors including streets that don't connect to other streets. Stay away from this one!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: After using Street Atlas USA on my brother's computer, with his Garmin eTrex (standard yellow), I decided to purchase some software to use with my eTrex Legend. I looked around, and decided between this software and MS Streets and Trips, purchasing StreetFinder finally, figuring it would have better maps (I decided against Street Atlas USA already by my brother's encouragement, as it is apparently STRICTLY maps of the US, and all roads apparently stop at Canadian and Mexican borders). After receiving it, however, I became VERY disappointed VERY quickly, as I could not get it to recognize my GPS, at all. I had already updated the firmware on it, and used it with EasyGPS, so I knew that the link was good, and the software was just [not working] out. After adjusting it for a while, I gave up, and began playing, which was another disappointment. The interface is terrible (it tries to be "easy to use" but that really means "not usable"). Also, StreetFinder and TripMaker do not use shared maps, so although Streetfinder has the road I live on in it (surprising, as it is a new subdivision), TripMaker doesn't even have streets for the city I live in (and its not some dinky town or something, Clarksville is the fifth largest city in Tennessee). This was a great frustration, especially in planning a trip to memphis, as I just ended up guessing my entire way there. Overall, StreetFinder is only a halfway good piece of software because of it's excellent maps, and TripMaker is just [stuff]. Rand McNally advertises "Full GPS Support", but I wouldn't know, as I never got it to work, even in NMEA mode (of which I could monitor with Hyperterminal, and read the data, so it was coming in....). My recommendation is to buy MS Streets & Trips, as it picked up my GPS immediately, no problems, and has quite decent maps to boot, as well as a usable interface.
Rating:
Summary: Incompatible junk
Review: Bought the streetfinder / Navman e series for laptop combo only to find you have to be online to plan a trip. So bought this streetfinder / tripmaker package. Now I can plan a trip but the tripmaker software doesn't recognize the gps and you can't use the map in streetfinder which does recognize the gps. Called tech support and was basically told they know all about it, are just as frustrated as me but can't get any answers on future upgrades from anyone internally. In fact he sounded absolutely unhappy with the number of calls he has to take and have no answer for. Lousy products with on upgrades in sight.
Rating:
Summary: Don't bother, stick with paper
Review: Have you heard the joke, popular in Maine, where the lost tourist asks the rural resident how to get to a popular landmark, and the old codger replies, "well, you can't get there from here"! That is what this software tells me every time I try to use it. Not only does it make wildly inaccurate and completely baffling guesses at the addresses I enter (MapBlast or MapQuest come up with the right option every time), this software seems incapable of joining the dots I do get entered. I live outside of Philly, and these are major roads. I fear for those who might rely on this junk in a rural area. Until I can afford a fancy GPS unit for my car, this CD that I bought with this crapola software on it will be used to mark pages in my ever reliable road atlas. Thanks for nothing, Rand McNally!
Rating:
Summary: Un-freakin-believable...
Review: I am amazed that Rand McNally put their name on this piece of junk. Do not buy this unless you have wireless internet access on your laptop all the way from where you begin to the end of your journey. Even so, it's going to be a rough ride. From Orlando to Sanibel Island, it had me take 17-92. Not I-4 to 75. A rural road with plenty of stoplights over two highways? That was only a test to see how well the program functioned. Had I used it on a real trip, it would've taken me days more than me wandering headlessly to my destination. Do not buy this software unless you enjoy wasting money.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Disappointed
Review: I am so frustrated about having this program I felt I needed to write a review to warn potential buyers. I've used 3 softwares: Garmins' MapSource USA, AAA/Delorme's Map & Go 4.0 (1998). This is by far the WORST program. Looks good with nice package and appealing interface, but works poorly. 1. It's very slow - takes a long time to load and refresh. For each zoom in/out action, it takes about 2 to 3 seconds to refresh. I use a P4 top of line laptop by the way and have the whole program installed on my harddisk. 2. The TripMaker has lots of fancy functions like expense tracking, daily schedule etc. It's all too cumbersome to use and impractical. 3. GPS function does not provide voice commands (ie PC tell you which direction to go). I intended to replace my 1998 version of Delorme's Map&Go from AAA with this program. But the former is still much more superior than this!
Rating:
Summary: Not recommended for use in a car with a hand-held GPS
Review: I bought this product for use with a small hand-held Garmin GPS on my laptop. Then I discovered it uses the Internet to plan trips. This was before I left so I planned and saved the trip I wanted before setting off. .... Luckily I happened to have Microsoft Streets and Trips 2002 on my laptop so I can compare these two products, both of which I had to use on my road trip. I did not plan on using the Microsoft product as the maps are out of date and I bought this"~ product as it looked better from the box. I should have read the Amazon reviews first, shouldn't I? ... To check we were going the right way I would flip to Microsoft Streets and Trips 2002 and check! Then flip back to this product to get faster location updates.I may have been better off buying a more expensive hand-held Garmin GPS that has maps in it. This was intended as a "poor-man's" solution to this on our family road-trip but this software was not up to the job. I liked Streets and Trips and might upgrade to the 2003 version if it updates locations faster. ...
Rating:
Summary: What a piece of junk.
Review: I could not be more frustrated by this thing (that I refuse to call a software). Run away from it. I gave one star for this because there is no option to give zero or negative stars. Paper maps are more useful. Need directions? First you need an internet connection... Unless you have an interenet connection in your car you cannot get directions on the road. And even if you planned before hand, you cannot customize your way. If you would like to use one road instead of another you are on your own. The walking tool is the most ridiculous thing I ever saw. It does not even add up the total distance you walked. And you you need to go through SEVEN STEPS to get things done. You are forced to go through steps for changing the color of the line and the font used everytime... And the result is not scrollable. If the directions list is longer than the screen you have to move the window around to read its contents. The measuring tool is very adequate for birds. But only those that can fly and provided it is not a windy day. The only thing you can do is to draw a straight line and see what is the distance between the two points. And I was expecting something that allowed me to create an intrincate path and have the total distance... Couldn't they combine the walking and measuring tools in a single useful thing?
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to use
Review: I have attempted to use this product many time for trips and it is at best difficult to use. It frequently locks up when calculating the route or accessing trip sense. The fact that it chooses ridiculous routes is not unusual for map software, but again attempts to tweak the route by using the "prefer segment" feature often doesn't work or locks up.
The PDA downloads are virtually worthless.
It is difficult to use Streetfinder also in that when in high zoom, many streets are not indicated by their state of federal route numbers.
My opinion is stay away from this product.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to use
Review: I have been using this software for 3 years and will continue to use it. BUT, I find myself frequently finding ways in which the program could and should be improved. We travel with a pop-up camper for 70 days a year, logging in an average of 6000 mile /year. Plenty of "test" time.
Pros:
- Cheap. A limited version was free and I liked it enough to by the $30 Deluxe 2001. It is now packaged with the StreetFinder which I do not have.
- GPS function is a hoot. It is not always on the nut for coordination with the map, but it works well and it gives my wife something to do in lieu of correcting my driving.
- Mapping a basic route is very simple. Major roads and most secondary highways are right on the money.
- Using the program saved me at least once on every trip by correcting a missed turn to re-routing through detours. Cons:
- Zoom. Maps are primative at low zoom levels and have many errors at high zoom levels, but generally provides "passable" information. It's easy to miss detail on the maps unless you remember to zoom in. It is slow in redrawing a zoomed or re-centered map.
- Missing information. As campers who prefer the more rustic locations we find that some of our preferred campgrounds are missing from the database. For example, there is one listing each for the White Mountains, The Green Mountains and the Alleghany Mountain National Forests. It does not list individual campgrounds of which there are many. Some state parks are missing too. There is little excuse for that as all the information is on the net.
- Commercial. There is lots of info on private campgrounds but not all. I suspect that there might have been listing fee involved and that takes presidence over accuracy. Unfortunate.
- Outdated. One campground changed their name in 1996 and it still was not listed properly in the 2001 edition. We drove past it 4 times before we believed the GPS and went in to check. Many other examples of that.
- Inaccuracies. It was kind of fun to see that we were traveling in the Bay of Fundy. Most of the Canadian and rural areas maps had poorer coorination with the GPS. Recommendation: Extensive review of the reviews does not turn up a program that fulfills the promise of mapping and travel planning software. I'd pay hundreds for the program that does it all. Where is it?
In the meantime, this program provides a service and is more fun than frustrating. Where else can you spend $30 and keep your wife entertained for days on end?
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