Review: DeLorme Street Atlas

DeLorme Street Atlas is a trip-planning, GPS, and mapping software packed with very many features. This is good and bad. The more features a program has, the happier an advanced user will be. However, over the years I have heard many first time users say DeLorme Street Atlas has just been too complicated for them to learn. I suspect, starting with the new version of DeLorme Street Atlas 2010, this may change.

DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 can now be started (if users so choose) with an easy-to-use interface resembling that of PND's (personal navigation devices).




While all the advanced trip-planning features are just few mouse-clicks away, users who opt to launch Street Atlas 2010 with the new E-Z Nav wizard will not have to deal with the steep learning curve, but rather they will be able to comfortably use Street Atlas from the day 1.

E-Z Nav wizard cannot be more intuitive than it is. After starting DeLorme Street Atlas 2010, all that needs to be done to get from where you are to your destination is to simply click (or tap) on the "Address or Location" button, and then simply type an address. In the above example all I did was I typed "113 toryork". After I paused my typing for few seconds, the program automatically populated the screen with suggested locations. The very first location was the one I expected.




After selecting the correct destination, the new E-Z Nav wizard gave me two options: "View Map" or "Create Route". Instead of creating a route at that point, I opted to view the map first.




The above overview was presented to me after clicking the "View Map" button. After about 10 seconds DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 automatically switched back to the previous screen of E-Z Wizard, where I could click (or tap) the "Create Route" button.

I liked the 10 second delay. But you may, at any time, use the red E-Z Nav button in the top-right corner of the screen to switch to the new E-Z Nav wizard.




After pressing the "Create Route", a map in "North Up" mode was displayed, showing my correct location in the center of the screen of my laptop.




I started to drive, and the DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 screen started to move and rotate in the direction of travel, as expected.

I'm not yet sure if any other features were added to Street Atlas in the 2010 release, but even if E-Z Nav wizard is the only change, it still is a very significant release for this product. Kudos to DeLorme for making Street Atlas now user friendly, and easier to use on computers with smaller screens, such as netbooks, and ultra-mobile computers (UMPC).

My only disappointment is the map quality in Canada. I live near Toronto and the same gross errors reported in earlier years are still present in version 2010. However, to be fair, the fact is DeLorme focuses much more on the U.S. map data quality, and even though Canada and Mexico are included, the official name of the software still remains: DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2010. But let us see what DeLorme Street Atlas 2011 brings.

Buy

• Buy DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 (standard or "Plus") - In addition to all the features of the basic Street Atlas, the Plus version also includes a phone book integrated with the software, and a few additional advanced features.

• Buy DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-40 2010 - This package includes the Earthmate LT-40 USB GPS receiver and Street Atlas 2010 software.

Press Release:

DeLorme Releases Street Atlas USA 2010 with Dynamic On-the-Go Routing Wizard Full-featured Mapping, Routing, and GPS Navigation Software Includes over 300,000 Road Updates; Supports Netbooks and Windows 7.