Laptop GPS World

Microsoft just donated to Laptop GPS World two copies of Streets & Trips 2008 with Connected Services. For those not familiar with this product, please read our http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/micros...ps-2008-a.html. Streets & Trips is a very popular trip planning software program. The new "Connected Services" edition comes with an excellent GPS receiver (based on the powerful SiRFstarIII chipset), and a new MSN Direct receiver for providing traffic information and local gas prices.

Everyone is invited to participate in our mini-contest. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008 with Connected Services could be yours just for replying to this thread. If you are not yet a member of Laptop GPS World, you may need to register »

Tell us how you think you will use this product. Why you think Streets & Trips may be better for your specific needs than other software. If you've used a similar product before, why you think switching to Streets & Trips may benefit you. If you've never used any mapping, trip planning, or GPS navigation program before, tell us why you are considering Streets & Trips.

The prize will go to the two people who I think may benefit from the features of Streets & Trips the most.

You may find more information about Steets & Trips in the Streets & Trips Forum at Laptop GPS World, and by visiting microsoft.com/streets.

This "mini-contest" ends on February 29, 2008. Two winners will be announced here on or before March 3, 2008.

Thanks in advance for participating!

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

Marvin,

At the present time I have Streets & Trips 2006 and have been saving my pennies to update the program. Although I now have iGuidance V 4 (thanks to your help on your general forum when I posted a question about Routis) that I use for laptop GPS travel navigation, I primarily use Streets & Trips for trip planning and map printing.

I have used Streets & Trips since it first came out and I find it is a very helpful tool for anyone traveling. Even if you don't travel it makes a great reference program to locate places of interest on the map that a person might be curious about. Much easier than a printed map.

Thank you,

Albert Lason

I have never owned a copy of Streets and Trips and I'll provide some insight about my usage of computer mapping.

I have mounted a Toshiba M200 to a Jotto Desk in my truck with Delorme Street Atlas 2007 on it. I have iGuidance installed also, but I'm not a big fan of iGuidance and their UI. I'm one of the few people that like the Delorme products. One of the key features with Street Atlas is the ability to draw in your own roads. This is great for adding roads the farmers & forestry service added over the years. I use my m200 for various other programs while I'm out traveling for my job and personal usage (Ham radio direction finding) One of my favorite addition to my m200 is my broadband cellular data card, its great for downloading a file for work that needs updated and sending it back without having to find a WiFi hotspot.

I have always wondered how Streets & Trips compared to Delorme. Now that Microsoft has integrated MSN direct services, this makes me want to look even more at Streets & Trips, BUT since Garmin has announced a laptop version of there navigation maps with data connection services for traffic, weather and other services. This makes my decision of what I want to switch to next, but I'll have to wait for a few more months to here some feedback from folks that got the Garmin product, so I can decided if I want to put down the cash to buy the Garmin software. I wish Garmin would offer a trial period for this product to see if it meets the users needs.

Well that's enough of my ramblings

Thank you for a great web site.

tdma134

I am writing an add-on software for S&T named POI Scanner. I would like to own a copy of the connected version to verify settings that are unique to the connected version’s services are taken into account in the POI Scanner. I already own a copy of S&T 2006 and 2008 without the connected services. It’s hard enough to build a software for S&T for yearly versions you don’t have. Many times you have to assume it will be the same on each versions, but you keep finding surprises sometimes. I checked a while back and Montreal, my location, is included in the connected services too. I also checked to buy S&T 2007 and the French Autoroute 2006 or 2007 on eBay, but they are too expensive when shipping is taken into account just to make it easier to write software.

Writing the POI Scanner is not the only use I have for S&T. I use S&T software to plan trips, guide me in parts of the town I’m not familiar with. I love the accuracy of the GPS. I also find driving in an unknown area with a GPS is safer because more time and attention is actually on the road instead of attempting to read street names as one drives by. Every day I cross Montreal’s south shore bridges to go to work. It would be nice to have up to the minute traffic accounts on the commute to work and home.

S&T also comes with us for our summer vacations. We are a camping family with a popup camper and every year we plan trips on the road. We love to travel around to show our kids the country and parts of the US.

My mother of 71 years and 77 year old her husband travel all summer in their Savannah Condo camper. They met a few years after my father died (1996) and married a few years ago. Both are in good health and love camping. I’ve given my old laptop with S&T 2006 with GPS last year. They had tried a GPS they had purchased at Canadian Tire but had to return it. It just was too hard for them to use at their age. I would give them my copy of S&T 2008 if chosen to uprade their 2006 S&T. I am also the author of a few POI files and two were done at the special request of my mother. She absolutely wanted the Canadian Wal.Marts and the Couche-Tard with gas. Wal-Marts because sometimes they sleep in the parking lots in between locations they want to visit. Couche-Tard because they can save 3% on gas purchases. They will use S&T with these POIs to locate them while travelling.

Their copy of 2006 with GPS would then go to a friend that is a professional trucker. He travels all over the province of Quebec and in Ontario. This man is always available to render a service when in need. He’s a handyman type of guy and knows how to fix everything in a house. You can always count on him if you’re in need of help or good sound advice. He’s not the type of man who would go out to buy this for himself, but I’m positive he would appreciate this kind of tool.

In short, I’ve tried to show, that if chosen it would benefit directly three persons and indirectly all who will try and use the POI Scanner. When you have the tools on hand it’s so much easier to find, prevent and correct bugs when they happen. Plus, hey, lets be honest, it will be another cool electronic's toy to own. You can never have too many of those. My wife says I'm a gadget lover. She's probably right (as wifes are usually). She sometimes doesn't agree with me when I buy "my" toys, but with time, she uses them and usually loves them. I remember in 1997 her asking why do we need to spend $3000 on a computer? She wasn't too crazy about the two pvr's I bought for the tv too. Just try and take that away from her now. You can also catch her playing card games on my Palm when I'm the one with the laptop. She doesn't know I bought the stand alone S&T 2008 yet. At least she hasn't said anything if she noticed.

At the risk of sounding stupid - just how do you enter this contest? I have tried every link and all I keep getting is this message thread again. HELP!

Hi merryann. All that you need to do is what you just did . Anyone who replies to this thread will be automatically entered to the contest. Feel free to post another reply. Write as much or as little as you wish. Good luck in the contest!

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

I first became interested in the science of map reading while training at Ft. Belvoir, VA in the Corp of Engineers. Years later, I switched to an entirely different field – that of university professor at the local University of Buffalo, teaching courses in computer programming, statistics, and psychology. I remained there until I retired, 31 years later.

Last summer I purchased my first GPS unit (Garmin StreetPilot 7200) to install in our newly purchased Winnebago motorhome. It was readily apparent that the GPS would be an indispensable navigational tool but I also began to realize that another database/mapping program like Microsoft’s Streets and Trips would add considerably to the flexibility of the GPS.

I tried resurrecting my old copy of Rand McNally’s Trip Maker 1977 Edition but found it to be totally worthless.

If I’m able to find a good match-up between Microsoft’s Streets and Trips and my Street Pilot 7200, I would then enjoy teaching a course at either the University of Buffalo or in one of several Adult Education programs helping others to learn the rudiments of using the Garmin GPS with Microsoft’s Streets and Trips.

I'm a field service tech, and have my HP laptop mounted in a RAM mount in my van. I've been a S&T user for several years, and it has become an vital part of my business.

I had a small stroke a few years back, and besides speech, I also lost my 'spatial memory'. I could not figure out how to get from point a to point b, in spite of the fact I had made the trip a hundred times. I started out with a handheld Magellan GPS just so I could get out of the house and have some hope of getting home. I probably wouldn't have had the courage to get back to work without the reassurance of the GPS in my vehicle. I've regained 99% of what I lost, but I still rely on S&T for every trip.

Rick

I intensivelly use laptop and car driving both for the office full-time permanent job as technical support (nation-widest Internet Service Provider in Romania) intervention IT engineer but as well during all my weekends and holidays expeditions as addicted to travel a lot while driving my own car.
I am also more than 25 years active member and expedition organiser at Romanian Universitary Alpine Club of Bucharest, so I am willing to travel and addicted to discover anytime new wonderful places, various locations and BEST routes to there and back!

So, I need to self-organise any kind relocation in order to cross or reach quickly and safety any european autoroute or destination but also wild destination where needed, while driving my office or own car in any conditions of hour, weather, stress, passing bottlenecks etc.
As a long-term all days traveller both for the office and for my free time, I tried more dedicated devices like MIO-PDAs, mobile with GPS etc to help me doing my jobs better and featured.
Unfortunately, each of them imposed me different procedures, menus, rules to follow in order to reach some useful GPS applications embedded.
On the other hand, it was harldy to take a global point of view like by one-shot quickly while driving fastly with an eye focusing that small screen showing thin lines and few colours only.
At the last but not at least, dedicated PDAs, mobiles etc were not so reliable, after few months of intensive usage, screen or keys have been lost forever, sometimes even more (mainboards or internal contacts failure due to thin china case...).

When I first time tested MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE 2002 more years ago by temporarely getting a laptop from a friend, I was amazed about the possibility to use GPS features in an ordinary PC while handling its features as simply as any other Microsoft Windows today well-known applications!
Starting with larger screen displaying more enhanced and detailed interactive maps taken by one-shot viewingm, very easily to handle by mouse or keys, recently by this amazing tool designed by Marvin /AR-KEYS, laptop solution for GPS become today far more attractive, more reliable and featured than any classic dedicated device solution!

So, I have bought a new laptop and expecially an universal laptop adapter to supply directly from car lighter socket, I have also bought latest USB connected NAVILOCK BU 302 GPS sensor which opened large opportunities for my new wide-area routes.

Since long time ago I was dreaming to my first time crossing the Europe by driving my own car to reach its amaziest locations, especially ALPS routes in highest Switzerland.
I had no experience in doing that before but with a large help of latest MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE (european release of S&T) 2007 bought by my friend within a new laptop, I have succeeded without any failure or damaging even more times during last summer in 2007.
I could planned all my 4 expeditions outside in details and then driving to respect all the route planning settled before starting each new large (5000 km by once!) route crossing Europe from Romania to Chamonix/Mont Blanc-France through Austria, Switzerland via Zermatt.
Sometimes I was locked or turn back by some roads repairing or bridge failure in ALPS during highly stormy weather or night hours but with the help of MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE 2007, I was able to modify in proper (/real-)time! the local routes in order to detour quickly the new interdiction locally found due to the above unexpected road troubles so I didn't have any need to ask anybody to get me out of hazardous routing when I was forced by these problems.
In fact at those nighty hours on tha rainy weather on wild roads there were nobody to advice me how to escape or skip a portion of failed roads in the mountains...

Sometimes I needed to test new routes to cross or shortcut wildest areas, muddy or top risky roads in deep forests and I used MS AUTOROUTES to record trail in my back that I then used to quickly turn-back safety even in haze evening hours.
When I lost few hours during traffic because of these things, I could easily find a compensation directly assisted by its internal best route computing tool, I was in touch with the time schedule and able to fix it soon as I needed without any efort.
With MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE EXPRESS I HAD FULL TIME CONTROL ON ALL I HAD TO DO FOR LONG AND HIGHLY RISKY PERIOD regarding my large relocation in top stress average!
I was able to know with hours before what area to reach to find a proper hour to accommodate when I lost temporarely the initial schedule.

FINALLY, I PASSED MORE SCARING MOMENTS WHEN I WAS LONELY TRYING MORE MUDDY ROADS BLINDLY CROSSING THE MIDDLE OF WILD ALPINE FOREST AT MIDNIGHT HOURS IN ORDER TO REACH OUT THE ALPS TO GO HOME.
THERE FAR THOUSANDS KM FROM HOME, I PASSED MORE TIMES FEW CRUSHED BRIDGES SO I COULD PROVE THAT MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE EXPRESS REALLY SAVED MY LIFE MORE TIMES DURING THESE WILD OR LARGE AUTOROUTES CROSSING THE EUROPE!
FROM THAT MOMENTS TO FOREVER, A LAPTOP WITH MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP AND MICROSOFT AUTOROUTE EXPRESS (Street&Trips in European version) WITH USB GPS CONNECTION, ARE MY FIRST MUST HAVE FOR ANYTHING REGARDING HOLIDAY PLANS OR OFFICE JOBS NEEDING LARGE RELOCATIONS QUICKLY AND SAFETY IN ANY AVERAGE CONDITIONS.
WITHOUT THESE I WAS NEVER ABLE TO DO ALIKE PERFORMANCES OR USE THE TIME INTENSIVELY WITHOUT EFFORT OR RISK OR EVEN EXTRA-PAYMENTS! JUST IMAGINE TO BE ALONE OR UNSUPPORTED AT VARIOUS HOURS WHEN YOU FIND NO OTHER REFERENCE THAN THE FREE SKY AROUND...
THE GPS SYSTEM BASED ON A LAPTOP EMBEDDING MS SOFTWARE BUT ALSO MARVIN's AND CONTRIBUTOR's AR KEYS START TAKEN DEFINITIVELY THE RIGHT HAND AND PLACE NEAR ME AS INTERNATIONAL SKILLED DRIVER TODAY !
SOME ISSUES STILL NOT FIND IN MS AR:
- speed limit alerts when car reach more settled speed limits /in city, outside etc
-instant pushpin creation but programable (previously TEXT NAME settled and sufixed).
better for your specific needs than other software. If you've used a similar product before, why you think switching to Streets & Trips may benefit you. If you've never used any mapping, trip planning, or GPS navigation program before, tell us why you are considering Streets & Trips.

__________________
tonimarcus=neludok
from Bucharest-ROMANIA
(S.E.EUROPE)

How do I participate in the subject contest to win.

Triddy

I currently own Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006. We used it in 2006 for our Returement Trip up the East Coast. My husband loved it. He did the driving and called me his navigator. I operated the laptop and the Streets and Trip Program. I was able to keep him on track by watching where we were all along the way and we were able to make hotel reservations along the way with the program and our cell phone. We are planning another long driving trip and having the ability to see traffic conditions in this wintery weather would really be a plus. I would sure enjoy using this feature.

Thanks,
Triddy

Triddy, you just entered the contest, just like everyone else who posts a reply here .

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

My wife and I travel full time in our RV. Currently we are using Streets and Trips 2006 to do route planning and with the aid of a USB Navman GPS receiver utilize the laptop to provide real time tracking and guidance. Prior to using Strret and Trips, planning was accomplished using the truckers atlas and more than just a few fold out state maps and campground directories. Now with the resource files I have completed (ie., campgrounds, fueling locations, etc) and those still being compiled, we have been able to almost eliminate the book and map clutter from the cab of the tow vehicle. Trip planning is a whole lot less stressful and time consuming. Navigation with directions from the laptop is so much easier and safer than before. Streets and Trips 2008 with Connected Services certainly would be a very nice update and improvement over the 2006 edition.
Recently I had the opportunity to sit in on a demonstration "sales pitch" of Delorme Street Atlas 2008, it's options and usage. I certainly found the program to be feature rich by comparison but not as user friendly by far. For the future we will be continuing to use Street and Trips for our planning and GPS navigational needs.

Bob

You will not find a more deserving and desperate person for awarding this product than myself. I am normally referred to as the most clueless individual out on the road and many of my family members have refused to ride with me. Considering that I am one of those men with few gray cells, little moral values (my family say none!) and a great passion for garage sales. My psychiatrists and counselors have long given up on my passion and some have referred to it as a disease of numerous vague terms.

I simply love driving through the small country roads at all hours of the weekend starting on Friday around noon or so when the sales are just being setup. I stop and chat and visit and haggle but I refuse to ask for directions - stubborn? Yes! Must be male? Yes!

I have tried the dumb lost look with numerous innocent housewives just trying to sell years of trash with even more miserable years of bad memories attached to such trash - but I find few takers. Ok, no takers actually - none of them believe the short, fat, brown dude could actually be dumb, lost or evenly remotely blonde....

So I continue down the wrong roads, making the wrong turns, and hiding from the state troopers in the wrong garage - especially when the husband is home! It is so stressful and so distressing and I go to sleep dreaming of my lifetime wish -ever since I was a little boy of four starving in Nigeria that LaptopGPSWorld would give that free gift of Microsoft Street & Trips.

I would be tripping forever and ride happily off into the sunset........

Thank You,
Athar Rafiq

There are others who have entered this contest who deserve to win more than I do but I'll give it a shot anyway.
I would really like a copy of S&T 2008 with the connected service because I am the kind of guy who has to keep pushing to the limit. I have S&T 2008 without the connected service but I have since found out that connected services are available for my area. At least the Microsoft website says MSN direct is available here. I think connected services would be the cats meow and intend to buy it as soon as I can get the scratch together. Be nice to win it though.
Our city has grown susbstantially in the past few years and our younger friends and relatives are moving to new area's of town that are so new that they are not included in some programs. Trying to find their homes is a challenge and of course their directions usually include a mistake or two. On top of that our city is playing catchup with street repairs and re-routing has become almost the norm. The connected service would give us a head start.
We like to take trips around town and the laptop with S&T gives us confidence. Recently we had to take a trip to Lethbridge, AB, S&T was a big help. We are planning a trip to Medicine Hat soon and even though we go there every couple of years, we always get lost in that town.

Well,,good luck to all the others.

Marvin,,next contest, you should try to get enough copies for all members so no one is disappointed.(just joking)
Please keep up the good work.

Ed