Make
Microsoft Streets and Trips like Garmin (except for their small screens and large prices), then I'll be happy! Specifically, add trip data like Garmin provides, i.e.
DISTANCE (not time) to final destination (not just to the next waypoint); distance driven; elapsed time; average driving speed; peak speed; time to destination at my average speed. Always give me
DISTANCE instead of the current (and totally useless) time which is based on a slider bar with no speeds associated with it.
When I reach and pass a waypoint, recognize that I really don't want to stop there. I put it in the route so the route would take my desired roads vs some route I didn't want to take. I get sick of having to delete the way point so S&T won't keep telling me to go back to the waypoint after I've passed it. Maybe there should be a "Via" capability instead of having to add a "Waypoint".
When I'm driving around and not on a planned route, it would be nice to have the next cross street displayed in a text block somewhere on the screen. It is much easier to see it that way instead of having to look for the name of the street on the actual map. Once again, this is one of the nice little things Garmin does. Pioneer displays the road I'm driving on in a text block instead of the next cross street. Garmin's way is far superior.
Put a scale on each and every map view! When I'm using the full-screen mode, I have no idea what the zoom level is without the scale you put on the planning screen.
Remember my "Arrange Map View" preferences so that I don't have to change them everytime I use S&T for guidance. And for that matter, why should I have to even click "Arrange Map View"? The map arrangement should be a given when I select "Start GPS Guidance".
It would be really cool if S&T could be controlled by a remote control device like some audio visual software can be controlled. I'm not looking for all the functionality to be remote controled, but it would be nice if Zoom-In Zoom-Out, Repeat last verbal direction, turn screen on/off for night driving, and re-route from current point could be operated from a small remote control vs having to search for the proper key on the keyboard.
Do not look to the Pioneer AVIC-Z1 for software improvement ideas! You are already better than they are. I have an AVIC-Z1 installed in my vehicle, but I still use S&T on my laptop for trip planning and enroute guidance.
I currently plug my laptop into an auxillary audio input on my car stereo so I can play the audio instructions from S&T through my car stereo. This way, I can actually hear the directions. It would be nice if Microsoft Streets and Trips could temporarily mute other audio programs on my laptop while it gives me audio directions. This way, I could be listening to my iTunes (sorry, I just like that software better than Windows Media Player) music and not have to worry about missing directions. I think Pioneer does this on the AVIC-Z1.
