Laptop GPS World

enlarged icons, removing as many one hand operations as possible. not much of an improvement 1 year and thats all MSFT could come up with? come on, Let the game programmers design the Streets & Trips interface, . It would be more user friendly and show more of what we want where we need to see it. Update all the freaking maps. I drive down hwy 318 in nevada quite often and there is a section of it about 10 miles long that was redone about 10 years ago, you can still see remnants of the old road, off to the side that S&T thinks you should be on. Quite annoying to hear your off route & recalculating the whole time.

This is an annoyance of Streets and Trips that has to do with the 'precision' of the software and fix on the satillites. One feature that would be nice would be a 'fuzzy' view of where you are, so if the road moves, you don't get annoyed. The other has more to do with things that their staff don't keep up with. I useStreets & Trips 2007 and am a trucker, and they still list many parkways in Kentucky as toll roads. A quick Google search says that state made them toll free 5 years ago. Obviously they are not into keeping things current with the states and road maintenance people. The most 'killer app.' that MS could develop for this package would be the combination of a one hand, on steering wheel control (NOT a touchpad, those things are way too shaky and sensitive) to hotkey stuff like turning guidance off and on, screen centering off and on (for changing and deleting waypoints), and the left/right click menus on selecting points on the map, along with a true 'heads up' display (could be as something as simple as a 9" lcd monitor on the dash reflecting up into a clear film?) so you never leave control of the vehicle or sight of where you are going. Commercial drivers would kill for this (along with a plug in that would integrate information like low bridges, scalehouses, weight and length limits, and truckstop and walmart locations as well.) I guess the open source community will have to kick MS' butt again in order to get what we really need out of navigation software. ALK tries but is underpowered and has compatibility issues with Vista, De Lorme i was very underwhelmed, and MS seems to be the best of what's left, but have to temper it with my own knowlege, the information from Google Maps (satillite views/street views), and the information provided by shippers and receivers as well.

I suppose if MS hired a few veteran truckers, that software would be a smash if they got what they really needed. Somethig ol Billy boy ought to consider when on the lake at his hideaway...