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Best mapping / trip-planning software?

N

NTB

Diamond Member
I got a copy of MS Streets & Trips with my laptop a few years back, but I seem to have lost it. I've got a couple of giftcards for BestBuy, so I was thinking about picking up an updated copy of the program, or something similar - there are a couple of different ones. If you've used any of them before, which one did you like best and why? Or, if they're all more or less equal, what are the biggest weakspots you've found for them? Any opinions one way or the other will be appreciated!

Nate
 
Originally posted by: stan394
for the record, google maps sucks. I use AAA maps, hardcopy
Click to expand...

How so? I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never used it for anything bigger than a 1- or 2-hour drive.

Nate
 
Originally posted by: KLin
Text

The GPS connects to your laptop via USB. it's not a standalone GPS
Click to expand...

Saaaawwweeettt. I've never even see anything like this before. I'm gonna have to research this a little...
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: KLin
Text

The GPS connects to your laptop via USB. it's not a standalone GPS
Click to expand...

Saaaawwweeettt. I've never even see anything like this before. I'm gonna have to research this a little...
Click to expand...

same here.

Nate
 
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
for the record, google maps sucks. I use AAA maps, hardcopy
Click to expand...

How so? I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never used it for anything bigger than a 1- or 2-hour drive.

Nate
Click to expand...


Gmaps' interface was indeed very cool, but the direction still needs a lot of improvement/bug fixing. A number of tests in San Francisco either gives me a wrong direction (blocked street, tunnels), or inefficient directions. Mapquest seems to at least doing a better job overall.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: KLin
Text

The GPS connects to your laptop via USB. it's not a standalone GPS
Click to expand...

Saaaawwweeettt. I've never even see anything like this before. I'm gonna have to research this a little...
Click to expand...

A co-worker of mine has this and we used it in Pittsburgh. It worked very well, except for driving in tunnels.
 
Originally posted by: stan394
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
for the record, google maps sucks. I use AAA maps, hardcopy
Click to expand...

How so? I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never used it for anything bigger than a 1- or 2-hour drive.

Nate
Click to expand...


Gmaps' interface was indeed very cool, but the direction still needs a lot of improvement/bug fixing. A number of tests in San Francisco either gives me a wrong direction (blocked street, tunnels), or inefficient directions. Mapquest seems to at least doing a better job overall.
Click to expand...

Ah, I guess in a bigger city it might not work so well. St. Louis isn't quite on par with anything out on the West Coast 🙂

Nate
 
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
for the record, google maps sucks. I use AAA maps, hardcopy
Click to expand...

How so? I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never used it for anything bigger than a 1- or 2-hour drive.

Nate
Click to expand...


Gmaps' interface was indeed very cool, but the direction still needs a lot of improvement/bug fixing. A number of tests in San Francisco either gives me a wrong direction (blocked street, tunnels), or inefficient directions. Mapquest seems to at least doing a better job overall.
Click to expand...

Ah, I guess in a bigger city it might not work so well. St. Louis isn't quite on par with anything out on the West Coast 🙂

Nate
Click to expand...


maybe it's just me. I like to just spread the AAA map on the floor and just look at it for hours. Then when i visit places where I have never been to before, I would have felt I have been there before. who needs GPS?
 
Originally posted by: stan394
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
for the record, google maps sucks. I use AAA maps, hardcopy
Click to expand...

How so? I've never had a problem with it, but then I've never used it for anything bigger than a 1- or 2-hour drive.

Nate
Click to expand...


Gmaps' interface was indeed very cool, but the direction still needs a lot of improvement/bug fixing. A number of tests in San Francisco either gives me a wrong direction (blocked street, tunnels), or inefficient directions. Mapquest seems to at least doing a better job overall.
Click to expand...


Yea Gmaps is not that good for SF. I noticed that too. MSN Mappoint works VERY well for Oakland/Berkeley and SF.

ANd in the end AAA maps do rule. I carry like about 10 of them to cover the entire Bay Area. However, I got lost in Mtn View downtown the other day cuz I only had Palo Alto and Cupertino/Sunnyvale maps >< (well the other like 8 were irrelevant), but nothing in the middle
 
Originally posted by: DLeRium

Yea Gmaps is not that good for SF. I noticed that too.
Click to expand...

Try this:

Start: stockton st and bush st, san francisco
End: Stockton St & Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94108

😛

 
Originally posted by: stan394
Originally posted by: DLeRium

Yea Gmaps is not that good for SF. I noticed that too.
Click to expand...

Try this:

Start: stockton st and bush st, san francisco
End: Stockton St & Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94108

😛
Click to expand...

wrong way up a 1-way street. Nice 😛

Nate
 
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: stan394
Originally posted by: DLeRium

Yea Gmaps is not that good for SF. I noticed that too.
Click to expand...

Try this:

Start: stockton st and bush st, san francisco
End: Stockton St & Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94108

😛
Click to expand...

wrong way up a 1-way street. Nice 😛

Nate
Click to expand...


actually no. Stockton street, starting from Sutter going north, is a tunnel. Stockton & Bush is at a higher level (above the tunnel) than Stockton & Sutter. so there is no direct way to get between these 2 corners 😛
 
well, after looking at Amazon and Epinions, it looks like all of them are piss poor 😛 and I get the impression that Streets and Trips has actually gone downhill (pardon the pun) since the '01 or '02 version that I had.

Nate
 
Originally posted by: NTB
well, after looking at Amazon and Epinions, it looks like all of them are piss poor 😛 and I get the impression that Streets and Trips has actually gone downhill (pardon the pun) since the '01 or '02 version that I had.

Nate
Click to expand...

Yeah, Best Buy had the Steets & Trips on sale with the GPS for $99...Looked at CNet for reviews, and everything said that it sucked...I'd get a Pharos GPS and find some software...
 
I use Magellan Mapsend with my Sportrak Color since it does turn by turn directions. The screen is tiny since it's a handheld unit, but it's a lot more convenient than lugging around a laptop.
 
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