What is a good navigation software for a laptop with GPS?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Freejack2

Freejack2

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2000
7,751
8
91
Get Delorme Street Atlas USA 2004. It blows Microcrap streets and crash away. I have to use MS Streets and Trips for work and it sucks compared to Street Atlas. Street Atlas has 10x better gps, and more updated maps...There is a major bridge here that was finished in 1998. Street Atlas has shown it since 8.0, Streets and Trips has yet to show it.
 
P

Polishwonder74

Senior member
Dec 23, 2002
474
0
0
Yeah, that's a really good question. I'm thinking of picking up a USB GPS/software combo for my laptop. Does anyone have any experience with these or find one head and shoulders better than others?

I guess the GPS unit itself is most important since I can dig up good map software later.

Does anyone have any great insights into this?
 
P

Polishwonder74

Senior member
Dec 23, 2002
474
0
0
How common is it that the GPS devices are bastardized to only use proprietary map software? It sure would be nice not to be roped into using the same software in case something better comes out.
 
B

bastula

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2000
1,165
0
76
I have DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2003 and have used it on about 4 - 5 trips. Works very well, and voice directions are fairly accurate. The text-to-speech even announces the decimal parts of distances when turning or merging on to roads/highways.

I would highly recommend this software - and at about $50 it wasn't too expensive. I suppose 2004 is out, and there is a Plus version as well. I checked the site and Plus doesn't seem to offer anything more than the regular version for it's price.

I got my GPS device from Deluo.com. I have their green USB GPS receiver. Small, magnetic and works like a charm without any batteries - as it is powered from the USB port. I think they throw in some mapping software now, but I have no idea about it. It was $99 when I bought it about a year ago and it didn't come with anything but the driver - works flawlessly in 2k and XP.

If only I had more free time - I would write reviews of all the gadgets I have and put them online. Let me know if you want more info about either of the above.

Cheers.
 
Confused

Confused

Elite Member
Nov 13, 2000
14,166
0
0
Delorme
Destinator
CoPilot

And a few more CoPilot seems to be one of the best for Americans :)

I'm waiting for the SDK for Destinator 3 to be released so I can implement it into my in-car application :)


Confused
 
D

Doggiedog

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
12,780
5
81
I've got Mapopolis for my PDA. Its a nice program but it has a huge problem. It doesn't dynamically load maps so you need to put them in manually. Plus because the memory buffer is so small, it can only handle a certain number of maps at once so you are stuck picking and choosing maps by county. It's very annoying.
 
P

Polishwonder74

Senior member
Dec 23, 2002
474
0
0
Good Lord, Bastula! Lots of great info!!

The more I think about this, the more I want one.

Bastula, how did you finally decide on getting the receiver from Deluo? I'm having a hell of a time digging up good USB GPS reviews. The best looking setup I've seen so far is the Delorme with the GPS receiver included in the box. $130 seems like a reasonable price, and I can just pick one of these bad boys up from my local Best Buy store. Also, is the map software very computationally intensive? I've got a pretty wussy 333Mhz laptop. What other neat stuff does your GPS setup do? I was thinking it would be nice if it could keep track of my speed, direction and time so that I can try to optimize my frequent trips between Syracuse and Rochester.

An interesting thing that I read on the Delorme box was that it's accurate to within a few meters, and under some circumstances can be like 4 or 5 times more accurate. I thought that GPS's that were that accurate were kind of reserved for the military.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom