| ![Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 With GPS Locator[Old Version]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M6KZZK03L._SL500_.jpg)
| From: Microsoft Software
List Price: $129.99
Buy New: $29.95
You Save: $100.04 (77%)
New (4) Used (5) from $24.50
Rating:  172 reviews
Sales Rank: 520
Format: Cd
Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows Xp
Media: CD-ROM
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.8 x 2.1
MPN: 100722
Model: ZV3-00002
UPC: 882224045223
EAN: 0882224045223
ASIN: B000AOGDM0
Release Date: October 3, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: bx100
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great to have a GPS, but not without quirks December 4, 2005
Keen Eye (NJ, USA)
27 out of 36 found this review helpful
Pros :
1. A mapping software that I have used for 5 years... same Streets and Trips. No learning curve there
2. Nice auto pan and zoom
Cons:
1. The audio directions occur only just before the turn I need to make, does not give me enough time to change lanes etc (this could be big issue in NY and NY area :). In other s/ws Delrome, Tom Tom etc you get more than one prompts. But Streets & Trips gives only one announcement and that too only about .1 - .2 miles before you gotta make the turn or take an exit.
2. Voice prompts are text-to-speech, and not the pre-recorded voice, which I think is better to understand
3. Voice volume is very low, even though I have changed and played with all my Windows XP as well as laptop volume settings.
4. No indication of 'miles to destination' - it shoul be in bif bolds.
 Best tool in the 18-wheeler! April 9, 2006
John M. Barsness (Boise, Idaho USA)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful
Only adding a quick two cents... I am sure others have adequately described the good and not-so-good features, but overall, I find this program to be user-friendly, for the most part very accurate, and very useful. I drive 18 wheeler and go to and from different pickup and drop destinations every week. When you live in a 7' square space most of the time, space is at a premium. I chose this program because I could run it on my laptop, thus saving space and money over buying a stand alone unit. I have been very happy with this purchase.
I use the Microsoft program on a daily basis. I have had GPS's since their invention which I used in my airplane, but Microsoft has done a great thing by developing this product. I have the program running on my laptop sitting in the passenger seat next to me almost everywhere I go. I don't have any fancy mounting brackets for my laptop and find it sits in the passenger seat just fine. The voice prompts let me know when I am getting close to an exit or turn point, and the directions to and from delivery locations is usually right on target. I have only had one recent occasion where the street was not in the correct place but from what I could tell they had extended the street and the program had just not been updated yet. It is truly amazing to me that this product is as accurate as it is.
Anyway... I bought it because I needed a GPS for my business and was trying to save money over a stand-alone vehicle GPS. I have not been disappointed. It works. And that works for me!
 What's the point April 21, 2006
Jen (Ohio, USA)
25 out of 40 found this review helpful
The whole reason I wanted a GPS system is because I am bad with directions. This product, though semi-up-to-date with roads in the area, is only good if you don't miss your turns. If you miss a turn it says "off route" over and over again but it doesn't recalculate your route for you. And if you're the one driving, you can't exactly reroute from your current location if you're trying to watch the road. Lucky for me, the store I bought this from allowed me to return it since it was hardware and software. I wouldn't recomend this product to anyone. There are many other products out there that are much more user friendly and less costly. I would definitely recomend Garmin 18 with Nroute instead.
Easy to install and use December 1, 2005
Real Person (USA)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
Reviewer Burke Churchill is mistaken about one thing: the setup utility *does* install the GPS driver automatically. I have two copies of this package and installed them on two separate laptops and both had no problems whatsoever installing the GPS receiver driver. I have Windows XP on both machines.
However, you *must* install the software first (which automatically installs the driver), and then launch Streets and Trips 2006, before connecting the GPS Locator for the first time. You can also use any other GPS receiver (except the Garmin GPS USB one which outputs data in a proprietary format).
The bundled receiver gets a sattelite signal real fast. It's also tiny and light-weight. It glows blue when connected, kinda neat. This is a good package for an unbeatable price.
Because the receiver is light-weight, it sticks to the windshield easily with the included suction cup.
You need a better GPS than this, sometimes December 17, 2005
Bryce Conner (Syracuse, NY)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
Why do I say this? It's because when you're stopped or near an intersection, the software can get totally confused and send you, with the voice navigation, 90 (or 180) degrees in the wrong direction. Then you have to stop and get directions again, or turn around if you discover in time. U-turns are frequent enough to cause it to lose 1 star.
However, I like the software because it greatly helped me during a cross-country drive to move to Syracuse, NY, with no navigator to help, and it fit every need at least fairly, including trip planning from start to finish. I was able to estimate my trip costs, plan for hotel stays, and know exactly how many days it takes to get from the West Coast to Central New York (depends on how many hours you drive, sightseeing, etc), as well as how much driving I would have to do each day. Also, the one time I missed a freeway exit, I was able to take the next exit and find a quick short cut to the correct route that I may not have found (at least without panicing), to get me back on track.
The reason the software doesn't know where you're going is that when you're stopped, it is not able to sense the direction the sensor is pointing, because the sensor has no specified orientation within the vehicle. Also, it doesn't know about which way you're steering or anything like that (as with some in-car models). This is ok for a GPS which is as cheap as this one. However, it is worth noting this, and you can expect to make a few wrong turns now and then, even after you get used to this software.
It really helps if you have another person to tell you what you'll be doing next, and if you don't, this software will substitute for that, but not do as good of a job as you wish, on some occasions. However, it will do it for cheap, and this is not normal for a GPS unit. (There is an equivalent, almost as cheap, but it suffers from many of the same flaws)
Also, it doesn't know every street and in some cases will not be able to find streets when searching, even when you enter the name in correctly. Mapquest or Google Maps is much better in this regard.
Sometimes it does not accurately point to the ending location, especially where there is an overpass, or change in street numbering. This flaw is known to all of the different map programs, including more expensive systems. You just have to rely on the locals (or your cell phone) to get you to the final destination, sometimes.
Features include:
1) The ability to plot your directions based on your current location, even if you do not know your current location.
2) The ability to search for nearby gas stations (saved me one time), hotels, ATMs, and restaurants.
3) The ability to give vocal prompts when you need to turn or when it thinks you need gas or need to take a break. (The gas mileage and time between breaks, when you start and end the driving day, etc., is all easy to configure.)
4) The ability to replot your directions if you go off-route, with a single click of the mouse.
5) The ability to plan trips, including where to stay overnight, where to get gas, etc. Or, the ability, if you are "winging" it, to get to the nearest gas station if you are about to run out of gas. (The ability to search for almost every meaningful landmark within a 35 mile radius.)
6) USB plug-in GPS sensor unit keeps your position most of the time, even if the unit falls off the dash (see below).
7) The ability to synch with a more expensive GPSs (although I'm not sure if it's compatible with the majority or not); ones that will sense direction as well as position.
Cons:
Sometimes the software tells you to do something that sends you in the wrong direction. Related: often it says "off route" without you being off-route. This can be very confusing at times.
Sometimes the software will tell you "Turn in 2 tenths of a mile", but you are at a point where you can't tell which block to turn on, even if you do happen to look at the odometer. It won't say, "turn now", or "turn in 50 yards", as with some more expensive systems.
The suction cup on the GPS unit will not stick to anything, and will not stay stuck to glass for very long, either. You may lose your signal if it falls off. This can be remedied by not using the suction cup and just putting it on the seat or with your passenger. It will not lose the signal there, unless it falls under the seat, at which point you may have to stop to get it back.
You are unable to pick the "fastest route" vs. the "slowest route", as with some GPS systems, and it is very difficult to change the route without adding artificial stops or using the sub-menu which doesn't always list the segment you need to avoid.
Also: sometimes it's just easier to memorize the directions and not worry about having a laptop to tell you which way to go. Mapquest (or whatever) will do that for you just fine. However, if you get lost, then having a GPS can really help. Just don't rely on this every time you need to find something, as it will let you down.
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