Xenon
07-19-2006, 11:04 AM
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator
Purchased at: Office Depot, 3050 Vega Blvd. (403 & Dundas), Mississauga
MSRP: $149.99, Bought on sale for $129.99
Rating out of 5: 4/5
Pros:
- Easy to setup
- Inexpensive compared to other GPS Units
- Easy to read at a glance due to size of laptop screen
Cons:
- Requires Laptop, not a dedicated GPS Unit
- No \"focus on my location\" feature
Comments:
If you are like me and take your laptop everywhere, then this is the perfect GPS solution for you. Much less expensive than dedicated GPS Units on the market MS Streets & Trips w/ GPS locator is a great value. The maps are easy to read, and automatically zoom in and out so that your location, and the next turn/off ramp etc. is always on the same screen. The software comes with a GPS locator (software only retails for $39.99) which can track up to 8 GPS satellites at a time to ensure an accurate location.
On the screen the GPS shows you your speed, Compass Orientation, Driving directions and of course your current location on the map. The software even has the ability to calculate your current fuel consumption, in real time, and can estimate the cost of the trip based off of user-inputed gas prices and automobile fuel efficiency.
The routes can vary depending on the user (shortest, quickets, most scenic etc.) but neverthe less are straight forward and easy to follow. With a screen the size of your laptop (most cases around 15\") maps are easy to read and direction text is large and clear. There is even voice prompting when to turn, however, the voice is in the \"Microsoft Sam\" voice.
The only downside to this software is firstly, it\'s restricted to a Windows Based PC or Mobile Device (software incudes install files for Windows Mobile based Pocket PCs). If you are like me using it on your laptop, it\'s obviously not dash mountable without spending a lot of money on a dash mount for your laptop. And last but not least, I still can\'t find the \"focus on me\" feature. If you are browsing around on the map, and want to return to your current location, I haven\'t found a way to quickly do that, which is quite the inconvienience while on the road.
Other than that, the software and hardware has exceeded my initial expectations. It\'s very easy to use, and extremely easy to read thanks to the screen size.
If you are looking for an inexpensive GPS solution, you might want to look into this.
Software by: Microsoft Corporation
GPS Hardware by: Pharos GPS
Product Page: http://www.microsoft.com/streets/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=001
Purchased at: Office Depot, 3050 Vega Blvd. (403 & Dundas), Mississauga
MSRP: $149.99, Bought on sale for $129.99
Rating out of 5: 4/5
Pros:
- Easy to setup
- Inexpensive compared to other GPS Units
- Easy to read at a glance due to size of laptop screen
Cons:
- Requires Laptop, not a dedicated GPS Unit
- No \"focus on my location\" feature
Comments:
If you are like me and take your laptop everywhere, then this is the perfect GPS solution for you. Much less expensive than dedicated GPS Units on the market MS Streets & Trips w/ GPS locator is a great value. The maps are easy to read, and automatically zoom in and out so that your location, and the next turn/off ramp etc. is always on the same screen. The software comes with a GPS locator (software only retails for $39.99) which can track up to 8 GPS satellites at a time to ensure an accurate location.
On the screen the GPS shows you your speed, Compass Orientation, Driving directions and of course your current location on the map. The software even has the ability to calculate your current fuel consumption, in real time, and can estimate the cost of the trip based off of user-inputed gas prices and automobile fuel efficiency.
The routes can vary depending on the user (shortest, quickets, most scenic etc.) but neverthe less are straight forward and easy to follow. With a screen the size of your laptop (most cases around 15\") maps are easy to read and direction text is large and clear. There is even voice prompting when to turn, however, the voice is in the \"Microsoft Sam\" voice.
The only downside to this software is firstly, it\'s restricted to a Windows Based PC or Mobile Device (software incudes install files for Windows Mobile based Pocket PCs). If you are like me using it on your laptop, it\'s obviously not dash mountable without spending a lot of money on a dash mount for your laptop. And last but not least, I still can\'t find the \"focus on me\" feature. If you are browsing around on the map, and want to return to your current location, I haven\'t found a way to quickly do that, which is quite the inconvienience while on the road.
Other than that, the software and hardware has exceeded my initial expectations. It\'s very easy to use, and extremely easy to read thanks to the screen size.
If you are looking for an inexpensive GPS solution, you might want to look into this.
Software by: Microsoft Corporation
GPS Hardware by: Pharos GPS
Product Page: http://www.microsoft.com/streets/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=001