Streets & Trips 2005 Introducing a backseat driver you’ll be glad to have along. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 is like a trusted friend who knows the road ahead. Whether looking for that new restaurant just across town, or the fastest route to a vacation getaway two states over, you’ll find easy-to-use tools to help you customize your trips just the way you want them.
1 Overall, a Good Product
Overall, a good product. Many people complain their street isn't shown or recent construction isn't shown, but it takes about 3 years for new mapping data to make it all the way from satellite imagery, to purchasable data for companies like Microsoft to obtain, and then into their finalized product. So, if that new road, neighborhood, etc. has been there less than 3 years, then you really cannot expect it to be in Pocket Streets.
PDA/Pocket PC owners make like the feature that you're given the option to install the Microsoft Pocket Streets 2005 during installation of the full version. Then you'll have a PC and a Pocket PC version of it and also have the ability to export maps from the full version to your Pocket version.
I'd like to see topographic maps too, but this is more of a roadtrip product.
2 Inaccurate data
I upgraded from 2002 (fortunately they allow you to have both on your computer) and was very disappointed with the inaccuracy of the information. My house was moved half a mile from where it is located. Also in this area street names which are on street signs have been replaced by useless information like county road numbers which are posted nowhere.
I fear that there is a new environment at Microsoft, as in the past I upgraded most products every year or two and they improved each year. This year I upgraded 5 products and 4 were bitter disappointments. I certainly will wait until at least several months after any new releases in the future and not only read reviews here, but search the internet for problem postings before I upgrade another Microsoft product. It is too bad they drove so many competing products off the market or took away so much business they weren't able to keep their products upgraded as there generally aren't other products to switch to.
3 Just upgraded to 2005 from 2004 - Very Disappointed
I use MS Streets and Trips very frequently and always upgrade to the newest version every year. I just upgraded(??)to MS Streets 2005 from MS Streets 2004 and what a disapointment. Where did all the data go? I am a pilot and find it very helpful to map out the small local airports I fly to so I can visualize them in relation to nearby towns and highways. In the 2005 version, all the small airports are gone! It's back to the 2004 version for me until I can check out Delorme's software and any others out there. So long MS Streets and Trips!
4 Microsoft Streets and Trips Problems
How can I get my money back? Inaccuracies galore. I am a telecommunications tech in Lubbock, TX. I only use Streets and Trips to map out all of my stops I need to make. It allows me to take the most direct route and save time.
The first problem I found is that new streets in new parts of the city that are up to 3 years old are not even shown in the maps.
The second problem I found is that the map program can't even correctly find addresses on main streets. It leaves out whole blocks worth of addresses. For example 50th ST in Lubbock is a main street in Lubbock. The hundred blocks are off by a full city block and at about Slide Rd it skips from 5000 on one side of the street to 5200 on the other.
The funny part is that the problem didn't exist in the 2003 version. I wouldn't recommend you buy this product unless you like much frustration..
5 Excellent software
Great interface, accurate directions - everything you need in a software mapping program.
I've never experienced problems with the software giving incorrect directions. I drive for my job - all over Michigan and out of state, this package is my #1 resource.
The new GPS feature is nice - needs voice prompts but other than that great.
Map detail is superb. Route calculation is quick.
Printing maps and directions is easy and delivers perfectly.
I can totally recommend this package.
6 Try it out first: the reviews are so confusing.
I have been waiting to upgrade for a while(I currently have 2001 edition and VERY happy with it). But the reviews (some very positive and some very negative) have me confused.
So I went to check the Microsoft site and guess what!!!
You can try it out for free for 30 days.
So I just installed the trial version to see for myself how good it is. Will keep you posted.
7 Keep looking
I bought the 2005 version after online reviews recommended it over the DeLorme product. Big mistake. Microsoft Streets & Trips is cumbersome to use and lacks accuracy. Some problems I've encountered:
-Program selects odd routing that doesn't follow common sense. In several cases, the prograqm chose a route that went many miles out of the way for no obvious reason. This included routing onto obscure and even long-closed roads.
-Finding locations using "Find Nearby Places" feature is difficult to use and lacks accuracy. For example, my kids wanted to eat at McDonalds on a road trip. I searched nearby places and got a huge, non-alphebetized list of restaurants. To find a McDonalds, I had to look under "Other Restaurants" and scan through the huge list. In the end, it came up with what it thought was the closest one. When we headed for it, we immediately passed another McDonalds that wasn't on the list.
-Screen navigation is not intuitive and very cumbersome. While driving, you have to use multiple manipulations to bring up useful info. I would expect to zoom in/out on my GPS position by doing something like right-clicking or using the arrow keys or the +/- keys. Nope. I had to find the little zoom button, highlight a box using the mouse, zoom in on the box (it automatically zooms all the way in), and then find the little zoom button again to zoom out a little to a useful view. To get details on a place, construction zone, etc. is difficult/impossible.
-The most updated road construction information is woefully out of date and inaccurate. Even huge contruction problems seem to be missed.
I'd recommend Street Atlas over this product.
8 Not Competetion for Standalone Units
As many people have discussed here what this product does do it does it very well. It's fast and can find locations and move around zooming in and out well. What it doesnt do is follow the route when using a GPS and give directions. It would be AMAZINGLY simple for it to tell you to turn on street X in 50 feet as competing standalone GPS units like the Garmin Streetpilot do. So, while it's definately a portable mapquest it's GPS abilities are barely better than it would be without a GPS.
9 MST GPS feature works GREAT - Simple Fix for crashing
I had the same problem mentioned in earlier reviews with my laptop crashing after 10 minutes and thought I would share a simple fix I discovered to this very frustrating situation. The cause of my laptop crashing was associated with my Laptop trying to conserve power and turning off the USB port used for my external GPS. This caused the MS Streets and Trips (MST) program to lose the signal from the GPS through the USB port, but I am not exactly sure why it causes the laptop to crash. All I know is that after applying the fix... I have yet to have my laptop crash while navigating with any version of MST for the past 3 years. MST is a great product that I have used extensively in my travels through the US and Europe (MS AUTOROUTE version). I just wish it had voice prompts like the CoPilot software for PDAs.
To fix the problem:
- Click on START
- Right click on MY COMPUTER,
- Select PROPERTIES,
- Click on the HARDWARE tab,
- Click DEVICE MANAGER,
- Scroll down to UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS CONTROLLERS
- Click on the + sign next to it to expand it
- Double click the USB ROOT HUB
- Select the POWER MANAGEMENT tab,
- Unselect Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
- Do this for all the USB ROOT HUBs
10 A step back from 2004, but still good
The overall quality is good but.
- There are still many inaccuracies. MicroSoft doesn't really take suggestions very well.
- The GPS interface is buggy to the point of utter worthlessness
- The substitution of Slow/Ave/Fast for the speeds on various road types in lieu of the previous numerical inputs is a BIG step back as far as I am concerned.
11 Must have for SmartPhone Users
While the Navigation function may be somewhat lacking when compared to Mapopolis or TomTom -- The POI Database is far superior to what you can get from the hard core navigation programs. A real plus for me is with 2005 you can now load the maps onto a smartphone, in addition to PPC's and PC's. I now leave my PPC (an old Dell X5) home more often and just take the SmartPhone (Audiovox 5600).
I've used previous version S&T on the PPC for several years and find it quite useful. I also have/use iGuidance (GPS nav) software. I really think the two packages together make the ultimate Male toy -- NEVER ASK FOR DIRECTIONS AGAIN!!!.
12 GPS function is a bug-ridden disaster
I bought this product so that I could use my laptop as my in-car navigator when I hook it up to my GPS. But every time it is all hooked up and working, it crashes my whole system after about 10 minuets. It does this every time, and I can not find any fixes on Microsoft.com. I am now going to purchase the Delorme Street Atlas and get rid of this waste of money. If you want this product for its GPS capability be advised that it probably will not work. Besides the lack of GPS function, the rest of the software seems to work well, although the locations of business are only approximate, and there is allot missing.
13 Must have for any road warrior
If you travel with a laptop this lovely application will delight you the next time you are wondering where to eat, or find a branch office for your bank, or need an ATM.
If you don't know the area and have leisure time, put in the address of your hotel, do a drive time map of 20 min and search for things to do.
Best of all you can add in a USB GPS locator and (almost) never get lost finding your client again.
14 Older version was more detailed
I've bought my share of programs including Microsoft Streets and Trips 2000, 2002, 2005. I overall rate the 2005 version a 3. Ease of use: 5. New look: 2. GPS integration: 3 (Very few options). DETAIL: 1. This is were they lost me! Details of non- high traffic roads were sacrificed. The 2000 & 2002 versions had much more detail when it came to finding roads to travel in the mountains, such as: BLM roads, State Forest roads & County access roads. You pay for an upgrade & what you get is GPS integration, but at the cost of details of less used roads.
15 Stay with the 2004 version
Like in previous years a few more streets and points of interest from previous year, but nothing else new.
One signifigant change is something that is a big negative - the driving times are now now based on "Average", "Slower", or "Faster" for different roads types rather than an actual speed. Since the program doesn't tell you how fast that is, who knows what the drivings times really mean. Guess they dumbed it down to people who can't read their speedometer.
16 Vaporware
I bought this because it was supposedly an upgrade. It has the same old routes for the Eastern US as my 2001 version and has yet to internet update (big feature, right?) any of the many construction projects underway here. It has misdirected us to several locations, mostly because it can't tell left from right if it has anything but a east/west - north/south grid to work with. It won't work with GPS. The refund offered by Amazon and Microsoft never appeared despite full documentation. Ripoff! Amazon, are you accountable?
17 Important features removed
I upgraded from S&T 2002 and have found features I relied upon, missing! You can no-longer enter specific speeds for specific types of roads. I used this for creating bicycle routes for my bike club. I could enter 16 mph for all roads and the 2002 version would calculate the correct time for the ride. Now there are slider controls with no mph numbers. Totally useless!
I have also noticed that major rivers and lakes are missing! Excuse me, but this is a map. These water features are needed to help you determine where you are!
I am going to search for a 2004 version and hope that that version is not as goofed-up as 2005!
18 Serious Map Data Flaws
Be warned: by Microsoft's own admission, there is no way to update the maps provided with this product and Microsoft doesn't much care about them anyway (deferring to an unnamed "third party" when confronted with inaccuracies). That wouldn't be a problem if care had been taken in ensuring that the product ships with accurate maps, but it doesn't. Though this is a recent release, its map data (again by Microsoft's own admission) is almost a year old. Worse than that, it contains fatal inaccuracies that are older: for example, the I-95, I-295, and I-405 in Maine are in the wrong places and don't reflect a "redesignation" of exit numbers that took place there last year.
There's really nothing here that one of the many online map sources can't provide for free -- except interstates in the wrong place! (MapQuest gets Maine right.)
19 Compare to "Route 66"
This is much better than "Route 66", a lot faster,also "Route 66" does not have exit numbers for high ways.
20 Excellent Product
I resisted purchasing this product because I figured I could get online and use MapQuest or some other such product, but if you travel or wish to investigate any area prospectively or while you are there this product is simply fantastic!
First of all it is lightning quick zooming in, zooming out and panning - no significant lag whatsoever. And believe me, I've used other products where that lag makes using the product a totally frustrating experience.
It has a myriad of useful features including mapping of major points of interest including restaurants (not comprehensive), hospitals, etc., distance measuring, trip plotting, and others. It will plot a course from between any two points on the map almost instantly.
For travelling in any unfamiliar area it is a godsend! No maps, of which I am aware, provide the level of detail available instantly in this product. I just got back from Europe and an analogous product while traveling Europe would have been indispensable.
I do some developing in different parts of the country and this tool is invaluable in getting around to different areas and getting a feel for the immediate surroundings. The powerful instnataneous zoom and panning feature really help you get a feel for exactly where you are.
If you are willing to carry your laptop with you while on the road you will never carry a paper map again. The completeness of this product and its quickness and versatility are just terrific.
I can recommend this product without hesitation.
21 Helped plan my successful Sturgis adventure.
NOTE: My experience was with the 2004 version.
For some reason I decided that my first long-distance motorcycle/camping trip would be from Washington State to the '04 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. How hard could it be? So, I got a couple of motorcycle camping books (see below), and one of them recommended "Streets and Trips" as a good trip planner. Armed with that nugget of insight, I purchased it and began plotting out my epic journey.
I'm a computer tech by trade, so the software wasn't too daunting right out of the box. I plotted various routes and side jaunts, like Ridgefield to Spokane, Sturgis to Mt. Rushmore, and so on. Of course, one could buy a regular road map and do the same thing. But I liked having the ability to see the exact road mileage between points. That feature allowed me to experiment with various starting and stopping sites so I could calculate riding distances of no more than 400 miles. I figured that was a decent limit for a newbie long distance rider like myself. Ah, ignorance is bliss. But I'm sure I grew as a person from the character-building pain I experienced by riding that far on a Harley Fat Boy. Also, "Streets and Trips" allows you to download free, up-to-date construction information that integrates with the step-by-step directions. As a result, I was alerted to areas that might be difficult for a motorcycle to deal with. Unfortunately, I didn't plot the Canadian portion of my return trip. If I had, perhaps I could've avoided the twenty miles of dusty, gravel-covered downhill mountain road I had to navigate in British Columbia. This illustrates one drawback of this software. Unless you take it with you, you're out of luck when making spontaneous trip alterations on the road. The 2004 version did include mapping software for a portable Pocket PC device. Too bad I didn't have one.
Anyhow, once I completed my most likely routes to Sturgis, I was able to print them out in color with custom titles. Then I laminated them, trimmed the edges, and slipped them into my tank bag's map case. This let me easily scan my cross-country progress while en-route (best to do it when stopped, though). Based on that and my remaining endurance to pain, I could quickly decide to either stop for the night, or hang in there awhile longer to reduce punishment, er, riding time the next day. With the help of these maps, I made it to my campground in good time, and more importantly, still cognitive and ambulatory.
"Streets and Trips" also comes with extensive listings of North American historical sites, restaurants, and lodging. I found that feature helpful when determining the drive times to sites such as the Little Bighorn Battlefield and Devil's Tower. I had good luck finding places to eat and stay at random (mostly, anyway), but if you favor a particular hotel or campground, then your planning will be that much easier.
"Streets and Trips" contributed to my vacation's success, so look it over before your next cross-country journey. NOTE: If you want more info on motorcycle camping or long-distance riding, check these out: "Motorcycle Camping Made Easy", by Bob Woofter and "Going the Extra Mile" by Ron Ayers. Some of the books about personal motorcycling journeys are inspiring as well. I'll let you discover those; that's half the fun. Ride safe!
22 What is missing does not balance what they added
Although the GPS function is I guess useful if you like driving your car with a laptop on the seat next to you, Microsoft has updated some of the city streets but removed most of the previously mapped dirt roads and other features that made the 2004 version useful. If you used 2004 to find roads that may have been not paved surfaces don't get this program. I ended up installing it but keeping the 2004 version installed as well. Very disapointing move by Microsoft to take out much of the detail that made the program good.
23 Excellent Map Software, Needs to Integrate Third Party Data
As an enthusiastic user and reviewer of Streets and Trips 2001-2004, I felt compelled to purchase the 2005 edition as soon as it became available. Unlike the previous versions, there were no dramatic improvements that inspired me to purchase this product. However, I am happy that Microsoft is continually improving Streets and Trips' accuracy and functionality. Yet, the latter has a long way to go if Microsoft wants users to fully realize the power of software based maps. In fact, the fundamental business model needs to change so as to allow dynamic data, including that from third parties.
The biggest enhancement in 2005 is delivered in the form of a GPS pane, which now includes a rotating compass and velocity. It is a nice feature, albeit one that will be a bit difficult to use, especially on a laptop. I have used the GPS function with my Deluo USB GPS receiver in S&T 2004 with some success. As a driver, it is quite dangerous to use as there is no easy way to view the screen. As a passenger, it is still a bit cumbersome. I don't see any laptop-based map software providing a legitimate replacement for the OEM navigation systems nor the high-end aftermarket offerings from companies like Pioneer.
There are some incremental improvements in the display capabilities. For example, pushpin labels can be reoriented into one of four positions (upper right, lower right, etc). However, this is still not a robust as it should be. The labels need to be fully adjustable, including the length of pointer to the location on the map. The Route options have been modified in a way that is a step back. Instead of allowing designation of specific speeds for the different type of roads, such as 90 mph for Interstate highways, there are now slider bars going from slowest to fastest for each of the five road categories. Clearly, these won't work for the extreme lead foot or for emulating rush hour traffic.
While it is hard to determine the accuracy of the map and POI data without extensive testing, I did identify some corrections. In one instance, a very new development within the city of Chicago had roads that did not appear in S&T 2004 but now show up correctly in the 2005 version. My research indicates that the roads in question were built between 2001 and 2002.
One of my favorite restaurants in the Old Town area of Chicago, Bistro Margot, was listed as "Margot Bistro" and was not in the correct restaurant category (French) in 2004. In now appears spelled correctly and is categorized as a French restaurant. Without dynamic connectivity to both Microsoft and third-party data sources, POI data will always be a catch up game. Wouldn't it be nice to have a Citysearch or Metromix plug-in for Streets and Trips 2005 with new POI's appearing weekly?
My primary complaint with the application is its lack of robust functionality for getting data in and out of S&T. Microsoft should provide online updates for the map and POI data. Moreover, there should be better information on public transportation systems, such as overlays of Chicago's CTA and New York's MTA.
Interestingly, Microsoft does offer the ability to update construction information. Why not take it a step further? There probably isn't an easily supported business model for data import and updates. This unfortunate reality will restrict further development of the tool and its larger community. Yet, with the growth of mobile device enabled with location based technologies, Microsoft could benefit from fostering a developer community. In fact, location-based services (LBS) is one of the hottest areas in the wireless industry.
As I have mentioned in my previous reviews of Streets and Trips 2004, 2003, and 2002, there is no comparison between Streets and Trips and online map offerings. Not only is it faster while providing far better map quality, the functionality in areas like trip planning and annotation is vastly superior. Moreover, there are no advertisements, which appear when one prints the online maps!
In summary, Streets and Trips 2005 is a great tool for travel and local navigation. It is one of the most useful products you never thought you could use so frequently.
Pro's
1) Excellent map quality
2) Extremely fast zooming and panning
3) Powerful route planning
4) Real-Time GPS
What it is lacking (still!)
1) Integration with real-time traffic
2) Map and POI data updates via the Internet
3) Paths/routing for pedestrian and bicycle travel
4) Coordination with public transportation systems
5) Better integration and standardization of imported data so data sets like health clubs and WiFi hotspots could be included in the points-of-interest database at the user's choosing
6) Ability to save and categorize bookmarks
7) Map data for other countries available for an additional fee
24 One of the best!
Simply this is one of the best software programs ever. If you learn how to use it properly, you will never use a printed map again (unless you print it using MS S&T). I had 2003, 2004 and now 2005 versions. This is the ultimate travelers, ultimate map program.
25 Barely changed. Integration is still very poor!
Comment from Prior User
-----------------------
I used "Streets & Trips 2002" (S&T) for PC and the included "Pocket Streets" (PS) for PocketPC before this version.
Largely unchaged
----------------
Both S&T and PS are largely unchanged from the older versions. (I guess the GPS support is improved. But, I don't have a GPS.)
PC Integration
--------------
The integration with Outlook is slightly improved, but is still very disappointing.
The primitive integration with Outlook is still lacking. I expect outlook would allow me to jump to S&T from a Contract.
No, the taskbar icon "Display Map of Address" in the Contract window open to a webpage, instead of jumping to S&T. And, needless to say, it doesn't work when you're not connected to the Internet. Not to mention piracy concerns, a major reason to to buy a desktop map software.
A terrible bug was fixed: at least, I can now copy multiple lines address and paste it to "Find a Location" box in the newer version. (In 2002, I had to copy address line-by-line, and add spaces and/or commas between lines.)
Drag-n-drop of address text still doesn't work.
The so call "integration with Outlook" was a shame. It only let you import all addresses you already have. The only thing the importing does is pin-point the addresses on your map. (need to re-import when you got new addresses). This feature is barely useable. I can't figure why I want 200+ pins on my map! Why this integration is more important...
PocketPC integration
--------------------
Zooming map is slightly faster, especially with large *.mps file. Added GPS support (but, again, I don't have the GPS)
The integration finally work now on my Tohshiba e330. I can select an contact item, "right-click", choose "find on Map", and it pin-point and jump to the location. However, the right *.mps file must have been opened.
Another critical usablity bug is also fixed. I can now copy-n-paste an address into the "Find Address" box. (Can you believe it that the 2002 version didn't even support copy-n-paste? Needed to remeber the whole address and type every single letters, everytime!)
Copy-n-paste of multiple lines of address still doesn't work. (like older S&T). Well, with the proper *.mps opened, you might got one from the list with the first line if you're lucky.
Overall, a good map software with poor integration!!
