Streets & Trips 2006 to Offer Voice Prompt Directions

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051006/sfth017.html?.v=30' target='_blank'>http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051006/sfth017.html?.v=30</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft® Streets &amp; Trips 2006 with GPS Locator, the latest version of the best-selling mapping and travel planning software for the United States and Canada. Microsoft Streets &amp; Trips 2006 with GPS Locator introduces Voice-Prompted Directions, a hands-free option that reassures travelers with turn-by-turn directional information so everyone in the car can enjoy the ride without the stress of getting lost. For running errands around town, taking a family road trip, finding the way around a new city or planning a day of business meetings, Streets &amp; Trips 2006 with GPS Locator offers easy-to-use tools to plan personalized trips and travel with confidence."</i><br /><br />The all new Streets &amp; Trips 2006 offers a number of new features like: Voice-Prompted Directions, a Driving Guidance Pane, a new Dynamic Turn View, Night Map Style, and Locate Me technology which aims to help travelers who might not have their GPS unit, find their way back on course using WiFi hotspots to estimate their location. I'm looking forward to the upgrade. I've always like Streets &amp; Trips, but I was getting a little frustrated with the lack of features.

[hotdram]

Excellent news!! Can't wait to try it. Does "announced the availability" mean its available now or in a few weeks?

EDIT: According to bestbuy.com, the release date is 10/03/2005 :)

~Rob

[Jerry Raia]

I'm assuming the Smartphone version will have these features :?

[hotdram]

I'm assuming the Smartphone version will have these features :?

I would hope so, but I checked the Microsoft page for S/T 2006 and it is very vague. :(


~Rob

[Jerry Raia]

Vague might equal no. :cry:

[Mike Temporale]

The article keeps mentioning "Pocket PC and Smartphone" so I would guess that it's both. However, that is only a guess. :?

[hotdram]

I am stupid and have not learned from being an early adapter (example: I own a Palm M505), therefore I will probably get it very soon and be a guinea pig. I will report on it after I get it.

~Rob

[Sven Johannsen]

Though Streets and Trips has had GPS support and routing for some time, it hasn't had voice prompts. PocketStreets has never had any routing capability at all. It couldn't even transfer routes generated on the desktop. It would surprise me if Pocket Streets were all of a sudden upgraded with routing features.

The info at http://www.microsoft.com/streets/mapping2pocket.mspx doesn't indicate that Pocket Streets will do any more than it currently does. see par 3.

[revolution.cx]

I would be very surprised if they did anything to Pocket Streets beyond making it compatible with WM5 and the new version of the desktop app. They have made it clear with their actions over the years that Pocket Streets is supposed to be competent, not best in class (or even approaching it).

[hotdram]

Party poopers!!! :lol:
Oh well, I will still probably try it out.

~Rob

[Mark Larson]

So which is the best GPS and routing software for Pocket PC and Smartphone?

[hotdram]

So which is the best GPS and routing software for Pocket PC and Smartphone?

That is pretty subjective.
For a GPS receiver, I would go with a bluetooth one that has the SiRF III chipset and WAAS capability.
For s/w many people use Mapopolis. The s/w is free, you pay for the maps. The nice thing is, since the s/w is free, you can download the version for your PPC and the version for your Smartphone. Both platforms use the same maps though, which is nice. I think it is about $100 to get access to the map database for a year.
There are others out there, Pocket Streets and Trips for example (does not have routing capability), and some other more expensive ones.

EDIT: You can download mapopolis for free (as stated) and you can download maps that work (with full functionality) for a timed trial basis at no fee (I think they work for 10 days). That is nice, a "try before you buy" feature.

~Rob

[Jerry Raia]

I use mapopolis too. I do have the $100 subscription and that allows you to download as many maps as you want for a year. They have other packages too and you can even just buy individual maps.

[Santa Fe]

I use mapopolis as well. It seems the best of the bunch but I still don't think any of them are ready for "prime time". They are too difficult to use, the screens of the phones are too small and most cannot be viewed in daylight. It is a disappointment because I would like to get rid of one more gadget.

None work as a tool for getting "un-loss" when horse back riding. :P

[Sven Johannsen]

None work as a tool for getting "un-loss" when horse back riding. :P
Is that a comment for SP specifically? There are certainly topo based PPC mapping solutions, and some that work like a basic GPS, just allowing you to set waypoints and pointing you from one to another. I thought I had seen similar things for SPs. At least something that will let you mark your currnt location on a screen and let you get direction and distance to other points , either entered or marked.

Here you go...GPSTuner
http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1&amp;osId=594&amp;jid=XX5XX43243XA5C36EFECFX6214F9961D&amp;N=4294966910&amp;productId=171986&amp;R=171986

For outdoor activities though, I tend to prefer a little dedicated GPS though, like one of the eTrex series. Waterproof, better battery life, and would likely survive a fall fro horseback ;)

[Santa Fe]

Yep there are some topo's out there for the smartphone but none measure up to the usefulness of my e-trex for outdoor use yet. I keep hoping but I think it will take a next generation smartphone and better software.

[hotdram]

I use Outdoor Navigator from Maptech for my SP. You can download topo or charts and plot waypoints etc. Cost is $20 for a "lifetime of your device" subscription.
I agree though, small handheld GPS is best for outdoors. I had a Garmin eTrex Vista but upgraded to the Garmin GPSMAP 60CS for it's autorouting capability, bigger memory and color screen.

~Rob