Pocket Streets and Trips 2005 Now Available: As a Stand Alone Product!

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/pocketstreets/default.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...ts/default.mspx</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Pocket Streets 2005 is available as a stand alone product in major retail stores and contains the Pocket PC and Smartphone versions. Previous versions of Pocket Streets were only available by purchasing a downloadable version from Handango.com or with the purchase of a Microsoft mapping product, such as MapPoint, Streets &amp; Trips, or AutoRoute. The retail version of Pocket Streets 2005 will come with approximately 300 North America maps and 275 Western Europe maps right in the box. "</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20041020_pocket_streets.gif" /> <br /><br />New features include:<br />• New Maps: Pocket Streets 2005 customers will be able to download new maps for Australia, Brazil, and Greece. <br />• New Scale Feature: Pocket Streets 2005 now features a measurement scale to help customers get a better idea of distance between locations.<br />• Improved User Interface: Makes it easier for customers to locate the information they need, switch between maps and GPS information, and open maps without going through the file manager every time.<br />• Zoom in or out to see just what you want on a map.<br />• Customize maps with personal points of interest.<br />• Search for destinations and addresses by using partial names and "roam" maps to search for points of interest.<br />• Link to a GPS device to indicate your realtime location on a map. You can easily switch back and forth between a map and GPS information, such as your current latitude and longitude.<br />• With your Pocket PC or Pocket PC Phone, you can copy maps to Microsoft Pocket Word to produce professional-looking agendas.<br />• With your Pocket PC or Pocket PC Phone, you can plot a contact's address or map the location of your calendar appointment. <br />• Opens with the most recently used map loaded instead of having to choose a map each time you open Pocket Streets.<br /><br />While Microsoft has <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32993&amp;postdays=0&amp;postorder=asc&amp;start=0">announced the availability of Pocket Streets and Trips,</a> they've only <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=293938#293938">just now</a> gotten around to announcing that it can be purchased separately from desktop mapping programs. The price isn't all that bad, either - just $29.95 <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&amp;pcid=78efd7a7-53d3-4815-a8b9-315ff5bf1109&amp;type=ovr">directly from Microsoft.</a> What do you current users think? Are these upgrades enough to entice you?

[D.psi]

So, I'm confused is Pocket Streets 2005 included with any of the desktop MS mapping programs? Or are only the older versions available? The press release is unusually ambiguous on this point, and I can't (easily) find any evidence one way or the other on this.

Is this simply another cash grab?

D.psi
edit Guess I should have read Jonathan's post as linked by Pat. It appears that the 2005 version is available in the desktop versions...

[Paul Martin]

Personally, not interested. I still remember when you could download the program for free. Other than the GPS integration, it doesn't seem the program has really advanced that much since then. I don't understand why they haven't added map routing and directions. If they did, I might actually consider it. 'Til then, the only way I would probably pick this up is to upgrade my desktop version package.

[farnold]

Mates, for the first time you get a street directory for Sydney and other Australian cities at a decent price. The only other offering in the market asks for more than 100 US$ 8O and doesn't offer a better product...

[disconnected]

It looks like just what you get included with the desktop Streets and Trips 2005 -- which can be gotten at Amazon for 34.99 (with free shipping) minus a 10.00 mail-in rebate for a final cost of 24.99. That's assuming that you can also download the out of North America maps for the version that comes with the desktop one?

[HoustonPPC]

Sorry, but I don't get it!!!

Why buying Pocket Street 2005 for "JUST" $29.95, when you can buy Streets & Trips 2005 (with Pocket Street 2005 included) for $29.44 at walmart.com:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3327609


:bangin:

[Pat Logsdon]

Why buying Pocket Street 2005 for "JUST" $29.95, when you can buy Streets & Trips 2005 (with Pocket Street 2005 included) for $29.44 at walmart.com: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3327609
Welcome, HoustonPPC! That's actually a pretty good point. I went back and re-read the press release we were sent, and the price listed was "an estimated $24.95". Either they estimated wrong, or the price is a mistake. Not that $5 bucks makes that much difference, but still. :wink:

[rmasinag]

I am curently using the Mapopolis non-gps version and its very quick and responsive. I dont have a car to justify buying a BT GPS :).

For you guys that know, how does this product compare with Mapopolis ofr PPC?

[omnytex]

This choice kind of sucks in my mind...

Mapopolis the PROGRAM is, IMHO, far superior to PS&T. But, Streets & Trips on the desktop is fantastic, and the ability to generate maps for the pocket version is great. I don't like Mapopolis' approach to the map data, if they had a way I could create my own map of an arbitrary area like I can from S&T, it would be an absolute winner.

I don't know how many times I've had to travel in an area and so I just went to S&T, created a map about twice as big as the area I'd be in, downloaded it to my X5 and off I went. If I had to go look up the zip code like I have to for Mapopolis (or so my understanding is, maybe I'm wrong?), I'd hate it.

Mapopolis costs quite a bit more too when you factor in the map data, so overall I go with S&T (as someone else said, just pay the $30 or so for the desktop version, the pocket version comes with it), even though as I said, the Mapopolis program is much better (faster, more feature-rich, etc).

[ctmagnus]

I paid $25CAD for the desktop version of S&T2004, that came with Pocket Streets for free. $25USD or more for the Pocket version (even if it is generation newer) is too much.

[JonathanWardRogers]

Is it so hard to add routing/driving instructions to this?! :evil:

[EricMCarson]

They want me to pay $29.99 and they still don't have the ability to provide address to address routing? Not to mention current GPS position to address? Not worth it, I'll take the free version in my S&T 2005 CD. What a load of ...

[atsouch]

You are just thinking of your market. Streets & trips is only fof US. The pocket streets 2005 package includes Europe maps and especially the new maps for Greece that is of my interest. :wink:

It's a fair price for a package without routing...

[lapchinj]

Why buying Pocket Street 2005 for "JUST" $29.95, when you can buy Streets & Trips 2005 (with Pocket Street 2005 included) for $29.44 at walmart.com: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3327609
Welcome, HoustonPPC! That's actually a pretty good point. I went back and re-read the press release we were sent, and the price listed was "an estimated $24.95". Either they estimated wrong, or the price is a mistake. Not that $5 bucks makes that much difference, but still. :wink:
I use map point now for work so I get the Pocket streets but I did buy Streets & Trips 2003 previously and if I had to do it again I would only buy the desktop bundle even if the Pocket version was half the price. It's very hard to accomplish on the PDA what you can on the PC. I set up the maps I need on the PC and then just load them to my iPAQ.

Jeff-

[yankeejeep]

I think what they're selling is the convenience of all the pre-generated maps they include. It won't be as complete as the custom maps that can be generated with Streets & Trips desktop version or MapPoint, but you don't need to take the time to define and export 300 North American city maps. This could be a real convenience for business travelers who need to locate things in new cities as opposed to being a trip planner.

[JoC]

Does anyone know if it gives you the option to view maps with metric units? I pored over the MS website (which leads you around in circles) and found no mention of it. To most of the world, maps with the scale in miles is no use whatsoever. At least they've added more maps. There were actually a few of Melbourne. As someone who's a bit geographically challenged :oops: , it might come in handy (as long as I don't have to keep converting the units).

[ecard]

For you guys that know, how does this product compare with Mapopolis ofr PPC?

Mapopolis is 1,000% superior. Pocket Street it's only a map browser. Like you said, Mapopolis is very fast, and very small and optimized maps.

When I tried Pocket Street, just the map for my neighbourhood was big.

[acollet]

I have both PocketStreets 2004 and Mapopolis. The detail of mapopolis is far greater and more acurate than PocketStreets. That being said,what I hate about Mapopolis is that everything is broken up bycounty. and when you have to have maps of many counties, mapopolis is much slower to load. Anyone w/ Mapopolis find a way around the slowness of having many county maps?

[BobWitt]

[quote="Pat Logsdon"]
• With your Pocket PC or Pocket PC Phone, you can copy maps to Microsoft Pocket Word to produce professional-looking agendas.[quote]

I didn't think PPC Phone had Pocket Word!?!

BobWitt

[Darius Wey]

The price of Pocket Streets may certainly seem a little high when compared with the full Streets & Trips package.

Personally, while it is a nice little package if you want some sort of basic navigational ability, I still believe Pocket Streets has a long way to go before it becomes an enticing product for many GPS users out there.

[kmh]

I think what they're selling is the convenience of all the pre-generated maps they include. It won't be as complete as the custom maps that can be generated with Streets & Trips desktop version or MapPoint, but you don't need to take the time to define and export 300 North American city maps. This could be a real convenience for business travelers who need to locate things in new cities as opposed to being a trip planner.
You can already get that convenience if you have the Pocket Streets that comes with the desktop version. All of the pre-generated maps are free to download from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f616e67b-1879-434c-be64-0fb8cf65d64d&DisplayLang=en).

[yankeejeep]

Yes, you can download them. But it would take a chunk of time to download 300 of them and I'm sure there's a whole audience who would lay out $25 in order not to have that chore. Or, like me, may think of it once I'm in my seat on the plane. Copying the maps from a CD onto a CF card is a real tempting thought.

[Will T Smith]

I think what they're selling is the convenience of all the pre-generated maps they include. It won't be as complete as the custom maps that can be generated with Streets & Trips desktop version or MapPoint, but you don't need to take the time to define and export 300 North American city maps. This could be a real convenience for business travelers who need to locate things in new cities as opposed to being a trip planner.

You can't load 300 maps on your PocketPC without a serious Microdrive!!! What's the point????

I personally have a handful of maps of places I plan to be. More than half of those places aren't included in their "out of box" maps!!!!

[Pat Logsdon]

• With your Pocket PC or Pocket PC Phone, you can copy maps to Microsoft Pocket Word to produce professional-looking agendas.
I didn't think PPC Phone had Pocket Word!?!
They don't. I think they're referring to Pocket PC Phone Edition, not smartphones. :wink:

[Mr. PPC]

Pocket PC Phone Edition does have Pocket Word/Excel, Smartphone does not.

Since when can you embed graphics into Pocket Word, deletes them everytime I have tried or received a Word file. Textmaker can!

Maybe they have a new version of Pocket Word that allows this :?: :?: :?:

[Darius Wey]

Since when can you embed graphics into Pocket Word, deletes them everytime I have tried or received a Word file. Textmaker can!

Pocket Streets seems to have integrated this ability into Pocket Word.

Within the Pocket Streets program, you select Menu --> Map --> Copy.
The Pocket PC then stores the displayed part of the map in memory, and if you head over to Pocket Word and select Edit --> Paste, it pastes that part of the map as an embedded image in the document file.

[Darius Wey]

Mates, for the first time you get a street directory for Sydney and other Australian cities at a decent price.

I wouldn't treat it as a street directory replacement just yet. I've had a look through most of the Australian maps and while a lot of them are pretty well done, some need a few adjusting and more features for it to be considered a true directory replacement. Instead, I'd consider it as more of a complementary product to your standard street directory. It does not yet provide anything close to the features offered by UBD or StreetSmart in their street directories. If you get the chance to see these maps, you'll know what I mean.

[Mr. PPC]

Pocket Streets seems to have integrated this ability into Pocket Word.

Within the Pocket Streets program, you select Menu --> Map --> Copy.
The Pocket PC then stores the displayed part of the map in memory, and if you head over to Pocket Word and select Edit --> Paste, it pastes that part of the map as an embedded image in the document file.

I just tried doing the same thing and it failed so they clearly are modifying Pocket Word in some way.

[Darius Wey]

Pocket Streets seems to have integrated this ability into Pocket Word.

Within the Pocket Streets program, you select Menu --> Map --> Copy.
The Pocket PC then stores the displayed part of the map in memory, and if you head over to Pocket Word and select Edit --> Paste, it pastes that part of the map as an embedded image in the document file.

I just tried doing the same thing and it failed so they clearly are modifying Pocket Word in some way.

What version of the Pocket PC OS do you use?

[Mr. PPC]

WM2003 (XDA II)

I-mate SP3 arrives tomorrow or Monday and then XDA IIs later in the week.

[Darius Wey]

WM2003 (XDA II)

I-mate SP3 arrives tomorrow or Monday and then XDA IIs later in the week.

Well I've tested it on another WM2003 device as well, and the versions of Pocket Word are the same in both cases. So it is a little odd that it does not work for you.

[yankeejeep]

I think what they're selling is the convenience of all the pre-generated maps they include. It won't be as complete as the custom maps that can be generated with Streets & Trips desktop version or MapPoint, but you don't need to take the time to define and export 300 North American city maps. This could be a real convenience for business travelers who need to locate things in new cities as opposed to being a trip planner.

You can't load 300 maps on your PocketPC without a serious Microdrive!!! What's the point????

I personally have a handful of maps of places I plan to be. More than half of those places aren't included in their "out of box" maps!!!!

If they're distributing them on CD there's a limit to the bite. I have got to think that most of them will fit nicely on my unused 1-gig CF card (and put to use a price-to-good-to-pass-up purchase). The other option is to take a look at the new DeLorme release, but I wasn't that enamored of the prior PPC version as far as a general city map/address finder app and I need to find out if their data set would fit on a 1-gig memory card. I don't use GPS with my device, so that is a zero consideration for me. A reasonably good address finder in urban areas, though, is a big consideration.

[tmagin]

My uncle has a cabin in Pensylvania. Old Pkt Streets showed the roads to it- new version does not. We have a cabin in Minnisota. Old Pkt Streets showed the roads to it- new version does not. Now I get GPS, but fewer roads and landmarks. Like the dead guy said: "Here I am all dressed up and no-where to go".

[PPCRules]

I was worried about that. An earlier thread mentioned how many less miles of roads are in the 2005 version. Kinda a turn-off to upgrading. I'd guess they switched to a different database provider, which probably means there are a lot of subtile changes (some things fixed, other broken).

I suspect the new product packaging means they feel the product reached critical mass, after giving it away for years with the desktop product. Actually, a good stategy to building demand for a new product. But I also suspect that this (2005) is the last year it will be included in the desktop package for free. So you will have to buy both products to extract your custom maps on a desktop computer.

By the way, it's Minnesota, with an 'e', thank you. :wink: Where's the cabin?

[disconnected]

One big advantage to Mapopolis is that you can use the stylus to instantly drag the map or to draw around the exact piece of the map you want to look at. With Streets, unless it's changed recently, you tap arrows to move it one direction at a time, so you never seem to get the exact section you want.

Looking up POIs is also a lot easier in Mapopolis -- you can specify a particular town, or look within view area, you can select the type of POI you want, and match on any part of the name. I don't know which app has the most POIs.

As has been mentioned, one big aggravation of Mapopolis is selecting which maps to load -- you either have to load whole states or specific counties. I mostly use the desktop Streets and Trips to find which counties to load for Mapopolis.

Kind of off-topic, but does anyone know of a desktop app like Streets and Trips such that you can draw around or zoom into an area, and have it generate an alphabetical list of all counties in the area? Or does Streets and Trips do this some way that I've missed? I've been just been looking at the map and writing down all the counties I can find. Mapopolis really should provide this functionality, but so far they haven't gotten around to it.

[spaziobds]

I'm amazed, there are maps alla around the world, but how can I get a copy of the software in Italy? microsoft only sells it in US, no downloads available, only found version 2004

[elentz1]

After using the DeLorme Streets USA (desktop & Pocket PC edition) for several years along with Microsoft S&T, I have to give it to S&T for being the better for the Pocket PC. Map creation is better along with allowing for a much larger area to be covered. DeLorme is very slow with large maps.

If you purchase the Desktop edition the Pocket version is included along with the ability to create any map you want in the US. This package only appears to give selected US cities along with selected foreign cities. I fail to see an advantage since you will need a notebook to load in the maps and they are available for free download on Microsoft's website anyway.

Maybe this is Microsoft's way of letting us know that next year we will have to purchase a seperate program for the PocketPC like DeLorme has done.

The S&T 2005 package with GPS from Microsoft is very nice and the optional Bluetooth adapter makes a very slick package if you care to do GPS tracking. Routing would be a nice addition.

Teaming up with NAVTEQ, Pharos and Woodall's was a nice addition.

[Kevin Daly]

What do you current users think? Are these upgrades enough to entice you?

If they added New Zealand, that would entice me.
Same as for MapPoint.
Sigh.