Upgrade Pocket Streets 2002 to 2005?

[BudPritchard]

My Dell Desktop came with Works which has Pockect Streets 2002. I used it alot and have it loaded to my new Dell X50v. I used PS 2002 on the desktop to generate maps for my PPC. Maps were fine for me as a replacement for paper maps.

Only pain is having to load the run cd.

No need for GPS.

Need user's opinions on whether to upgrade to PS 2005 or stick with what I have.

Thanks.

[Sven Johannsen]

Actually you don't have Pocket Streets on your desktop, you have MS Streets and Trips. Streets and Trips is a very good desktop mapping program. Every copy of Streets and Trips comes with a copy of Pocket Streets. You cut areas in Streets and Trips to be used as map files in Pocket Streets.

Both S&T and Pocket Streets have advanced a great deal since 2002. The basic functionality of the Pocket version has not changed all that much other than contact integration, some GPS support, etc. It is however better than what was available in 2002.

I would recommend that everyone upgrade S&T every year. After the initial full charge you can generally find it for well under $25, giving you whatever program updates have happenned, but more importantly, updated map data. The only drawback to your upgrade is that you will have to re-cut new maps as Pocket Streets 2005 (or whatever it is called) does not read maps cut under S&T 2002. Had you had 2003 or 2004, those map files are still compatible.

P.S. it is possible to load all the data from the Run CD onto the hard drive so you wouldn't need it to load S&T.

[Darius Wey]

Sven has made some good points, but I might also add that an upgrade will allow you to use the latest maps offered by Microsoft, which unfortunately, require the 2005 version to function correctly. You can find these maps here (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f616e67b-1879-434c-be64-0fb8cf65d64d&DisplayLang=en).

[BudPritchard]

Thanks Darius and Sven.
Think I will upgrade to get the lastest map data.

[MROX]

Is there somekind of "route planner" in Microsoft Pocket Streets 2005 like in Street and Trips, or I always have to drag my laptop for that?

If Pocket Streets 2005 can't do it, is there another good program who can do it? (Without GPS)

Thanks

[Sven Johannsen]

Is there somekind of "route planner" in Microsoft Pocket Streets 2005 like in Street and Trips,

Nope. Adding push pins is the most you can do on Pocket Streets. PPretty much any of the GPS centered mapping programs do route planning. You do not have to have a GPS to make use of that. You can even get verbal route instructions from Mapopolis for instance by stepping through the route legs with the d-pad. Mapopolis is an option as is DeLorme's Street Atlas Handheld, but as I say most all the (GPS) Nav programs can be used without a GPS.