Microsoft has outdone themselves with this 2005 program. Streets & Trips has always been a good mapping program, but the addition of a GPS system makes this year’s entry even better.
The software gives you a detailed route map and driving instructions. It includes points of interest, restaurants, gas stations, and ATMs. Just put in your starting point and your destination and you are given detailed directions. Add other information like your gas mileage and the program will spit out gasoline costs and other pertinent information. You can customize your trip to suit your needs.
Take Streets & Trips along for the ride on a laptop computer or PDA. Plug the small global positioning unit into the device you will use and use the included suction cup to place the GPS device on the car window. A small car will appear on the computer screen indicating exactly where you are located and showing you’re the progress of your trip. If you make a wrong turn, the program will recalculate you route automatically.
Almost any GPS device will work with Streets & Trips 2005 and you can purchase the program with and/or without the GPS unit. The included GPS unit has no added fees or monthly charges. You can put Streets & Trips on your PDA. The Pocket PC version is included in the package. You will need to purchase an adapter to attach the GPS unit to your PDA. Once you have your PDA set up with Streets & Trips, it is good for walking trips in a strange area. For car trips, this really only works well with two or more people. You need one to drive and one to navigate. Yet, it is a great new use for today’s technology and it will be a useful tool for many travelers.
