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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 31 août 2004 : 22:53:57
What’s new in Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005
by: Marvin Hlavac
In my opinion this new 2005 version is a big milestone for Streets and Trips because it no longer is just a trip-planning software but now it finally is usable for GPS navigation.
Click to enlarge
Keep Position Centered. This is a feature that didn’t work well in previous versions. Even though Streets & Trips still cannot show your GPS position in one constant place on the screen without moving, it now at least does a better job at it then before. The icon no longer travels all the way to the edge of the map before the map refreshes but instead it appears there is some "invisible" border close to the centre of the map and when the icon reaches it the map refreshes and icon goes back to the centre. Not a perfect solution but a great improvement.
Rotate Map to Follow Travel Direction. This is a must feature for GPS navigation software these days. It lets you see what’s ahead of you in a more natural way. When this feature is enabled north will not be constantly the top of your map but instead your heading will be the top.
Recalculate Route from Current Location. This is also a must feature for any satellite navigation system. While other navigation software products do have “Automatic-Recalculate” feature, Streets & Trips requires you to hit a button to “manually” do it. Perhaps S&T 06 will introduce Auto-Recalc.
Warning: S&T always recalculates route using “Quickest” setting even if you set “Shortest” or “Preferred Roads” in Options. Let’s hope Microsoft will fix this bug.
Create GPS Trail. When traveling on a road which is not on the map you may wish to turn this feature on. Thus, if you save it, it may help you later in finding your way back. If you change the blue color of the trail you created to color white, and if you also increase the width, it may look like a real road. Unfortunately, a road created this way is not routable. I wish Microsoft makes it possible in future versions for users to add new roads this way. That should include the ability to edit road properties like one way streets, road type, prohibited turn and so on.
1.8 million POI’s. MS Streets & Trips 2004 had an impressive database of 1.3 million Points of Interest. The new 2005 version still managed to increase that by a hefty 40% to 1.8 million!
Updated Maps. Maps and POI’s are the main strength of Streets & Trips. I see newer streets that were not in previous version. But as always, do not expect to find new streets that were built during the last 2 to 3 years. It takes that long for map data providers to make new data available and then Microsoft has to put the new data into a new version of Streets and Trips. Hopefully this 2 to 3 year lag time will be shorter in the future.
Configure GPS. It was made easier by adding a new Scan button which will automatically check which communication port is your GPS receiver connected to.
GPS Pane houses all GPS features: Track Position, Keep Position Centered, Rotate Map to Follow Travel Direction, Recalculate Route from Current Location and Configure GPS. It also displays your traveling speed, compass, altitude, latitude and longitude coordinates, and the time of day. In my opinion I would rather see distance-to-turn instead of my speed (cars do have speedometers).
Click to enlarge
Low Price. People are reporting prices as low as US $23 for the software. Even if you don’t intend S&T to be your main navigation software why not buy it anyway for its other good features (ease of search, POI’s…).
Optional USB GPS receiver. A Pharos product.
Pocket Streets for Pocket PC and now also for Smartphone is included at no extra cost but has no routing capability.
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Regards,
Marvin Hlavac
Toronto, Canada |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 04 juin 2005 : 18:29:07
Hmm, bad in comparison to what?
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| Sergei |
Posted - 04 juin 2005 : 18:18:47
Marvin Hlavac,
Thank you, I deside , return MS S&T, to Stapless , I hope I can do that .bad product for this money ;-). |
| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 03 juin 2005 : 15:41:56
Sergei,
Pharos website has an FAQ section specifically for Toshiba issues. You may be able to find a solution there:
http://www.pharosgps.com/support/faq-manufacturer1.htm
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| Sergei |
Posted - 02 juin 2005 : 04:38:59
It still doesn't work ;-( |
| Sergei |
Posted - 02 juin 2005 : 03:15:47
Hi Marvin Hlavac !
Thanks |
| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 02 juin 2005 : 02:04:15
Hi Sergei,
Welcome to GpsPasSion Forums! I think I'm not going to be of much help to you, but if the receiver you have is the original one (Pharos 360) that comes with S&T 05, I'd recommend going to Pharos web site and seek the proper driver there (before going elsewhere). Also you may search Pharos web site for info specific to Toshiba PocketPC's.
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| Sergei |
Posted - 01 juin 2005 : 03:18:28
Hi i need a help , plz.
I have toshiba e 830 and MS Str. and Tr.2005 with GPS I downloaded driver for usb host cabel and tried connect GpS but still have problem.
I used next web site http://www.mdgps.org/modules.php?name=pocketcaching but didn't understand how to fix registry and where the driver .inf
Thanks |
| prometheus |
Posted - 05 févr. 2005 : 16:34:59
Sorry list!
I'm a real donk this morning...not enough coffee.
The GPS unit that comes with the Microsoft bundle IS (!) fully WAAS enabled! Yeah.
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WAAS/EGNOS: Enabled
Trickle power: Programmable
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| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 05 févr. 2005 : 16:28:27
The price is definitely right ;-)
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| prometheus |
Posted - 05 févr. 2005 : 16:13:15
Thanks for the buy discount links. I have the larger pro Trimble GPS units, but way too heavy to lug this around, unless working.
The thing that really intrigued me about the MS S & T bundle was the effective *retail price* of the GPS unit itself: $65(at $99 bndl)
It looks like the GPS receiver itself (from Pharos), is the iGPS-360 GPS Receiver re-branded, but selling at 100 bucks from the mfg! Although the 360 is 12-channel non waas, it'd be worth it for me to just download and do diff calculations to get spot on waypoints and tracks, and not bother with the S & T maps-- unless I want to play. The Trimble weighs about 45-times as much as the 360.
As the Microsoft Pharos is NMEA protocol, just download the GPS Utility freeware and install, install the Pharos 360 drivers from Microsoft's CD, plug the Pharos in, then read the routes, waypoints and tracks into GPS Utility...et voila, you are generating your own real georeferenced routes... |
| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 04 févr. 2005 : 22:29:04
Then don't buy the software/hardware bundle. Get just Streets & Trips software and do a little bit of a research into GPS receivers. Buy one that will suit your needs the best. There are plenty of good ones around, and new ones with SiRFstarIII technology are just about to hit stores...
If you wish to support this website and buy from http://www.semsons.com/ and/or http://www.buygpsnow.com/ you may get 10% off.
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| prometheus |
Posted - 04 févr. 2005 : 22:00:08
Thanks, Marvin:
I would tend to agree with you...for road travel. Most streets and highways are anywhere from 10 to 30-meters wide.
Though, I'd like to try the unit out in the Southwest backcountry using our laptop. I'd prefer to lock onto WAAS. But for 99 bucks if it doesn't work out...oh well...
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| Marvin Hlavac |
Posted - 04 févr. 2005 : 17:53:05
Hi Prometheus
Welcome to GpsPasSion Forums !
1. You cannot import your maps into S&T
2. I'm pretty sure it isn't, but you may want to check the specs in the MS website. IMHO for car navigation WAAS is not needed.
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada |
| prometheus |
Posted - 04 févr. 2005 : 17:34:02
Has anyone loaded generic map files (shp or dxf) into S & T as yet?
As a mapmaker, I have my own high-res vector map quads, and wouldn't want to rely on the Microsoft subcontractor's accuracy, datum, etc...
I imaging that the GPS unit is WAAS enabled...?
Thanks. |
| gpspassion |
Posted - 19 oct. 2004 : 21:55:33
No unfortunately PS2005 is still the same "moving map" program, nothing really new there apart that it now runs on Smartphones.
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