Unless you really need the updated maps, I would not upgrade from Streets and Trips 2007.
* The 2008 version is the first one with a product key that needs to be registered. I assume this means I can no longer sell or give away the old version when I buy the new one. So I won't be upgrading every year anymore.
* After I did the install, it corrupted a dll that Money 2007 uses. I had to reinstall Money to get it working again. Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 [OLD VERSION]
I've used S&T for many years, updating every year or two as useful new features were added. I updated to the 2008 version to get updated maps. After a lengthy install process, I found that MS had "updated" my street address out of existence. I live along a major road in Essex County in a substantial NJ Township with a 20K+ population and my street address and those of my neighbors had always shown up in prior versions of S&T. S&T 2008 not only elminated my street address but all street addresses on nearby major roads (i.e. those appearing in yellow). Other street addresses are shown. I did not have the time and inclination to see if this problem exists for street addresses in other areas of NJ or in other states. This fault in mapping street addresses makes this program untrustworthy and, essentially, useless.
When I called MS Technical support to see if I'd missed an option that would enable it to show street addresses on major roads, I was told that there was no such option and that another company provided the mapping technology and that I could provide map feedback about the error. He offered a refund but I will be able to return it to the place I bought it.
At this point, I've removed this new software garbage from my machine and reinstalled the old version. Now that Google Earth and other free mapping software exists and good GPS devices are readily available at decent prices, the need to pay for updated versions of S&T, especially dismally executed updates like this inexcusible 2008 version, makes no sense.
Having purchased the latest release of Streets and Trips for each of the past seven years, I have been generally quite happy with the product. Streets and Trips 2008 is a very slight improvement over the 2007 version with updated map data. As with previous versions, I am happy with the speed and accuracy of the product and still somewhat disappointed there is no real-time map data updating or dynamic point-of-interest data available for purchase.
To evaluate the merits of the product like this, it is very important to understand that the actual data for the maps is not created by Microsoft. It would be foolish to fault them for the lack of a new street or an incorrectly marked highway exist. Map data creation and refinement is a multi-billion dollar industry provided by companies like Chicago-based Navteq, which recently was acquired by Nokia for $8 billion dollars. These companies create the data, often with initial information from the government, refine it, and then sell it to other entities like Microsoft, Garmin and Ford.
People often ask why would one pay for map software when web-based applications are provided by services like Mapquest for free. The answer is that there are several reasons to consider this product over "free" alternatives. These include:
1) SPEED ....
Streets and Trips is incredibly fast and does not require an Internet connection. This is great for road warriors who are on the go and need to determine their destination in airports and on airplanes.
2) FLEXIBILITY...
Streets and Trips allows you to change cosmetic items like font size and map style. Maps can also be saved as files for future access and modification. So, even if you need to map a local trip like a home shopping outing, you can map out your travels in granular detail. As you research your house hunting treks, your saved map can be updated with your new finds. Additionally, you can draw on top of the map and various notations.
3) NO ADVERTISEMENTS & WASTED INK...
Unlike Mapquest, there is no extraneous information on printed maps. You can control what appears on the paper.
4) POWER USER FUNCTIONALITY...
Streets and Trips contains features found on sophisticated logistics software. For example, there is a route optimization function that identifies the most efficient route based on a collection of stops. Also, you can adjust the estimated driving speed for different segment based on your particular knowledge of the roads (i.e. slower for rush hour). Oddly, Microsoft took away specific driving speeds in mph for different types of roads starting in 2007, which I feel was a huge mistake. Rather, there are sliders that say "slower-average-faster".
But there are downsides...
While there is some there is connectivity with the outside world in this version of Streets and Trips, it is limited. Basically, it does provide updated construction information over the Internet for free. In the "connected services" version of Streets and Trips, you can obtain traffic and gas price information through a MSN direct, which obtains data through an FM receiver. Such connectivity is for navigation on the go. Yet, this doesn't make any sense as Streets and Trips can't be safely used as an in-vehicle navigation device. Even on a PDA or ultramobile PC, the proper touchscreen interface is not available. Moreover, there are so many well-designed PND (personal navigation devices) such as Dash's networked PND (i.e. the PND actually uploads the subscriber's speed and location), that Microsoft has no hope of competing in this market.
So, where does this leave Streets and Trips 2008? It is about halfway to where it needs to be. I am sure the concept of dynamically updated map and point-of-interest data hasn't escaped Microsoft engineers. The question still remains as to how they can provide this valuable information at price point where the average consumer will pay for it. - Maps - Directions - Navigation Drving Directions - Cartography'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
