Entered CNET Catalog: 10/11/2006
SKU: ZV3-00006
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
Manufacturer description
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 with GPS Locator enhances the power of Streets & Trips, the #1 best-selling travel and map software, with a sleek new Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. You'll always know exactly where you are and where your next turn is. Just plug it in your laptop and go!CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/11/2006
The 2007 edition has some helpful enhancements from the last version, including a smaller GPS device that's just 1.25 inches square and more sensitive, so it does a better job of detecting satellite signals. Our test receiver, for instance, worked fine when placed on our car's passenger seat. With previous versions, we had to place the receiver on the dashboard or window to get a signal. Another plus: If you don't want to use the supplied USB cable, you can plug the receiver directly into the USB port.
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 software now integrates with Windows Live Search, Microsoft's answer to Google. By clicking the Windows Live icon on the Standard toolbar, you can search for businesses in your areas, such as shoe repair and so on. Streets & Trips pinpoints all matches on a local map, allowing you to select a business and get directions from your current location. This system is pretty slick--with some caveats. To access Windows Live, naturally you'll need an Internet connection. If you're in your car, this means either municipal Wi-Fi, which most cities don't have, a wireless cellular modem, or some other flavor of over-the-air broadband. Then again, you could use Windows Live before leaving the home or office. It would be nice if Streets & Trips integrated with Google, too, but odds are that won't happen anytime soon.
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 gives voice directions, as in, "Turn left in point-three miles." That's good, but we'd like more details. You see, unlike the best GPS navigators, Streets & Trips doesn't announce street names, as in "Turn left at Doubletree Lane." Street names would be helpful when you're driving in any densely packed urban area with many side streets and alleys. On the plus side, this program's full-screen navigation mode now displays four commonly used buttons: Turn Voice On/Off, Repeat Spoken Instruction, Re-route, and Night Mode at the top of the screen, making them easier to access.
Microsoft provides one year of free e-mail and phone assistance for Streets & Trips in addition to online resources, a generous support package for a consumer application.
Streets & Trips 2007 is a great vacation planner, but we caution against using it in traffic. From time to time, you'll need to glance at the screen map or tap a key, and that's a dangerous proposition at highway speeds. Remember, your laptop is probably sitting in the passenger seat, unless you have a human navigator navigating with the software.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
3/10
Maps not backward compatible
Pros: Has weather update
Cons: Maps cannot be saved as older versions.
Also any maps created in 2008 are not recognized by older versions of the software. There is no 'save as' for older versions....BIG NEGATIVE in my book!
Also found that some of the streets in my area (84770) are incorrect...however Yahoo maps has them right!
User Rating: 
9/10
It works well. Recommended.
Pros: GPS receiver connects quickly
Cons: Voice could be louder
User Rating: 
1/10
Save your money
Pros: Great if you just want a map and an idea where you are
Cons: Crap if you want to get somewhere
The software does not 'count down' to the turn, instead you're told to turn in 100 yards for example, but not at the point you're supposed to turn (requiring you to take your eyes off the road to confirm the correct turn).
If you go off route, you must manually issue a route recalculation (F3). Why doesn't it just recalculate for you?
User Rating: 3/10
Worse than Co-Pilot Truck
Pros: Great for finding an address
Cons: No easy way to detour on the fly
Streets & Trips does not work in the real world, I know that a road would NEVER be closed due to an accident, road construction, or other calamity, if you get off route it's up to you to find out how to get back on route, it has no provisions for detouring to an alternate route.
Mac should use this in thier PC commericals!!
User Rating: 
5/10
Need to look at all that use the highways on a daily basis
Pros: Goods maps
Cons: more info on low bridges for large rv's
You see more and more on the highways today those big 45' Motorcoaches and or 5th wheel trailers, so why has Microsoft not looked at providing highways that have low bridges and where we can find diesel fuel, dumping stations for waste.
I am sure that this type of information is easy to add.
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent Software Perfect
Pros: Very Good Program Excellent!
Cons: none that I see
User Rating: 
2/10
No Way Not This Not The One!!!
Pros: You can find businesses in the area kind of easily.
Cons: Very hard to use.
User Rating: 3/10
Bad choice for GPS
Pros: Fairly good trip routiing
Cons: no auto re-route, no address book integration,
User Rating: 
4/10
Haven't tried it with the GPS, but its a lousy trip planner
Pros: At least it is still available
Cons: Not nearly as good as the Rand McNally Tripmaker
User Rating: 
6/10
Street and trip with GPS
Pros: Good maps, good gps receiver, very accurate, good price
Cons: Doesn't announce street names or numbers, usage agrrement annoying
User Rating: 
8/10
Better than I was expecting
Pros: GPS receiver is surprisingly sensitive
Cons: Not yet well integrated with MS live local
