#Microsoft streets and trips alternative install#
#Microsoft streets and trips alternative upgrade#
#Microsoft streets and trips alternative software#
#Microsoft streets and trips alternative plus#

But for larger vehicles, perhaps an SUV with a console, or an RV, it could be an option.That's correct. Even its small size, however, wasn’t petite enough to make using Streets and Trips a viable alternative to a windshield-mounted GPS there’s just not enough space on the dashboard for a netbook. I installed Streets and Trips on a netbook, a device that’s significantly smaller than the laptop that I normally use. Also, a full-screen mode will recover the space taken up by the menu bar. Optionally, you can turn on the GPS pane to display your current speed, direction, latitude, longitude, altitude, and time. If the GPS receiver is enabled and receiving enough satellites, the navigation pane shows you the distance to your next upcoming turn, along with the direction of the turn.

#Microsoft streets and trips alternative plus#

You can choose to view only the map, the map plus a list of directions, or the map plus directions and a navigation pane. If you enter the current cost of gas, the estimated fuel cost of your trip appears at the bottom of the directions list.Īfter you complete your route planning and generate your route, you have multiple options for the screen display. You can even input the size of your gas tank, gas mileage, and the status of your tank at the beginning of the trip, and Streets and Trips will include a prompt for refueling.

Based on route preferences that you can customize, Streets and Trips calculates your route, complete with turn-by-turn directions and a map overview. You can arrange multiple trip segments in any order, or let Streets and Trips optimize the route if you have three or more waypoints. You merely enter one or more addresses or names of places, and you’re off. Trip planning, however, is where Streets and Trips really shines. I was able to successfully export a route and import it as a “Favorite” into a test Garmin nüvi 770. The GPX export feature worked as expected, but not all GPS devices support this format.

#Microsoft streets and trips alternative install#

This method does not require an MSN Direct subscription, but it is limited only to Garmin devices and requires that you download and install an ActiveX control.

#Microsoft streets and trips alternative upgrade#

You also can upgrade some GPS devices with a USB cable, using a computer with a live Internet connection. However, the device must support MSN Direct and have an active subscription Microsoft’s supported device list indicates that only a few models from Garmin, Nextar, and Pioneer can take advantage of this feature. You can updated the device via MSN Direct. There are two ways to send directly to a GPS. These are nice additions, but their usefulness is limited. The major additions to the product, however, consist of a new “Send to GPS” feature as well as the ability to export route information in the standard GPX format. and Canada, along with some welcome additions to points-of-interest categories. Microsoft hasn’t broken much new ground with the latest version of Streets and Trips. Streets and Trips will work with most GPS receivers that are NMEA 2.0-compatible, so if you have such a receiver from a previous version, all you need is the software.

#Microsoft streets and trips alternative software#

As with previous versions, Streets and Trips 2010 ships in two packages: a software-only version for $40 and a combo of software plus GPS locator for $70. If you’re not familiar with it, Streets and Trips turns your laptop or netbook into a full-fledged GPS-navigation and trip-planning device. And that remains true of the latest version, Streets and Trips 2010, even though many of its new features are less than compelling. For trip planning, it’s always been hard to beat Microsoft Streets and Trips.