Looking to buy Nav. software for my laptop (will use a Garmin Vista as the gps input). I am looking for s/w that will do auto-routing, will recalculate your route to destination on the fly if you miss a turn and will give voice guidance. One program that I know of is from Delorme (Street Atlas Deluxe). Anyone using this or anything else? If so, what are your experiences, the good the bad and the ugly?

Thanks,
Rob

 

ooo! I think I know this one! I had the opportunity to use both a Delorme and a Pretec CompactGPS on a work laptop. I started out with the Delarme but quickly found that it requires you to use the bundled software. After looking for available software for the delorme for ~2 hours, I ended up just loading MS MapPoint 2002 and buying a PCIMIA to Compact Flash adapter for the Pretec. I then proceeded to use it on the 1000+ mile trip to pick up my current truck. It worked flawlessly at all times. It's really cool to zoom in and watch yourself on the exit ramp. My recommendation is to get a GPS that sends fully NMEA sentences, orherwise you're very limited in the software realm. Also, MapPoint will do everything that you described except thte voice directions, but I think you can get a plugin for that.

Hopefully I covered it all.
brandon.

 

I use the Delorme Road Warrior street atlas with the USB GPS on a mini-note. I downloaded the software into the harddrive since the unit doesn't have a internal CD drive. So far I have been very pleased with the package. Only complaint is the GPS take some time to find its location when the unit is turned on.

MikeyB

 

I use a garmin StreetPilot GPS, but often if someone's riding shotgun, I'll attach it's serial cable to my laptop and we run DeLorme version 9. Always works great - has voice guidance, etc. and route planning. The route planning can be a little strange, create a route and you might have to edit a few of the waypoints - but it's got all the nav features you could want. I don't recommend trying to use a setup like this without a navigator, though!

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like a few people are using the DeLorme s/w with some good results. I had a version of Street Atlas 9.0 that did not work as well as I had anticipated. It seemed to be a memory hog on the laptop. I wonder if newer versions run any better.

joefarmer:
I have M/S Map Point 2004. I know it will provide a route to a destination and will accept NMEA sentences from my Garmin to show my current location, but I do not know if it will re-route if I miss a turn. I also don't see where to add voice to it. M/S does not really market it as a navigation tool, more of a mapping tool. I am trying to find out more of its capabilites.

MikeyB:
I use a serial connection from my Garmin Vista to the mapping s/w on the laptop. It seems to work very well. The Garmin finds itself pretty quick on cold start if I have a good view of the sky with the antenna.

dieselgeek:
I plan on being the person riding shotgun (don't have the patience to teach my wife how to use the GPS or the s/w)
I will let her drive and I will be the navigator. How does the voice recognition work for you? When I tried it, I got poor results.

A friend has iGuidance (can be used on a pocket pc or a laptop with a gps input). It seems to do most of what I need it for (auto-route, re-route,voice), without alot of the bells and whistles of Delorme. It is more expensive though.
Does anyone know of a place to download trial versions of any nav. s/w? I'm not looking for a freebie, just want to try it before I buy it to make sure that it is what I want.

Thanks,
Rob

 

I searched Google for "MapPoint voice guidance" and received quite a few results. The one I was thinking of was http://www.techgt.com/agps/ -- I have not used this software, I just thought it looked cool and it meets your requirements of re-routing & voice guidance.

Not to say this is the best solution, but you could try it before you buy and you have the other requirements already.

brandon.

 

brandon,
Thanks for the link 8).
I'm downloading it now and will give it a shot. It looks like everything I am looking for. They only list Map Point 2001 and 2002 on their website, so I am trying the version for 2002 for my 2004 Map Point. Supposedly, the downloaded version without registration is almost a full version. If you want to register it, it only costs $10.00 8)

~Rob

 

Hotdram,

Check out the current DeLorme GPS units and software at their site www.delorme.com or at www.4x4books.com. The current software is Street Atlas 2004 and they have a USB GPS unit that acquires the signal in under a minute. The whole package can be bought for under $150. I use it all the time and it offers the features that you are looking for.

Joe

 

HotRam:

I'm with Pool Man; I have the Street Atlas 2004 & new small, USB antenna for it - it works great.

The old antenna was a large, clunky thing that took 4 AA batteries to work & connected to the serial port; the USB version is much smaller, & takes it's power from the laptop, plus, it's plug&play.

Very excellant!

I added external speakers to the laptop (making sure their transformer output 12vdc, so I could tap into the truck) & the volume is now totally satisfactory for the spoken directions.

The only negative about this product is their handling of Points of Interest; they seem to have removed quite a few that were present on the previous version, plus they only display at a pre-set, high magnification.

Rene

 

Pool Man and gadgets,
Thanks for the input. I am installing Delorme Street Atlas 2004 on the laptop as I write this. I tried the AGPS from the above link and did not like the interface. Going to give the Delorme a shot now. Don't need the GPS receiver though. My Garmin Vista (on serial port) works just fine. If I see a usb one cheap (ie used) I will consider it, I like the fact that it is powered from the USB port.

Thanks again,
~Rob

 

I love it when my DeLorme software starts saying "OFF COURSE! OFF COURSE!" That's always a treat.... ;D

 

[quote author=TPilaske link=board=10;threadid=20746;start=0#msg195366 date=1065803228]
I love it when my DeLorme software starts saying "OFF COURSE! OFF COURSE!" That's always a treat.... ;D
[/quote]

I thought this s/w was supposed to re-route automatically on the fly if you missed a turn. I can't get mine to do it. It yells at me "off route" but does re-plot a new route from my lost position. Is this the way I have the route set up? Should I make the route start point be "GPS Start" instead of a discrete location (like my house)?