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12-10-2012, 09:57 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Durango CO
Posts: 582
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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2013
Backstory, I wanted something bigger than the usual 4-7" GPS screen for the coach. Figured MS-S&T on a laptop would be more visible and safer than squinting trying to see a GPS screen on the dash.
Bought S&T 2011 just before 2013 came out, it had quite a few inaccuracies locally and I couldn't trust it knowing if it couldn't get our local streets right how was it in places I didn't know. Fast forward to last month when I was offered a discount on S&T 2013 from Microsoft. Figured $15 couldn't hurt and it might have been fixed. WRONG nothing locally had been updated.
These are the errors within 5 miles of our house.
It shows D bar K road as being a through road, it's been a private road for over 10 years and hasn't been a through road in all that time.
Part of CR-228 is miss-labeled as CR-226, if a driver was following directions they'd never find their turn as all the road signs and maps say CR-228.
A construction project changing the intersection of CR-223 and Highway 160 that was finished in 2011 is still shown as the old routing. Now this project was not finished 'till mid 2011 but it had been "on the books" and underway for years before this. This oversight may have been forgivable in S&T 2011, but it's still not updated in the newer S&T 2013 which tells me Microsoft isn't doing due diligence in keeping current.
All of these errors are found in Bing Maps but are correct in Mapquest and Google Maps. Guess I'm going to have to look at a real GPS unit and squint.
Anyone have PC GPS software that is actually up to date?
__________________
The above post is just my experience/opinion which is worth exactly what you paid for it.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'05 Lance 845/'06 F-250 or '99 Alpine 36SDS Usually towing an '01 Wrangler locked on 35"s or moderate '98 Cherokee on 33"s (rear locker only)
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12-10-2012, 10:08 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Winter Park, Fl
Posts: 495
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daveshan: Darn I was hoping you were going to tell us that it was worth upgrading. I also use a computer and I find the large screen superior to the smaller units. I'm running MS Streets 2009 and I occasionally also use my smart phone to verify Street's but not often as Streets is usually pretty good for my travels. Are there any benefits from the 2011 to the 13 that you found?
If you want to stick with your laptop others sell GPS software including Garmin.
__________________
2007 Allegro Bus 42 QRP, 400 ISL now 2017 LTV Serenity on a 2016 Sprinter chassis
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12-10-2012, 10:19 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Durango CO
Posts: 582
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Garmin Mobile PC and Delorme are both "unavailable" on Amazon, Garmin's website shows "Discontinued" hopefully the Delorme is just waiting on an update.
Before the S&T experience I was using nRoute from Garmin, it's long discontinued and rudimentary but it does use Garmin maps so it's current.
Did not notice any worthy updates, but haven't really looked at it much after seeing the lack of map updates.
__________________
The above post is just my experience/opinion which is worth exactly what you paid for it.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'05 Lance 845/'06 F-250 or '99 Alpine 36SDS Usually towing an '01 Wrangler locked on 35"s or moderate '98 Cherokee on 33"s (rear locker only)
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12-10-2012, 10:24 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Winter Park, Fl
Posts: 495
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Well thanks for letting us know. We live in a time where "upgrade" can mean the opposite...
__________________
2007 Allegro Bus 42 QRP, 400 ISL now 2017 LTV Serenity on a 2016 Sprinter chassis
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12-10-2012, 10:56 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Anacortes, Wa.
Posts: 529
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daveshan,
Thanks for the post. I have Streets & Trips 2011 and missed the short time frame on getting 2013 for $15 but after your post I went to Microsoft Streets web page and they offered a "construction update" for the maps. Not sure if it would do much good. I use a rather large older Garmin Street Pilot on the dash but I use the small Microsoft GPS that I got with Streets & Trips, plugged in to the laptop and it traces my route as I travel which gives me a fun record of where we've been.
__________________
John
08 Intrigue
2014 Ford Edge
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12-10-2012, 11:13 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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You guys are lucky, I can't get it to load correctly on my desktop. It says it's completed but when I try to use it all I get is a message that it installed incorrectly.
Tried removing and reinstalling half a dozen times with the same results.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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12-10-2012, 12:02 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Spokane Valley WA
Posts: 323
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Everything is obsolete . Last year, I got someone's "must have" (so called) book which would give you exits to find parks, restaurants, fuel stops etc. Brand new, hot off the press. I looked at an important intersection in our area. Restaurants listed had been gone for years, however an Ihop and Wendy's weren't listed, nor was a Costco, Home Depot, rv parts and repair shop and new fuel stops. All within 1/4 mile of this major intersection. I sent the book back.
I use Streets and Maps (2012) and Trailer Life's campground 2012 software, once route is established upload to our Garmin Nuvi. Even at that is a 'crap shoot'. Last year we suddenly found ourselves being forced off I-5 due to road closure for construction. At that point all the the gps said was 'recalculating', and trying to get us back to the closed highway. We eventually found our way back to I-5, beyond the closed area. Who knew there was such steep hills in a residential area of Tacoma? Later, opening upper cabinets was exciting.
Overall, I prefer Streets and Maps (or my older version of MapPoint, close relative). From there we are on our own -
I do like the TL software, but only for locating and evaluating campgrounds.
JoAnn
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12-10-2012, 01:06 PM
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#8
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RV Mutant #14
Winnebago Owners Club Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 17,208
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Daveshan,
It is not only MS&T. I have had a TomTom for the past several yers - different models, and I have also used MS&T. They both have had their problems of showing through streets when the streets were not through, or telling one to turn when there is no road to turn on. I have a friend that has a Garman and he as the same problem from time to time. It's just the nature of the beast.
I have found that with TomTom I can just keep driving and it will eventually get me to where I am going.
Another friend had a 5th wheel. A few miles down a very narrow road it came to a dead end. He had to jack knife the 5th wheel, unhook, 4 wheel drive down throug a ditch, back in jack knifed and hook up. Otherwise it was 5 miles driving in reverse.
Just the nature of the beast.
__________________
Wayne MSGT USMC (Ret) & Earlene (CinCHouse) RVM14 (ARS: KE5QG)
Lexi - Goldendoodle
2015 Winnebago Tour 42QD - 2020 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve
It is what it is, and then it is what you make of it.
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12-10-2012, 01:17 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Durango CO
Posts: 582
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Yep, it's the stuff of comedy shows. I'll admit I prefer to use the routing software on Google maps then print out a hard copy to hand to the copilot so she can navigate. That's how I got the coach home from Pennsylvania and last time we did this everything was up to date including road construction on a little 2 lane blacktop road in NM.
__________________
The above post is just my experience/opinion which is worth exactly what you paid for it.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'05 Lance 845/'06 F-250 or '99 Alpine 36SDS Usually towing an '01 Wrangler locked on 35"s or moderate '98 Cherokee on 33"s (rear locker only)
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12-19-2012, 09:38 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,189
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I have found that no matter what program or device that I use it always is missing or adding something that makes no sense. That's why we always have a printed version off a map right beside the seat! Streets and Trips works for me best as a preplaner. Gives me something to do during the cold winter months making decisions about the trip for next summer that will change before we get there.
__________________
Larry B, Luckiest Dreamer
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02-20-2013, 10:21 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Port Coquitlam BC
Posts: 56
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I use MT&T but only for a general view of where I want to go. When I travel I use nRoute (discontinued from Garmin Google search for it) and topo maps of Canada or the US. Using the topo maps gives me a much more detailed terrain I will be going through.
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02-24-2013, 11:47 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Full time RV'er
Posts: 5,140
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Had a weird problem with MS S&T 2009 on my laptop. It's basically the only program running. But for some reason it totally trashed my laptop. Destroyed the OS (WinXP SP3) so it wouldn't run at all. Since I'm a computer pro, didn't take long to restore the system and do some research on the issue. Turned out that it's a known problem with S&Ts and MS actually had a fix for it...that they only provided for a year after S&Ts 2009 was issued. I'd bought my copy in Aug. of 2010 and was a little pissed that when I called MS trying to get a copy of the patch that would prevent the problem, they refused to send it to me, insisting that I had to buy the newest version of S&T.
Screw them. I'll never buy another copy of S&Ts. I was too busy at the time to send all the info I had to the Attorney General or the FTC but I wish I had.
So, if you have a copy of S&Ts 2009 or 2010 (I believe the issue was fixed in the 2011 issue), prepare for that one day when it'll lock up your computer so bad that you'll have to wipe the HDD and reinstall the OS.
The facts that the OP points out are familiar to me as well. They never seem to get around to fixing problems with their software, all they do is reissue old versions and change the opening date on the splash page...it seems.
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03-05-2013, 09:46 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 440
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The $10 CoPilot app for Android on our Google Nexus 7" tablet works just fine for us. Gets us where we need to go without issues so far.
__________________
2020 Northwood Nash 23D
2020 RAM 2500 Limited Cummins TD
2006 38' Damon Astoria DP 3595 Pacific Edition
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03-06-2013, 08:53 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,295
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I use Street Atlas plus. I like the driving screen because it seems more like an Auto GPS. I have POI files that I can load to my route files while I am planning my Trip. (Campgrounds, KOA, Pilot) There are lots more on Poi Factory. http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles Garmin | United States | POI Loader There is also a conversion program called Babel GPSBabel: convert, upload, download data from GPS and Map programs
So you plan a trip in SA. Down load it to a GPX file. Convert it to a CSV file with Babel, and then you can load it to your Garmin with POI loader.
So, I use both during long trips because SA (19" screen) gives much better long range maps and the Garmin gives much better driving directions. Huh? Retired engineer, can't help myself.
__________________
Pcurt
2007 Fleetwood Bounder 38V
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