Software Review

Street Atlas USA 5.0 from Delorme

by William LaMartin, Editor, Tampa PC Users Group

As I mentioned in my Comments article earlier, this is a program of which I have purchased every version starting with version 1.0. And every update has been more than worth the fairly modest price of updating. This update combines Delorme’s Map and Go trip route planning program into the Street Atlas program. So now, in addition to viewing maps from every location in the US, you can also plan a trip to any US location, having the program calculate the shortest, quickest, most scenic, etc. route for you. It will also list the points of interest along the way and print out a AAA-type routing booklet of maps to take on your trip.

If you have a laptop with a CD drive, you won’t even need to print out anyting, since you can view the map data on the laptop as you drive. Additionally, if you purchase the Delorme global positioning device called Tripmate, which I reviewed in the February 1997 newsletter, you can let the computer guide you on your journey—even letting it tell you where to turn or take a different highway if your laptop has a sound card.

I recently tried out this last feature on a 140 mile trip. The only problem I encountered was the low volume of the laptop’s sound. If there was a lot of noise in the car at the time the computer decided to advise you of an upcoming route change you might miss it. In addition to mapping out your trip and guiding you along it with audio instructions, you can also have the program display points of interest and businesses with their phone numbers along your route. I don’t know how the particular businesses get into the database, since some obvious candidates were omitted and some obscure ones were included.

If you desire you can have it tell you the entire route. While using the global position, you are presented with a split screen with a list of different roads you will take, how many miles and the estimated time needed in the left frame and the map with your current position in the right frame. It is something that you only want to take quick glances at while you are driving. This was not a problem on this trip since there were two of us in the car, and the passenger could navigate with the computer.

When I first started with Delorme’s Map and Go, in making trip plans you were required to start and end trips at major locations. Now you can start and end a trip at any point on the map. There are now a lot more points of interest, public buildings, churches, etc. denoted on the maps than in the past. Of course, you can turn off this feature if it clutters your screen, as I did in the screen capture at the end of the article. As usual, you can find locations based on address, zip code and phone extension as in the past. And, as before, at any point you click you will be given the longitude and latitude.

You can connect to the Internet to download current road work notices. For example, I noted that there was a warning of a slowdown on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa due to work on the bridge over the Hillsborough River. You can also download Coast Guard information on public marine aids to navigation along the coasts and information regarding the location of nuclear power plants and dams for some reason I cannot fathom. I assume that the available information here will increase with time. For example, all you speeders will probably eventually be able to find the locations of the latest speed traps.

It is a great program that just gets better with every new version. In addition to the major additions, there are the minor ones that improve the appearance of the program on your screen and the way you interact with it.

Some of the new features in Delorme’s own words are:

• Address-to-Address Routing DeLorme’s extraordinary map detail enhanced with address-to-address routing
• Over 2 Million Points of Interest Find restaurants, hotels, gas stations and lots of fun things to do along the way
• GPS Voice Navigation When using the GPS feature, Street Atlas USA 5.0 talks to you as you travel, telling you how far it is to your next turn, what road you’re on and how far it is to the end of your journey
• PalmPilot PDA Support Plan a route and send your directions to a 3Comā PalmPilotä to carry with you
• Enhanced GPS Features Automatic panning, automatic logging, automatic tracking, GPS map features, change symbol size, monitor satellites and more
• Prefer/Avoid Roads Select or avoid certain roads in your route
• Edit Roads Assign characteristics to roads (e.g., one way, no left turn, etc.) that are incorporated into the routing
• Automatic On-line Updates With an Internet connection, on-line information for weather, road construction, upcoming events and other points of interest automatically appears on your maps as you pan
• On-line Gazetteer Direct Internet access to hundreds of city Web pages for more detailed regional information
• Attractions Web Sites Direct Internet access to up-to-date information for points of interest
• Reservations Make on-line reservations for hotel accommodations, airline tickets, car rentals, etc.
• Training Card Tutorials Easy-to-use tutorials coach you step-by-step as you learn about Street Atlas USA 5.0’s many features
• Travel Package Printing options include Summary, Directions, North Up Map, Detailed Maps and Travel Plan - everything you need to keep you informed as you travel
• Weather Almanac Weather statistics for 341 places in the United States
• Radio Listings Listings of AM and FM radio stations and their formats throughout the United States
• Exit Services Comprehensive listings of available services at US interstate highway exits
• Avoid Areas in Routing Avoid specific geographic areas, such as cities with heavy traffic congestion or major road construction

It is a great program even if you don’t have a laptop to take it on the road. But it really comes into its own on a color laptop with sound and CD ROM to which you have attached the Delorme Tripmate GPS unit. Pop in the disk and hit the road. You will never get lost again. u

Screen shot of Street Atlas showing one way streets in the New Orleans French Quarter