Mapping Software: Features Comparison

TRIP PLANNING SOFTWARE COMPARISONS

From PC World

Mapping Software: Features Comparison
Street Atlases Street price (2/1/98) Overall value Interface Search engine Map navigation Map annotation Routing type Routing accuracy Geographic detail on maps Hotel and restaurant listings¹ Attraction and entertainment listings¹ Number of business listings² Accuracy of listings Online support Weekday hours³ Internet links Print options/quality Airport diagrams RAM required (MB) Disk space (MB) Comments Reader service number
Expedia Streets 98 Deluxe Edition
Microsoft 800/426-9400
www.microsoft.com $70 fair excellent excellent excellent very good routing not offered very good fair good good 2 million very good Y 12 good excellent/very good N 8 34 PRO: Easy-to-use interface, maps, and search tool; restaurant reviews;
huge database of business listings. CON: Expensive, one-way streets not
identified, no routing available.

Street Atlas USA 5.0
DeLorme 800/452-5931
www.delorme.com $45 fair fair good good good door to door, city to city very good⁵ excellent fair fair 1 million good Y 8.5 fair good/very good N 8 30 PRO: Good door-to-door routing within and between cities, one-way
streets displayed. CON: Awkward interface, no hotel or restaurant rat-
ings or details, can't use addresses for interim stops.

Best Buy StreetFinder Deluxe 1998 Edition
Rand McNally 800/671-5006
www.randmcnally.com $45 very good very good very good very good very good door to door,⁴ city to city poor fair good good 15 million very good Y 9 excellent good/good Y 8 24 PRO: Door-to-door routing within and between cities, inexpensive,
wealth of travel information, good airport maps. CON: One-way streets
not displayed.

Road Trips Door-to-Door Pro⁶
TravRoute Software 888/872-8768
www.travroute.com $70 poor poor poor good fair door to door, city to city very good very good poor poor 64,000 fair Y 8 poor fair/poor N 16 90 PRO: Door-to-door routing within and between cities, largest number of
business listings. CON: Expensive, inaccurate directions, awkward inter-
face, poor print quality, PC resource intensive.

Trip Planners

AAA Map'n'Go 3.0
DeLorme 800/452-5931
www.delorme.com $40 fair fair fair good good city to city fair good very good very good 49,000 good Y 8.5 fair good/poor N 8 9 PRO: Good travel listings and details, very good written directions, inex-
pensive. CON: Awkward interface, can't mix routing preferences, some
maps printed with geography upside down.

Expedia Trip Planner 98
Microsoft 800/426-9400
www.microsoft.com $40 fair excellent excellent excellent very good city to city very good good fair good 31,700 very good Y 12 good excellent/very good N 8 30 PRO: Easy-to-use interface, maps, and search tool; good multimedia;
good print quality and options. CON: Poor routing, quality of listings not
as strong as in AAA Map'n'Go or TripMaker.

Best Buy TripMaker Deluxe 1998 Edition
Rand McNally 800/671-5006
www.randmcnally.com $45 very good very good good very good very good city to city routing not offered very good good good 14 million (Deluxe version only) very good Y 9 excellent good/good Y 8 24 PRO: Accurate routing, superbly integrated Internet updates, fast and
highly flexible route calculation, cool music and video clips. CON: List-
ing content could be stronger.

¹ Quality and quantity of listings.
² Numbers provided by vendor.
³ None of the vendors offer toll-free support or weekend hours.
⁴ Via Internet connection.
⁵ Written directions must be accessed from the Web.
⁶ Tested as both a street atlas and a trip planner.
HOW WE TEST Street atlases tested on a single trip within the San Francisco Bay Area. Trip planners tested on a single round-trip excursion between San Francisco and Pacific Grove, California.

Copyright © 1998 PC World Communications. All Rights Reserved. Use of this service is subject to the PC World Online Terms of Service Agreement.
PC World Online Privacy Policy
PC World Online complies with the ASME Guidelines with IDG Extensions for new media.

Home page/Lessons Learned/Resources/Images/Links/Speed traps/Directions/Weather

Mapping Software: Features Comparison
Street Atlases	Street price (2/1/98)	Overall value	Interface	Search engine	Map navigation	Map annotation	Routing type	Routing accuracy	Geographic detail on maps	Hotel and restaurant listings¹	Attraction and entertainment listings¹	Number of business listings²	Accuracy of listings	Online support	Weekday hours³	Internet links	Print options/quality	Airport diagrams	RAM required (MB)	Disk space (MB)	Comments	Reader service number
Expedia Streets 98 Deluxe Edition Microsoft 800/426-9400 www.microsoft.com	$70	fair	excellent	excellent	excellent	very good	routing not offered	very good	fair	good	good	2 million	very good	Y	12	good	excellent/very good	N	8	34	PRO: Easy-to-use interface, maps, and search tool; restaurant reviews; huge database of business listings. CON: Expensive, one-way streets not identified, no routing available.
Street Atlas USA 5.0 DeLorme 800/452-5931 www.delorme.com	$45	fair	fair	good	good	good	door to door, city to city	very good⁵	excellent	fair	fair	1 million	good	Y	8.5	fair	good/very good	N	8	30	PRO: Good door-to-door routing within and between cities, one-way streets displayed. CON: Awkward interface, no hotel or restaurant rat- ings or details, can't use addresses for interim stops.
Best Buy StreetFinder Deluxe 1998 Edition Rand McNally 800/671-5006 www.randmcnally.com	$45	very good	very good	very good	very good	very good	door to door,⁴ city to city	poor	fair	good	good	15 million	very good	Y	9	excellent	good/good	Y	8	24	PRO: Door-to-door routing within and between cities, inexpensive, wealth of travel information, good airport maps. CON: One-way streets not displayed.
Road Trips Door-to-Door Pro⁶ TravRoute Software 888/872-8768 www.travroute.com	$70	poor	poor	poor	good	fair	door to door, city to city	very good	very good	poor	poor	64,000	fair	Y	8	poor	fair/poor	N	16	90	PRO: Door-to-door routing within and between cities, largest number of business listings. CON: Expensive, inaccurate directions, awkward inter- face, poor print quality, PC resource intensive.
Trip Planners
AAA Map'n'Go 3.0 DeLorme 800/452-5931 www.delorme.com	$40	fair	fair	fair	good	good	city to city	fair	good	very good	very good	49,000	good	Y	8.5	fair	good/poor	N	8	9	PRO: Good travel listings and details, very good written directions, inex- pensive. CON: Awkward interface, can't mix routing preferences, some maps printed with geography upside down.
Expedia Trip Planner 98 Microsoft 800/426-9400 www.microsoft.com	$40	fair	excellent	excellent	excellent	very good	city to city	very good	good	fair	good	31,700	very good	Y	12	good	excellent/very good	N	8	30	PRO: Easy-to-use interface, maps, and search tool; good multimedia; good print quality and options. CON: Poor routing, quality of listings not as strong as in AAA Map'n'Go or TripMaker.
Best Buy TripMaker Deluxe 1998 Edition Rand McNally 800/671-5006 www.randmcnally.com	$45	very good	very good	good	very good	very good	city to city	routing not offered	very good	good	good	14 million (Deluxe version only)	very good	Y	9	excellent	good/good	Y	8	24	PRO: Accurate routing, superbly integrated Internet updates, fast and highly flexible route calculation, cool music and video clips. CON: List- ing content could be stronger.
¹ Quality and quantity of listings. ² Numbers provided by vendor. ³ None of the vendors offer toll-free support or weekend hours. ⁴ Via Internet connection. ⁵ Written directions must be accessed from the Web. ⁶ Tested as both a street atlas and a trip planner. HOW WE TEST Street atlases tested on a single trip within the San Francisco Bay Area. Trip planners tested on a single round-trip excursion between San Francisco and Pacific Grove, California.

TRIP PLANNING SOFTWARE COMPARISONS

From PC World

Home page/Lessons Learned/Resources/Images/Links/Speed traps/Directions/Weather