Microsoft Trips & Streets

I have Microsoft S&T in my laptop with the GPS receiver and never used it again once I started using Garmin Mapsource and my 760. You cannot do anything in S&T's that will transfer to your 260 but you can if you use Mapsource.

Streets & Trips is a great program, but not meant to work with your Garmin, it's an entirely seperate product. I've been using it since version 2006 and love it, but I use it now mainly for plotting POIs, and Geocaching. As for transferring back and forth between your Garmin, as far as I know, they are not compatible.

Since you already have a Garmin, don't both with the GPS Option for S&T. Unless you plan on keeping your laptop with you all the time in the car, and using it instead of the garmin, there's no point.

Streets and Trips is a great tool for planning a trip. Much better than MapSource. I like it for its versatility that way.

It's not a substitute, but a great companion to your GPS

Hope this helps.

I agree with Fluxuated: I have had Microsoft Streets & Trips since it was announced (many years ago). I still find it useful even if I have had a Garmin now for 3 years. It is much easier to use than Mapsource. It is especially useful when you want to go out of the "Garmin Route" to see something or just take a different road thatn what you take all the time even if it is longer in milleage or time.

Too bad you cannot export routes from Microsoft S&T and Garmin!!!

Just a note to add that you can export routes from S&T and convert them to GPX and use them with a Garmin GPS unit providing that the GPS unit has the ability to store routes.

Right, but my point was, there's no simple way built in. You can covert just about anything, but not without jumping through some hoops. But Yes, you are indeed correct.

I absolutely agree.

It's mind boggling to me that S&T doesn't at least support exporting to GPX after all these years.

I've used both the Delorme and the Microsoft products. I tend to prefer the Delorme, but both are good for what they are. I have not seen the Delorme in a few years(although I don't expect it yet talks to the nuvi), but the MS S&T definitely can not load files into the Garmin. And it's is worth noting that the nuvi line isn't made to work with either of these products either, that is it will not send out industry standard location information on the USB connection. My old Garmin GPS 38 will talk over a serial connection to these products, but the nuvi line will not. I agree, if your only purpose in getting PC software is to talk to the nuvi, then use Mapsource. But I would hardly call it a better product. In most ways it is vastly inferior to the Delorme or MS products, and is much more expensive than the versions of these products that don't include a USB GPS receiver. If you want full featured mapping software, or even want to use your laptop as a GPS with a USB receivere, then seriously consider the Delorme or MS products. If you want better compatibility with your Garmin nuvi, but at a cost of giving up a lot of features and a price for software alone that is close to the other product with GPS hardware included, go with Mapsource.

I have a Nuvi750 that supports routes. How do you go from Microsoft S&T to GPX and is GPX the format required for routes on the Garmin??

John

Google search for GPSU (GPS Utility).

I used to plug my GPS Map76S into my laptop and use Streets and Trips as the interface. It looked good on a 15” screen but was a bit unwieldy in a small car (I had to have the laptop wedged on the passenger seat) I later got the version with its own GPS receiver just before I got my Nuvi.
I still use S and T to print out route maps for my non Nuvi owning friends and the road construction updates are sometimes useful.

A laptop with Delorme or MS mapping software and a compatible GPS can be very handy if you have someone in that passenger seat too. The keyboard / larger screen combo is much more friendly than a tiny gps, and they can do a lot of "navigating" for you. And the voice recognition features of the software make it pretty nice even if you are traveling alone.

It's hard to beat S&T for route optimization.

It's very disappointing that Mapsource doesn't offer it.

With S&T, you can import a random list of points, note the start and finish and it will do a fantastic job of optimizing all the interim points.

Most I've had so far is 190 points and it worked like a charm!

There's any number of programs that will let you convert the route back to Garmin GPS format.

My Nuvi 350 don't handle routes so I load all the points to the Nuvi; then, from S&T, I print the optimized routed list and follow it point to point.

GPS Babel will convert a file back to CSV format in routed order.

Street & Trips is a good maping and gps program I use alot but having the laptop only works when in the Motorhome to tight in the jeep.

You can import csv files to it and it will show the locatons if you select custom pinpoints. I used it with the rest stop poi and the outhouse bmp and had outhouses all over the map/

Like many of the others I use S&T when I plan a trip, want a bigger view or am at the computer.

I'd never bothered to look at what could be imported into S&T. CSV POI's work like a charm...

Thanks

I have used both, and prefer the Delorme product. At $79, including the GPS receiver, they are a great value. If you have a co-pilot to run the computer, it is an excellent trip tool. Invest in a wireless card for the laptop and you have full access to Google/Yahoo maps, satellite views, plus full access to anything else on the internet. The detail on a 15 inch laptop screen cannot be beat.

As a trip planning tool, they are wonderful. There is a "trip wizard" where you input some parameters like MPG and gas tank capacity of your car, how many hours per day you prefer to drive, etc. When it builds the route it will automatically create suggested waypoints of when to buy gas and where to stop for the night. Fun stuff.

Convenience is the big downside. Boot time of a laptop, storage & security, and it's just not feasible to use by yourself in the car.

I have the '09 version of Street Atlas and the only thing I will say about it is the maps are MANY years out of date. The complex I live in has been here for 15 years and Street Atlas doesn't show the main entrance. The where my son is in Ca is not on the maps either - but they have only had those houses built for about 3 years.

I use these to plot vacation trips since they allow multiple stops (my Nuvi 350 only allows 1 via) and I can download the latest road construction info from Microsoft (updated monthly) to see which areas to avoid.

I only use Streets and Trips for everything. Its not as cartoonish and does much more if you want to go your way not the way the program tells you. GPS Utility converts .est files to GPX which loads right up on your Garmin. Go here to get it. http://www.gpsu.co.uk/
There is a free version but it limits the number of way points you can use. I have used it for 4 + years now and it works like a charm everytime. If you need help with it just email me at sixpaks3@yahoo.com

Have a great day
Sixpak

I have used Microsoft Trips & Streets to find addresses for ambulance call locations. I have a garmin nuvi 350 and 255w both don't handle routes
the 255w was a gift with msn direct connect

I've been a fan of Streets & Trips since 2002, and have updated it every two years since then. Costco sells it for about $20. I've never purchased the GPS receiver, though.

One feature I like is that S&T has county lines. This is one feature that I'm waiting for Garmin maps to have. (I'm a "county counter", BTW.)

-Dave

Especially for the price. I can find addresses in S & T (3 years old) that MapSource with NT 09.11 can't. It is much easier to manipulate routes to your liking, then recreate them in MS and transfer them to my Nuvi. I could go though the conversion process but find it just easier my way.

I've used it and it's decent but to lug a laptop around just to use the gps got to be too much of a hassle.

I'd rather have a portable gps (Garmin, Tom Tom, etc.) than to use a laptop as my navigation device.
Just my 2 cents.

I've tried DeLorme Street Atlas and S&T, rather use S&T not to cluttered on the screen, On the netbook I go to Google Map or Mapquest.

Geographic location will influence your experience, but this long-time S&T fan has abandoned it for Google maps.
I find that the directions are more accurate and the routes more efficient with Google than with S&T.
YMMV.

I use it all the time when traveling in the MH, but still ues the 660 as it is hard to use a laptop in the jeep. There are good things about both just depends on your needs I find more campgrounds on S&T but that not for everyone. It is fun to watch how close the two are in showing trips and turns.

I have been using Microsoft's S&T for about 6 years as a trip planning and GPS on my computer in my motorhome. I LOVE IT! But now that I have found the POI's on POI Factory and want to download them to it and I am having troubles. When I import it I only get one pushpin (somewhere in the middle of my map) with all the POI's in that location. Can anyone help me with this? How can I incorporate thesae POI's into my S&T? I am using the 2009 version. Thanks

Please don't double post. See the response in your other thread. Thanks.

Yea, I use S&T to plan my routes, estimate drive times, optimize stops, etc...

I usually print an overview map from S&T for my wife to use as a reference as we drive.

Last Year as we did a portion of the Virginia Wineries, I had the overview of hte trip from S&T, print outs of each winery (for the wife to read), and my Garmin. Each day I'm just search the Virginia Winery POI for the first stop fo the day and hit the road, then we would just hop winery to winery after that.

Just recently, I planned out a trip from home to the Mall of America using S&T. We found out we were going to pass right by a few freinds (so scheduled a stop), and there is some family right along anohter part of the trip. If I hadn't used the S&T, we might have missed out on a few FREE nights lodging, a few FREE Meals, and a few breaks from the road.

I like S&T.. But it has its place.

I only use it for long trips. As others have pointed out, a laptop is cumbersome to mount and then pack away every time you leave your vehicle. (It would be stupid to leave a laptop in an unatteded car). For around town, I use a regular dash mounted unit that I can slip in my pocket.

One nice thing about S&T is that you can have a copy of the program on your main computer and on your laptop. I can figure out routes on my 24 inch monitor using a full sized keyboard to enter text and use my mouse to select waypoints. Once the trip is planned, I save it and then copy the trip over to the laptop.

It's also fun to have when you fly. You can stick the receiver by the window, put the laptop on the seat back tray and then watch your speed, altitude and progress on the big screen right in front of you. It's nice to be able to identify the towns, lakes, roads etc. you see out the window.

yeah right, I love streets & trips. I have used it since 2006. It is a great software for anybody who has not GPS and insternet for finding maps. I always look roads, towns, lakes by streets & trips at home before I use my gps on street. Right now, I use 2009 version, but my location is not on this version, I hope the 2010 version streets & trips has my location on map.

However, it lacks some feature that GPS has such as speed limit of streets, or red light camera.

I use Streets & Trips as part of our trip planning process. We make a few long trips per year for our vacation and S&T is great for reviewing different routes to the same location (my nuvi 660 doesn't have routing capability). Once I have a route figured out, I convert the EST file to KLM and check out the topgraphy, roads, etc. on Google Earth. And THEN I check out POI files on the Factory for neat stuff, like strange tourist attractions, burger joints, etc.

I find S&T really useful, but I doubt if the GPS version is worth the extra money.

You can import custom POI data, including red light cameras, to MS Streets & Trips. By default, the data will appear on the map as black pushpins, but you can change the icon. I don't know if you can import custom icons, though - at least I haven't tried to.

-Dave

The GPs side of M&S is good I used it all the time until I got my 660 the the wife said use one or the other as the laptop does take up space. Yes you can inport custom icon's. I imported the outhous icon on mine and it showed up each time I passed a rest stop. And the price for map updates is very cheap.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 which works fine for entering one address at a time, but when I am showing 10 properties in one day, I will usually add all of the addresses to the S&T, optimize the stops, add arrival times, etc.. Once the stops are optimized I just put my sheets in order and enter the addresses one at a time as i go into the Garmin. I am looking for a solution to this, I would really like to create my route and navigate from the optimized list rather then reenter one address at a time. I am considering purchasing a Verizon netbook and the S&T with GPS and just using that. Anyone have any input or ideas?

The Nuvi 550 does routes and that would fill the bill as it also does route optimization. At the listed retail price of $299 it's cheaper than a netbook and will take a traffic cord for real-time traffic updates.

We use MS Streets and Trips as well as 2009 Trailer Life Directory. I use these to plan trips that we take with our motorhome. We use our nuvi 250w for short trip and to locations with in a city or town.
We have found MS S&T very use full over the years that we have had it. First used back in 2003. Currently have S&T 2009.
I understand that POI can be imported in to S&T but as a thought what about Garmin Mobile PC. We would like to try it to see how that is compared to S&T. The POI that are available should be importable. We think that the program would be user friendly as it looks like it is much the same as the Nuvi series GPS. We have a touch screen in the motorhome that we use for S&T.
Has anyone got any experience with Garmin Mobile PC?

It's not compatible with Nuvi and unless you want to bring your laptop with you, don't waste money for it.

S&T is awesome for planning trips. It gives you a great overview of the trip, allows you to set rest stops and fuel stop, and you can import CSV files, so if you want to see your Custom POIs, you can import them in.

And while you can't directly connect most GPS units to it, it's a great resource and is pretty inexpensive and a great value.

Yes.. I often use it to get a quick estimate of how long a trip will take and how much it will cost.. I find it very handy to look up a hotel location or an address while I'm sitting at my computer. It's much faster and easier to use than Google maps or any of those other online map programs.

Out of interest, when Microsoft first released Streets and Trips, it had no GPS functions at all. It was only meant to be used as a desktop road atlas. Navigation features were added to the product as it evolved.

If you shop around, you can pick S&T up (without the GPS receiver) for around 30 bucks.. That's not a bad deal for what you get.

Of course, if you have a laptop, a suitable GPSr and the room to mount it in your vehicle, it makes a decent navigation system.

The comments are all great and has got me thinking of how to place a number of points (waypoints) from my S&T (which I love for planning purposes) into a separate POI file using GPX. Of course the next question is if I can convert my EST files to GPX, can I convert from GPX to EST?

I will explore unless someone already has the answer.

I've been using Streets and Trips for well over 10 years. I still use it to plan long trips and to find places in towns I am unfamiliar with, before visiting them. I often use it to locate a peferred route and then save the maps and convert them to POI files using GPS Babel. I have also taken my laptop with me to use as a backup, if I have issues with my Garmin.

I used S & T back before I bought a GPS. I did not like the fact of using a laptop with a GPS received plugged in. It's been about 2 years since I've even looked at a S & T map.

Well this works for my Nuvi 360!
I plan trips, as indicated above, S&T. I also have no waypoint feature on my Nuvi360 - yes I can input one waypoint. So here is what I will be doing in the future: Planning my trip in detail on S&T (ver 2005 for me). Convert the ".est" file to ".gpx" or whatever you want using gpsbabel (http://www.gpsbabel.org/) and then save. Upload to GPS using the POI Loader. You now have a Garmin POI file that you can use. I then look at the file pick the second closest item and using this as my destination insert the first item as a waypoint. Voila! The little applet mentioned also converts the other way from Garmin to EST. I must caution I have not tried all combinations so it may take some fiddling around. Let me know!