How can I . . . (choose locations from map)

What are you viewing the map on? May need more information here.

I am open to suggestions whether it be google, mapquest, yahoo, etc. I prefer a free, open source, but would consider buying software.

There are 750 locations in my back yard. You need to be more specific.

What map are you looking at (map of the US, a State, the neighborhood; Garmin map, yahoo map, Google map, paper map)? What are you using to look at it (GPS, cell phone, computer, ipad)? What 'locations' are you trying to discern (dog parks, gas stations, museums, restaurants, gold mines)?

In addition to ddeerrff's questions, I would love to know why you chose to use the number 750?

Since you are a longtime member of this site and have contributed multiple POI files, I, like ddeerrff, am bumfuzzled at your question.

what is your end goal?

It sounds like to the heck out of all of us!

Nuvi1300WTGPS

I have a list of 750 businesses that need to be uniquely identified on a map and assigned to a salesperson. The businesses are in a 5 county area in East TN. I want to be able to view the locations on the map, create boundaries on the map, and choose the locations within a boundary to assign them to a salesperson.

Plotting the locations on a map is achievable, but creating the boundaries and pulling the points out of the boundaries so that they can be assigned to a salespersons is where I am having issues. Any assistance is appreciated.

This is completely new to me, but I suggest looking at StatPlanet or other map software. cnet.com will give you several free options.

I use the free downloadable ArcGIS Explorer that may suffice for what you are doing.

There is also an online version and a professional version.

http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/explorer/index.html

http://resources.arcgis.com/

what you are looking at is a GIS application. One of the easier ways to get started in it would be using Microsoft's Mappoint. It's not exactly cheap, but that's one function it has built in. You may be able to find an older version on flea-bay or Craig's List. (Streets & Trips is just the mapping piece of Mappoint but it gives you a feel for some of what it does.)

Amazing how help comes when the question is understood.

I agree that this seems to be a GIS (Geographic Information System) application.

@ panama - give us some of your thoughts about

• where the salesmen might start from?
• is there a maximum travel distance for a salesman?
• would there be multiple salesmen in a city?
• are the businesses homogeneous?

We use Microsoft MapPoint at work to assign sales rep territories and generate lead lists per rep from within that boundary. You have to import a master lead or customer list and I think it does its work by zip code. It's pricey, but it does exactly what you are talking about.

You can download a free trial here:
http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint/en-us/freetrial.aspx