MS streets & trips users?

I'm not familiar with POI Metafile. What is it and how is it used?

I do use S&T 2013, but only for trip planning. I create the trip and waypoints in Basecamp, but plot my daily end points on a long trip by using the scheduled stops function.

It's not perfect but far better than any trip planning function in Basecamp.

I also have not used the POI Megafile in several years as it lacked a lot of detail such as street addresses about each entry normally found in a POI-Factory file.

I do use S&T 2013 in the same manner, as an aid to planning long trips for transfer to BaseCamp and my 3597. The ability to tell S&T your starting time, driving time and break plans are features BaseCamp could really use. S&T's built in POI list is dated but many of the hotel/motel locations haven't changed all that much and the errors are easy to correct in BaseCamp.

Basecamp does have the capability to schedule Start, Finish, and Stop times.

I do have S&T 2013 and was bummed when it was discontinued.

I use it to print a few map close ups for work and/or trips so I have an idea before I get somewhere of what to expect.

That said what's bumming me more is the thought of Garmin getting out of the stand alone Automotive GPS business.

Even the MS site still has it avalible for download ...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?i...

.

I saw that and downloaded the trial version. but that will fail and lock my out of use after a couple weeks. Just not interested in trying to create virtual winxp to install it weekly. Anyone know how to get ST2013 and activate it for a reasonable price? found a VOLUME LICENSING version for $30 but would think their are better sources?

May end up just going down the path of using Google MYMAPS

So once the trial is over you can't purchase it is what you're saying? As I also mentioned, I saw 2013 for sale on ebay for around 25 dollars. Wouldn't buying the boxed version include the activation key?

.

S&T has the ability to set Scheduled Stops. You can set something like a 15 minute stop every 2 hours.

I do this on a long trip because it approximates the breaks that you would likely take for a leg stretch and washroom breaks. On an 8 hour driving day, you're going to chalk up an hour in non driving time, into the trip.

This does a pretty decent job of approximating where you'll be at each stop and at the end of the driving day.

I choose a target town each day and set that as my destination for the day. At some point in the daily drive, I evaluate if I stop before or past this arbitrary destination and then book a hotel wherever it seems best.

I don't believe, that Basecamp doesn't allow this degree of planning.

As others have said, I find Streets & Trips convenient for *planning* a long trip, especially a multi-day trip.

Once on the road, my tool is currently a TomTom 620, but I really prefer to do the advance planning in S & T.

- Tom -

this post caused me to look at some software I put away, I don't throw away retail software I buy I just put it in an old cabinet in a cardboard box lol, god I have a lot of crap I even have streets and trips 2008, widows 95-98 xp millennium vista , some really old games that wont even install on win 10 .

I still use S&T on my laptop (Win8.1). Downloaded it from one of the pirate bay sites and it updated thru 2013 (got a version with a key with it). I've managed to keep it going thru several computer deaths. In years past, I bought it twice. I download CSV files, make the edits that I need. I use S&T to plan out my trips, then I transfer the route to my paper Atlas (I rip apart the book and use sheet protectors - works nicely with wet erase pens and post it notes). Currently updating and editing the Cracker Barrel POI (last updated in 2017 shesh!). I need to know which ones I can get a big rig RV into or park in a nearby parking lot. The Megafile is so far out of date that I don't use it. Currently testing the free version of Co-Pilot on my tablet. Will continue to use S&T on my laptop for planning trips.

Just be aware when you are using "ancient" mapping programs for directions, that it may cause problem in big cities. In particular it may want to send you wrong way on one way street. And it doesn't have to be mistake of GPS. Mapping software has info about travel direction for street, but in due time there may be changes made by traffic authorities. As they will be implemented in current versions of maps it will not show in old version.

As for cross country planning, especially highways - it still be enough if you have 20 years old map.

I tend to avoid running surface streets in big cities. My rig is simply too big for that. For smaller towns, my old S&T seems to work just fine. Most folks who are running the old S&T know the limitations. But it is great to use to plan a trip where you only want to run XX hours per day or XX miles per day and need to know where you will be pulling off the road at. I haven't seen a mapping program that will do what the old S&T currently does.

I agree. As I said previously, in my eyes the strength of S&T is in planning a long trip. Once I am on the road, I depend upon my TomTom, which works fine for a free-form "wing it" trip, but if I want to plan ahead for a defined trip, S&T is still a really convenient tool.

- Tom -

I wish S&T was still around. I loved the flexibility of the program (quirks and all) and how well you could plan a long trip out.

Me too. I used it to print out maps of neighborhoods I'd be working in. I'd have to know how to get around without driving on the fresh asphalt and still get to the paver.

I'd also use it to view intersections ahead of time to see how to get where I'm going. It was a great program.

I have a copy of the last one (2013) and still use it from time to time.

I agree. I learned the benefits from another friend, and learned some limitations myself. When two of us are travelling you can choose to wing it.
If you are planning a trip for say 10 people on 8-10 bikes; it becomes important to know that you have enough hotel rooms for everyone at the end of the day, preferably with a bar near by within walking distance.
Too bad it's not being maintained.

So you don't have an activation key for it and no longer can buy one? Or did you try activating it, and it still locked you out? I thought they had not just discontinued support and updates but outright killed new installation of S&T.

But this MS webpage, dated late 2017, suggests S&T still can be activated if you have a valid key (and I don't know if this still works, but Microsoft used to consider any key that hadn't been used for a new installation in the last year to be valid for activation):
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/927007/frequently-a...