Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The bad news first: This program is not nearly as completely developed as its USA analog.It is, unfortunately, a work in progress.I wish it wasn't so but Microsoft has got a long way to go before AutoRoute Europe achieves the functionality and usefulness of Streets and Trips.First of all there are all sorts of streets and roads indicated that have no names whatsoever and no GPS coordinates.Map details are sadly lacking compared to Streets and Trips.Points of Interest are VERY significantly reduced compared to Streets and Trips.I had a difficult time rerouting trips.With Streets and Trips you can place new way points anywhere there is a road.With AutoRoute this is true of most major roads but not true of many of the unnamed roads.
I got the impression that MS trotted this program out before it was fully implemented.And to tell you the truth, I'm glad they did.Despite its deficiencies it is still a quite good program, though it remains a work in progress.Ordinarily, when traveling through Europe I use Atlas' such as Euro Atlas with a 1:300,000 scale.IMO, this is the ideal scale necessary for European travel.With AutoRoute you can achieve a scale of approximately 1:2000 just as you can with Streets and Trips.The Euro Atlas still remains indispensablebecause the mapping details and scenic routs are more easily recognizable.AutoRoute is enormously useful, but don't get rid of your excellent road Atlas just yet.
The GPS functionality is essentially the same as that in Streets and Trips though not nearly so well implemented.This program offers a truly affordable GPS guidance system for nearly all consumers while traveling through Europe. If you find yourself traveling to points unknown I cannot imagine a better solution for getting around than this product in conjunction with your notebook computer.
Instantaneous panning, zooming in and zooming out, outstanding routing software, and a plethora of other features makes AutoRoute extremely user friendly.
One problem I had, and hopefully this will help others who might encounter the same problem: Downloading the software into your computer does NOT automatically load the drivers for the GPS locater device! This must be done separately with the Setup disk when you first attach the locater device. Should you fail to put the Setup disk in and let your computer find the driver automatically ON THAT DISK, then your program will not recognize the locater! I wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure out what was wrong. If you don't add the drivers manually your device manager will automatically load drivers that will not be recognized by the program! I had to go into my Device Manager and uninstall the drivers that were added and then manually install the MS drivers for the GPS locater. Not an insurmountable problem, but it does require a bit of experience with computers.
The included driver software turns your USB port into a pseudo-serial communication port enabling the software to recognize the locater (only serial ports are recognized by the software). The software will not recognize the locater UNLESS it is attached to a serial (or in this case pseudo-serial) communications port. So be careful and follow the installation instructions closely. The locater is made by Pharos GPS and if you have any installation problems go to their web site for further instructions.
One other sad deficiency.No Eastern European countries are included with the software!!I realize that this is MS's first effort at this software, but major road in Eastern Europe should have been included.I'm sure future versions will include Eastern Europe as well as improving on the other deficiencies.While this ain't no Streets & Trips it is a great start and I look forward to future versions.
If this program were being compared to Streets & Trips I would give it a 3 star rating, but since it is not a fully implemented program and because of the tremendous aid that it can provide I am going to give it a 4 star.I recommend this product with the caveats above, however be aware of the minor software and driver glitches I've described above. All in all, I think you will be VERY pleased.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft AutoRoute Europe 2006
Product Description:
Microsoft AutoRoute 2006 is the customisable trip planning software that helps you get accurate directions, easily explore new areas, and find the services you want and need along the way. It gives you more trip planning features than any online mapping site, so you can plan a unique trip based on your specific preferences. AutoRoute includes mapping coverage of Europe and over 865,000 Points of Interest from restaurants, cash machines and hotels to museums, so you'll always know where you're going, and you'll be able to get the most out of every trip, local or long distance. The advanced trip planning features let you easily plan a trip based on your specific driving preferences, calculate mileage, time and expenses, quickly alter your route and add multiple destinations.
Want to read more honest consumer review about Microsoft AutoRoute Europe 2006 now ?
No comments:
Post a Comment