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Old 03-28-2006, 04:41 PM   #1
CRUZIN 2
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GPS FOR LAPTOP

Before we left the R G valley we purchased a GPS for our laptop, for our trip to Calf. It was one of the best things I think we could have done. With all the driving we've done, it has been a great tool. Thanks to Steve Reigle for all the helpful suggestions!

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Old 03-28-2006, 06:22 PM   #2
JH Sechelt
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I agree,

We have used our laptop with Streets & Trips and GPS for the last couple of years. Wouldn't go without it.
Hard to believe we use to unfold paper maps and try to look at them while you drive down the road.
I built a little table top that fits on the center seat to hold the laptop and the screen folds right up to
the trucks dashboard. Works great.

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Old 03-29-2006, 03:27 AM   #3
Bill DeMeulle
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I too have used the laptop with the DeLorme program, which I prefer over "Streets". Both are very good it's just a matter of preference. I had contacted Toshiba and purchased their table that is mounted in the truck and is removable when not needed.
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Old 03-29-2006, 04:55 AM   #4
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I have been using S&Ts for mapping for several years. I purchased the the GPS version in 2005. At that time it did not include voice and turn by turn instructions. I upgraded to the 2006 version and really like the voice and turn by turn instructions. This is particularly useful in a strange town. I built a table that fits over the edge of the seat with ample space for my laptop.
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Old 03-29-2006, 05:20 AM   #5
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fulltimedreamer, when you upgraded did you just purchase the 2006 software ? If so does that include the voice prompts and all the new features? In other words - do I have to buy the $100 + version with GPS if I already have the 2005 with GPS or just the $30 version?
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Old 03-29-2006, 09:28 AM   #6
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Sounds like something I may be interested in but not until the prices drop which like every other electronic is just a matter of time. To me the price of these GPS' and software are a bit out of sight. I'll stick with the old road map which is FREE at every welcome center in every state and my 2003 version of MS Streets and Trips.
Besides I hate people telling me where to go.
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Old 03-29-2006, 01:10 PM   #7
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Glen
You can get a Holux GM210 on ebay or the net for ~$25 and the sw is $20-30. $50 is not bad for a laptop GPS navigation system.
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Old 03-29-2006, 02:58 PM   #8
JH Sechelt
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Vanman,

I also updated Streets & Trips from 2005 to 2006, and no you do not have to get a new GPS Reciever.
But when I installed S&T 2006 it needed to go to microsofts' website to get a driver for the GPS Reciever.
I don't know why but windows XP did it on its own. It is a lot nicer with voice direction from the laptop especially if the co-pilot is not keeping track.
J & D
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Old 03-29-2006, 04:59 PM   #9
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by VanMan

fulltimedreamer, when you upgraded did you just purchase the 2006 software ? If so does that include the voice prompts and all the new features? In other words - do I have to buy the $100 + version with GPS if I already have the 2005 with GPS or just the $30 version?
I purchased the software without the GPS it was as I recall around $30.00 at Wally World. The existing GPS "puck" was immediately recognized by the new software on my system?!? Not sure why this is true on some and not on others. BTW if you're interested in S&Ts and the $130.00 price is too much, just watch the big box stores. I picked my 2005 version up for $79.00 with the GPS "puck".
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Old 03-31-2006, 03:49 AM   #10
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It certainly doesn't have to cost a lot to have a GPS receiver and software. In fact you can even stay up to date for little or no cost! In 2004 I purchased both MS S&T and Street Atlas along with the Delorme GPS. When the 2005 S&T came out I bought that at Costco for about $20.00 after rebate and sold the 2004 edition on eBay for about the same price! It seems that people don't check prices all that often. Anyway, when 2006 S&T came out I again bought it at Costco and sold the 2005 version on eBay, again for about what I paid for the newer version! I prefer S&T over Street Atlas, their maps are more complete especially in Canada, it builds custom routes faster and more flexibly and while I find the Street Atlas voice prompts work better than S&T the overall experience with S&T suits me better. Even if it isn't essential, it is a fun thing to have and I also get to plan out possible trips all winter long when my Montana is buried in snow.....
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Old 03-31-2006, 08:20 AM   #11
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Hey, Larry, I wondered what you thought of it once you got out on the road. I have come to rely on it and even throw the laptop in the back of the truck cab when we go "exploring", just in case I need it to guide us home. That has happened a couple of times when we get out on some of those backroads.

I have both Streets and Trips and Street Atlas. I used SA for many years because of the voice prompts even though I liked S&T's interface and route planning better. When S&T came out with the voice prompts in the 2006 version I made the switch and haven't looked back. There still are some things i like better about SA. S&T lists more campgrounds but SA is far better at finding businesses. S&T doesn't list but a fraction of the business while SA has most of them. So I keep both SA and S&T on my laptop. S&T is easier to learn. SA is more powerful, in my estimation. S&T meets my routing needs better, however, and has far fewer anomalies in its maps. S&T does have some, though.

Both are good choices, as Bill said. Depends on your wants and needs.
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Old 03-31-2006, 03:42 PM   #12
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Our GPS came with S&T and audio, but I couldn't hear it very well so we purchased the RadioPlay 200 then we can use the truck radio to turn it up. Wow now we can hear it, my hearing is not very good, this really helped.Larry & LaVonne
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Old 03-31-2006, 11:36 PM   #13
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I have streets and trips 2006 with a holux puck off e-bay at a good price. A recent trip into the wilds of New York, on a exit ramp it had me go left at the stop sign, instead of right. On the same trip it did not show a new section of a state highway and would keep telling me I was going off trip.I still like it . I purchased a mount made out of black pipe off e-bay , and the cassette amp so I can hear the voice over my diesel.
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Old 04-01-2006, 01:08 AM   #14
CountryGuy
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I thought (a dangerous thing before coffee) that the maps that come in most of our GPS systems come from the federal government and that they are updated by same. The software that comes with whatever system you have may differ, but that the maps are pretty much the same??
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Old 04-01-2006, 03:42 AM   #15
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Larry, tell me more, please, about the Radio Play 200.

I agree on the maps. And I found SA worse even than S&T. The maps are no better than govt maps. Our stick home was built in 1979. The neighborhood streets are still screwed up in S&T200 and in SA, both in exactly the same way. And in exactly the same way as the official Topeka city map, the paper one the city govt gives away.

Larry, my laptop has a pretty good speaker but I'd still like it louder. The volume is all the way up.

Whether using S&T or SA I've taken to reviewing the route map very closely prior to hitting the road, just to avoid those kinds of surprises mentioned. I've seen times when it says turn left, as mentioned above, and I want to turn right. Usually it turns out there is a dogleg in the ramp that goes left and whoever coded the map put that in as a separate segment. Other times I have no idea how they came up with it.

One thing that helps with that kind of thing is I use the option for Dynamic Turn Viewing, or something like that. That option keeps both the current position and the next turn on the screen, meaning it zooms in and out and as you get close to a turn it zooms in and you can see the details of the turn prior to making the turn. I find that an excellent help.

On S&T 2006, I had some problems with it sometimes hanging on me, but only on fairly long trips. It always seemed to happen just when I needed to see the turn and the thing was hung up and not showing the current turn. After researching some usenet newsgroups I was told by an MS MVP to turn off trails. No single hang since turning them off. That's a bug.
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Old 04-01-2006, 04:43 AM   #16
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Carol why does it surprise you that something the government did is not 100%? I agree with the above on the maps - they are much like the maps I purchased from the government for school bus routing. Not 100%. I'm using SA and also have the TL software which I find the worst as far as accuracy. I also have a Rand McNally Tripmaker/Street Finder that I received free when I purchased my Sony computer. It isn't bad and so I can plan the trip on each program and compare.
Happy trails.....................
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Old 04-01-2006, 05:54 AM   #17
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Steve,the Radio Play 200 gets power from your truck 12v DC lighter socket (no batteries) and connects to your headphone jack. It has 8 preset FM stations to choose from to get the best sound, one-touch station changes button with red backlit selection indicator. It is wireless to the radio so you can turn it up as loud as wish. I hope you can understand what I said.

We really enjoyed your great pictures of your four wheeling, did Vic have a roll of TP with her? Larry & LaVonne
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Old 04-01-2006, 06:08 AM   #18
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Larry, what;'s the cost of the Radio Play 200?
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Old 04-01-2006, 06:09 AM   #19
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CORRECTION: I had thought that I bought the table that is mounted in the truck from Toshiba, my error it was from DeLorme and is listed on thier web site delorme.com under earthmate and accessories. It costs $149.95 and is very flexible and removable.
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Old 04-01-2006, 06:29 AM   #20
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The cost of the Radio Play 200 was $49.99 you can get cheaper ones but they use batteries also. For me, the more volume is a plus.Larry & LaVonne
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