[rames14]

315RLS -
You are correct, the GPS60C is self-contained and you can load mapsource maps onto it. However, you can only load the equivalent of a few states, or just the area along your route at a time. The screen is acceptable, but not as good as a laptop screen. Another point is that Mapsource software doesn't have the zip codes in, which I use for setting up my satellite receiver. And, although the power is self-contained, it is battery powered. That means that you expend money on batteries. I like using the power cable for the GPS60. The laptop I use does not have a serial port. By using the laptop, I can also have the low clearance points, which Steve Reigle provided me, as push pins on the map. And we all know what a mess it makes when you pull a Montana through an 11' underpass. So, I have a variety of reasons I would like to use my GPS with Streets and Trips. One of the advantages of Streets and Trips over Delorme Street Atlas is the fact that you can load the entire program on the laptop, without using CD's. And, when you load mapsource details maps onto the GPS60, it overwrites the POI database.

Microsoft has offered me a refund on the MS S&T software. They have said that the only options with the current NMEA interface is to have a serial port or a virtual serial port. Microsoft also said that the Delorme software will work with USB ports. So, given the fact that both laptop and desktop PC's are shipping without serial ports anymore, and Microsoft is touting the expanded GPS capability of MS Streets and Trips, I am curious how their business plan works. So, I forwarded Microsoft's response to Garmin to see if they have an answer. The saga continues.