You seen my questions and complaining, but I'm back with more. As background...I bought a Dell Axim with GPS unit that plugged into the car. The directions were great, but the car hook didn't always work, so instead of just exchanging the unit, we upgraded to a handheld. The Pharos GPS came with Ostia software, which wasn't very good, but waited until Christmas, as I told Santa I wanted Microsoft Streets & Trips. It came with pocket streets also. As we traveled down the road, the maps stopped afer about 30 miles. My question...will Microsoft Streets and Trips work on my PDA with the GPS and actually tell us how to get places, or is it strictly a pre-planning software? I wanted to use the GPS next May for Europe and it doesn't seem to be what I was told it would be. The help line you say? Tried that. Let's just say Bill Gates is getting a letter. I live in the Seattle area and was ready to camp out at Microsoft in frustration. Dell has been equally unhelpful with their product support/information. Can anyone tell me about Streets & Trips? Is there an alternative mapping software that is under $100 that will work better here and in Europe? Thanks in advance. Hopefully I can settle this and get on with more interesting questions !

topping for myself

You can only run S&T on a machine with a big hard drive. Pocket Streets runs on a PPC. To transfer S&T maps to the PPC, you define an area and clip it for export. S&T will plot a route (including directions) that will transfer to the PPC, but only S&T has the audio "Turn Left In 300 Feet..."

The GPS locator works with both laptop or PPC.

The European verson of S&T is AutoRoute, and it works the same way.

Microsoft has free Pocket Streets maps for hundreds of cities that you can download from here:

<b>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/pocketstreets/mapdownload/psmapsearch.aspx</b>

We use S&amp;T/AR on a laptop in cross-country mode, then when we get to a destination we load the PS city map on the PPC. I've never had a need to export route maps from the laptop to the PPC (although I did try it once just to see how it works).

Michelin sells a similar capability called &quot;Maps and Route Planning&quot; that runs on both PC and PPC. Here's the product description:

<b>http://www.shop.viamichelin.co.uk/csasp_index.asp?id=119</b>

Here's the demo:

<b>http://www.shop.viamichelin.co.uk/prod/VMCarto_Demo_PPC_EN.zip</b>

It sounds like Streets and Trips will not do what we want it to. We wanted to just take the Axim with the Pharos GPS on our trip to Norway, England and Italy and put in our destination on the PDA and have it tell us (or even just show us) how to get there. I didn't want to have to plan it from home, transfer etc. Am I asking for the impossible?

S&amp;T doesn't run on a PPC. Michelin does what you want.

Thanks for putting up with my confusion. I did see the demo site you posted and I will try it out.

I don't know if this is still an option but I used the Dell Axim PDA with a Holux GPS that slips into the top of the PDA. This I used with Mapopolis software that worked well in Europe, US and Canada. The Software company was great in helping me set it up. Let me know if you wanyt more information.

I looked up the Mapopolis for Paris. Just that one map is $19, whereas the entire Michelin of Europe is 89&euro;. And the Microsoft map of Paris is free.

Is there some advantage to Mapopolis I'm missing?

I chose Mapopolis because for one fee, I was able to download all of Europe and adding North America was only slightly more expensive(I think about $200 in total). You are correct, that one single map is expensive. It was one of the software programs that had decent reviews. As well, the major supplier of GPS products was bundling it with the GPS that fit my PDA. It was probably me, but I found the Michelin product complicated and, as I recall, at the time a year ago, it either didn't format for the PDA which I had or required a stand-alone GPS.

I checked the sites and the GPS is $69, the western European maps (downloadable for 1 year)are $100. Free car vent mount included. North America maps are another $89. You can claim a 10% discount with a $10 donation to GpsPasSion.

I have downloaded a demo and going to try it out (mapopolis). Thanks for all of the info.

Robjame, We downloaded the demo maps from mapopolis, and once we figured out how to use it, we were impressed. I am looking for a phone number, as I have some questions. I only see email as contact. Is this what you found? One question is that I want to know the prices of the maps, as I only see the mappacks.

From the main page, hit &quot;Pocket PC&quot; then &quot;Yes&quot; at the bottom of the Pocket PC column then &quot;Select maps for purchase&quot; then &quot;Pocket PC&quot;

Thanks for all of your help. I emailed Mapopolis with questions and they called me back this morning. They are very helpful, and even advised me not to buy from them right now, as their updated maps come out just before our trip. They are also emailing a demo for our whole state to try out. That's the kind of customer service I have been wanting !

Well, good for you! I loaded Mapopolis on my iPAQ and it immediately took over the Bluetooth interface (my GPS isn't BT) and I couldn't pry it loose.

&quot;The best Customer Service is not needing Customer Service.&quot;

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