Others say...

"Great tool"
I too have been using S&T for several years. I upgraded from 2005 because I got 2008 w/ GPS for as a gift. Not a lot of changes from 2005 with the exception of activation requirement which doesn't bother me and the new (to me) map style for night viewing.
It was loaded on my XP laptop and now on my new Vista tablet PC. Had a little trouble installing it because the fancy software for walking the user through the installation wouldn't fun on the Vista Table OS. Circumvented it by viewing DVD in 'my computer' and running the installation software directly.
Had no problems after that with installation or activation but I don't a bunch of software running on my laptop that might cause conflicts.
The coordinates on the location sensor are inaccurate by about 125 yards but once the GPS is connected it is dead on.
The GPS is great for getting unlost. I took a wrong turn in Kansas City and went way of my intended route. Fired up the laptop and the GPS and found my location and navigated back to my route. It was much more helpful than my Garmin V for seeing a more detailed and larger map.
I love S&T.

"Streets and Trips 2008"
I've used Streets and Trips for 6 or 7 years. Although stated in product write up, this is not a CD format as in the past, but is DVD, which necessitated me purchasing a DVD reader before I could install software. Also, it takes longer to start up the program than previous versions, without a discernible improvement in features or functions. If it were not for wanting to update street locations, I would have preferred keeping old version. Still the best mapping software available.

"A+ for software, F- for support "
Streets & Trips program scores A+
Tech Support scores F-

I have been using Streets & Trips for several years. I am a professional person, now retired and leading a full time RV lifestyle. I change locations frequently and use Streets & Trips daily. I am mature, mild mannered, kind, thoughtful, and very patient. I am not a computer expert, but I have been using computers since the days of DOS. I use and maintain two computers and a network.

I purchased and installed Streets & Trips 2008 in October 2007. In April 2008, for no apparent reason, it quit working. It would not load. With any other program, I would suspect that a file had become corrupted; I could uninstall and reinstall the program, insert the product ID, and be up and running again in a few minutes. I uninstalled and reinstalled Streets & Trips twice; oddly, it did not ask for product ID and it still would not load. [ONE HOUR] I went online to Microsoft Help, found my problem clearly defined with advice to call tech support at [800] 936-5700 5AM to 9PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday.

I called Tech Support; it appears to be OUTSOURCED. Over the years I have had consistently poor to disastrous (computer crashes) results from outsourced support and will not knowingly buy a program with outsourced support if there is an alternative.

MICROSOFT IS NOT AN IMPOVERISHED COMPANY AND COULD WELL AFFORD 24/7 AMERICAN TECH SUPPORT.

I was assigned a case number, 1066295656, and began a tortuous journey. The task was to go to www.support.microsoft.com/ea which would access a Microsoft program called Easy Assist which would allow tech support to take control of my computer and secretively solve the problem without allowing me to know how it was done.

Following technician's instructions, I was not able to access Easy Assist. Technician frequently put me on hold, then returned to give additional instructions to disable programs running on my computer until only Microsoft programs were running. We worked this way for 2 hours on the first day, 2 hours on the second day, and 2 hours on the third day. [SIX HOURS] Technician then declared that he had exhausted all options and that he would need to refer me to a Microsoft Server tech support. I related my sad story to the clerk who answered the phone; she transferred me to the Server tech where I related the sad story again. Server tech then informed me that there was nothing wrong with my computer. THE SERVER IS DOWN - ITS JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS - THERE IS NOTHING TO DO BUT WAIT.

MICROSOFT IS NOT AN IMPOVERISHED COMPANY AND COULD WELL AFFORD TO FIELD RELIABLE SERVERS AS GOOGLE DOES.

IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME THAT THE SUPPORT TECH SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE SERVER WAS DOWN BEFORE THE HOURS OF UNSUCCESSFUL REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE SERVER.

A Microsoft representative then telephoned me to inquire whether I was satisfied with the tech support; I complained energetically. I was informed that my complaint was being given "Red Alert" status and that a Microsoft executive would call me within two business days - didn't happen.

After several days recuperation I made another call to tech support, got a new case number, 1068747744, and a new technician. This time the process proceeded as planned and the problem was solved; my phone timer revealed that the uncomplicated and successful process had still consumed 48 minutes! I was then transferred to the technician's supervisor who inquired about my level of satisfaction; I replied that I was satisfied with that particular technician but that I was extremely angry with the Microsoft policies and procedures and servers that had wasted many hours of my time. I was again informed that a Microsoft executive would call me within two business days - I did get a call from a Team Manager for Microsoft Home Products.

I was then faced with the task of enabling all the programs that had been disabled. [TWO HOURS]

So Microsoft squandered 9 HOURS of my time and caused me to suffer overwhelming stress and frustration. In my professional life I bill $100 an hour, so Microsoft owes me $900 in compensatory damages for wasting my time, and $500,000 for punitive damages to compensate for my newly acquired Tech Support Phobia which will haunt me until the end of my days. I suffer extreme anxiety by just contemplating Microsoft Tech Support.

My take on this (which may be biased) is that Microsoft responded to its paranoia about persons misusing Streets & Trips by attempting to thwart dishonest persons, utilizing a combination of the worst characteristics of the Gestapo, the KGB, the CIA, the IRS, and the Bush White House to field a complicated, clandestine, circuitous tech support process which punishes and tortures both honest and dishonest persons.

READERS MAY BE ABLE TO DISCERN THAT I AM REALLY MAD ABOUT THIS.



"Activation required"
Been a Street and Trips user for years. The cost of an upgrade seem small even though at times I didn't see much need to.

This is the first year that Streets and Trips required activation. Fortunately I didn't have the problems that others have reported. I have used the product with a external gps antenna and it worked well.

"Not much of an upgrade"
Very disappointed in the upgrades made to this product since the 2006 version. I was hoping to have new neighborhoods included on it, and they aren't, so it was essentially a waste of money. It does have some nice features added, like the "reverse route" function, but overall, hasn't really worked to include new subdivisions (at least in Colorado) at all.