DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2004 and Earthmate GPS: don't leave home without your laptop and this path-finding product.

Sometimes getting lost is half the fun. Pick a new road and discover what unfolds--who needs a map? But to drive efficiently, use DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2004, the new edition of map software I've valued for several years, and the new DeLorme Earthmate GPS receiver. Street Atlas helps me find a fast route and drive it, or explore variations and options. It displays maps, locates addresses, plots routes, calculates distances and times, provides turn-by-turn directions, locates places of interest (my favorite: restaurants), and more. The GPS shows me where I am and what I should do next, and when I'm just wandering around, the GPS controlled map always shows me "you are here."

Tell Street Atlas your From and To addresses, and it calculates the Shortest route in distance or Quickest in time. You can add intermediate Stops to see how far and long they are, and add Vias to force any route you desire. It can be eye-opening to experiment with different roads. I was comparing boring vs. scenic routes from San Diego to San Francisco and discovered that while the fun drive adds less than 60 miles, it adds 2.5 hours. Street Atlas helps me understand the trade-offs and choose the best route.

Some drivers want turn-by-turn directions, but I like to see a map, and Street Atlas 2004 provides both. In fact, it displays two maps: a large view of the selected area, and a small "higher up" view showing the surrounding territory. Both maps change position and zoom in synch. With the GPS activated, Street Atlas displays three maps, each at a different zoom level, and optionally moves the maps to keep the current GPS location in the center.

You can customize Street Atlas maps, by selecting desired views and zoom level. You can add routes using From/Via/Stop/To. You can use the Draw tools to add text, symbols, places, notes, assorted lines and shapes, and even roads. I added streets in Phoenix that aren't on the built-in map. Then, when I asked Street Atlas to show me the best route, it used some of the streets I added--very cool! You can save any number of customizations, and quickly redisplay your regular trips. You can even copy or e-mail map files to other Street Atlas users.

Unfortunately, drawing roads is the only way to update Street Atlas; there's no way to remove, relocate, or rename. I quickly spotted several errors in my neighborhood, including Seal Rock not in the ocean, but a block south on dry land. The 2004 map can't get you to my house because it uses a non existent street as the route, and doesn't know a major road has been realigned and renamed. Points of-interest can't be added or changed either. According to the product's Help file, "The data in Street Atlas USA 2004 can only be updated by buying a more recent version of the product when it is available."

Points-of-interest database

Street Atlas USA 2004 has a database with millions of points of interest and businesses. You can search it lay name, keywords, city, zip code, area code, and other parameters. To find a place nearby, you can search the displayed area of the map. With a GPS, you can use the Radar feature to search near your current position.

It's terrific to have one program and one CD cover the entire USA. New for 2004, the map also displays major roads in southern Canada, but not local streets or details. However, Mexico is absolutely blank.

Talking maps

Lonesome? You and Street Alias can chat as you drive. The idea is to avoid having to look at the screen and use the keyboard while blasting down the road. Street Atlas can speak turn-by-turn instructions, but the weak audio system in nay laptop makes this hard to hear, and impossible with the car radio playing. You can talk to Street Atlas, using voice commands to change the map display and announce information, but I was amused to discover my map jumping all over the place in response to a talk radio show.

Earthmate GPS

When mated with a GPS receiver, DeLorme Street Atlas literally comes alive. I really like the new small DeLorme Earthmate GPS, which connects to a laptop's USB port for data and power. Put the GPS on your dashboard and drive away--if you can stand the bright yellow color.

DeLorme says the new Earthmate GPS receiver is more accurate with weak satellite signals than prior models, and in North America, it uses the FAA's Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for accuracy of 2 to 5 meters. Without WAAS correction, accuracy is 10 to 20 meters.

I found GPS-to-map accuracy to vary more than that. Most of the time, Street Atlas showed nay position precisely. But it sometimes showed me driving through houses and over cliffs. This happened on the same roads at the same places, so I suspect map errors. The maps aren't an absolute representation of reality; curvy roads are usually straight lines with occasional sharp bends.

Inaccuracies and lags in the GPS-to-map system reduce the value of the spoken turn-by-turn directions. Street Atlas gave me correct instructions, but sometimes too late to be useful. As I passed a freeway exit, Street Atlas told me it was coming up in 0.3 miles, which matched the GPS track on the map, but not my actual position.

Don't leave home without it

If DeLorme would provide regular map corrections, Street Atlas would be unmatched. As it is, quibbles and wishes aside, I still recommend it highly.

If you can benefit from map software, you should go straight to the product that does the job, DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2004. Combine it with the DeLorme Earthmate GPS receiver and you'll raise your motor travels to new levels of planning, managing, and enjoying.

DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2004 Earthmate GPS US $129.95 bundled US $49.95 for stand-alone Street Atlas USA 2004 US $39.95 for Street Atlas USA upgrades

CONNECTION: USB 

BATTERY: No battery necessary; draws power from laptop via USB.

DIMENSION: 2.1" height; 1.87" width; 8" depth

BUSINESS BENEFITS

This feature-filled combo of mapping software and GPS will keep you on track.

+ Flexible options help you calculate the best route

+ Ability to add information to existing maps

+ Points-of-interest database

- Some map inaccuracies

- Some GPS-to-map anomalies