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 - Great Guidance SystemGreat update over prior versions. The auto-recalculate works well and recalculates quickly. The display has useful features such as time and compass. The activation system is annoying but did not present any problems. Rating:  - New 'Activation' requirement prevents use on some machinesThe program installed fine, but in order to use it, you have to 'activate' it online (as you do with, for example, Microsoft Office and Windows). This is the first time activation has been required for Streets & Trips. The activation process refused to function on my laptop. And despite the program's assurance that "you can use it for up to 60 days without activation," the program in fact would not run at all without activation. I placed two calls to Microsoft Support about the issue. The first technician worked with me to reboot, uninstall, reinstall, etc., with no luck. The second technician acknowledged that there is a known issue with activation on some PC's. He suggested I could either wait for a patch (but he could not predict when one would be forthcoming), or I could get a refund. It's a shame, because I've liked previous versions of S&T and was really looking forward to trying out the GPS features. I haven't decided whether to request a refund yet. If I keep the program and a patch is released, I will update this review accordingly. Rating:  - Great product for the priceCons: The cable that this comes with is proprietary to the GPS, and I can see it getting damaged over time if you connect and disconenct the little GPS device. Pros: It all installs really easily, and work pretty well right out of the box. For the price, it is a good all-in-one product to add to your laptop. Rating:  - Jury is still out on this oneI am a directionaly challenged Realtor, so I thought this product might help. Pros: its cheap and works relatively well once you have played around with it. GPS receiver does have some lag-time to the screen so you need to know a little about where you are going before missing turns. I bought an inverter for extra juice to extend the battery life of the laptop and have a well lit screen. A CD player/cassette converter can put the laptop sound into your car stereo for extra loud voice directions over loud, obnoxious clients. Cons: not intuitive, a regular GPS is so much simpler. Rating: - Not worth the upgrade I bought this program to get the latest maps and updated places like hotels. It is my 4th upgrade over the years, starting back in 2003. As far as I can tell, this version has NO IMPROVEMENTS AT ALL over my 2006 version, is more difficult to install and it tried to attach a Microsoft "live search" toolbar and default home page to my system. I live in western Pennsylvania and the new Mon-Valley expressway (PA-576) and several other new tollroads open since July of 2006 do not show up on the map! What is the purpose of buying the new version if there are no real improvements? On the plus side, the new GPS unit design may be a little easier to deal with, but if you already have T&S with GPS, don't waste your money on this version.
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