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 - Great softwareI have been using Delorme TOPO for about 9 years and this is the best TOPO yet. The last version that I used was TOPO 4 which used separate CD's for various regions. TOPO 7 on the other hand has all of the U.S. on one DVD, which you can copy to memory. I was at first reluctant to buy it because I thought the DVD would have to be in the computer during use--not so. This is very thoughtful of Delorme. TOPO 7 is especially useful with the Delorme PN-20 GPS which I also purchased (They come as a bundle). Delorme has greatly improved and simplified the interface with this edition. Just having TOPO maps of the entire U.S. would be worth the price, but the program is very powerful and useful besides. As to the comments about the software being too complicated, think how much work each of you put into learning spread sheets and word processors. I have used a GPS for 9 years and I still learn something new now and then. It is not so much the product as it is the application, which is quite complicated. However, stick with it and you will find many uses for the maps. I constantly refer to the topo maps when I am reading news on the internet. I can quickly find the elevation and other information about locales in the news. I would suggest for anyone wanting more information from current users of TOPO 7 and the PN-20 go to the Delorme site and read the reviews and also go on their forums. You will get a much better idea of what the software can do. Rating:  - Some of the Worst Software EverI've been a computer consultant for over 20 years and therefore I've seen a lot of software I'm unfamiliar with at first. On most systems, I can figure out how to do the basics relatively quickly. But not on this software. Let me also add that I helped design and build custom navigation systems for the US Navy, The Coast Guard and even Special Forces units, so I am no stranger to navigational software. But Topo USA 7 defies all logic. There are endless hoops that you have jump through to upload a map to the Earthmate PN-20, so I assume it's similar to other units as they are yet another menu deeper. The help files are scanty and poorly organized. I play around with geocaching and have always entered the files through GSAK software into a Garmin ETrex which was OK. But Gsak doesn't support the Earthmate, so I tried using the Topo ware. It downloaded and displayed the file and the location correctly, but following directions in the Help file and from the Earthmate manual failed to get the file on the GPS. The GPS itself is great and easy to use for the basics without a manual, but you'll need other software to make the unit workable for uploading waypoints and such, which I still haven't figured out. I don't know if DeLorme reads reviews about their products, but if they do, I hope they revamp their development team as this software is incredibly hard to use out of the box. In addition, you can't set Start and Finish waypoints by right clicking like you can in almost every other program. The Help files say you can, but there is no option on a right click to do so. And the help file opens in place of the regular window which means you have to minimize it to go back to the map and there is no way to split screen it. Or if there is it's not in help files either. Want to set a route between two waypoints? You can't. You can do it OK in the GPS but not on your desk top unless you know a specific address to put in the Address book. Not very handy for geocaching especially away from developed areas. And since this is all a proprietary interface between the GPS and the Topo software, you can't use another program to get around the short comings of this absolutely awful software. It is without a doubt the worst software I've ever run across. Rating: - Clunky interfaceAlthough DeLorme Topo has the reputation as the best of its kind, I find it unyieldy and unusable. Its user interface in no way reflects standards established since Windows 98. Adding, editing, deleting waypoints is more of an adventure than actually being on the trail -- you never know the effect of any one tool, nor how perform simple edits. Worse, although the interface has two panels (one for a macro view, one for close out), zooming in or out inexplicably affects the other panel. Sorry, I find this software unusable, except perhaps to print maps of very localized areas. Forget trying to create a route to upload to your GPS. Rating:  - Staying with GarminI purchased the Street Atlas / TOPO 6.0 / Blue Logger bundle a year ago. At the time I used a Dell XPS running XP Pro. Some setup issues, especially with TOPO 6.0 and the blue tooth Blue Logger. Finally got that sorted out. Computer upgrade in July 2007 - more power and VISTA. Everything worked fine except Delorme. A real challenge getting TOPO 6.0 to work at all - still not fully functional. TOPO refuses to connect with the Blue Logger, even though the computer connects quickly. The Blue Logger is discontinued. If you already have TOPO 6.0 you may be eligible for a free upgrade to 7.0 if you have a certain chip in your computer. I am sticking with Garmin.
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