Streets & Trips or DeLorme for a laptop - your preference?

[RJ]

It's been awhile since this topic came up, so it's time for a revisit.

I've got a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop that I'm taking with me to Blytheville. I'm meeting JL Vickers at DFW, and we're heading east from there.

As a relief from boredom, want to play with either one of these programs to possibly get off the Interstate and enjoy a leisurely pace.

We're going to split the distance between Wed afternoon and Thursday morning, so also want to find WallMarts en route that allow ONP.  I know all about the Yahoo Group dedicated to this, and have downloaded the files onto the laptop already.  Am also reviewing Sean & Louise's blog for tips from when they've covered this same general area.

JLV's got a Garmin GPS unit, but prefers to use it as a speedometer backup, rather than for navigation, due to it's age.  He's also got a recent edition RMN Trucker's Road Atlas, so hard copy stuff is somewhat covered.

Thus, fellow busnuts, which is your preference and, more importantly, why?

TIA!

RJ

[Dreamscape]

I used Streets and Trips on our last trip from the NW to Texas. I like the features it has and what you can add to it. I added Wal Marts and overpass heights. Comes with speedometer and a lot of other features. Since then we bought a Garmin for our Jeep and it works just fine for that.

I have my laptop mounted over to my right above my camera monitor and strapped down with Velcro.

Flying J has/had a truckers Garmin at a pretty good price. I've read the reviews and it's pretty darn good.

Have fun on your trip and say Hi to JL for me.

[bobofthenorth]

My only experience is with S & T.  I've had a love/hate relationship with it for more than 10 years now.  I doubt its any worse or significantly better than any of the alternatives.  As Paul has pointed out, there are files of points of interest available to find Walmarts or free parking or any number of other items of interest in addition to the POIs that are bundled with the software.  I wouldn't hesitate to trust the S & T database in the US.  As has been discussed here on occasion, its not always right but its right enough of the time that its safe to trust it.  Its kind of like hockey when you use GPS - you gotta keep your head up.  My laptop sits on a swing arm with its base behind my right shoulder while I am driving.  It swings around to be visible next to my backup camera or it can be rotated so that SWMBO can navigate.  Or when we enter California we can swing it completely back out of sight and only bring it around when we absolutely need it.

I would find it very hard to travel without GPS now.  I suppose I could use my Android and Google maps but the full size screen on the laptop is much nicer, particularly so when you miss a turn off and have to scan the surrounding terrain for an escape route.  And that still happens - sometimes you lose the signal, sometimes the basemap is just wrong and you miss an exit ramp, sometimes you misjudge how fast a corner is coming up.  You still gotta keep your head up.

[Cary and Don]

We have had DeLorme for quite a while.  It has a lot of features for choosing routes.  It is not easy to learn though if you want to use everything it can do.  It is designed for the person that is on the road a lot.  You can add all kinds of points of interest to it.  We like it a lot.

Don and Cary

[wg4t50]

As stated on the other forum, If you have a computer engine, and use the Silverleaf, VMSpc, you can also display the DeLorme map program along with the engine/trans data.
I use the VMSpc, but a  seperate Garmin, it works for me.
Dave M

[longjohn]

We have over 2600 detailed directions of shippers and consignee, i still ask for directions because  i have to call. we take notes on land marks ( tight turns low wires  height and clearance issues ...etc) on way in and out of locations and then compare  with oral directions, truckers atlas ( the truck drivers best friend) and truckers gps  and then it gets typed up and goes in the book. our needs are a little more rigid than others , however i hear guys saying well my gps said do so and so  as they head into a dead end street.   i like to use my googlefu and pull up the sat view  and zoom in  and see where the location is and any issues that i may pickup from the birds eye view when i have time.   like Bob said earlier ...........  Keep your head up and eye's open............
i do not use  streets and trips or delorme.   Used   a trial program like silver leaf that  had split screen . i caught myself paying more attention to the laptop screen than where i should have been looking...

[chessie4905]

If you do a Msft streets and trips 2013 search there is a good deal of info that Msft does cater to some extent to the RV community, and even offers help and sample s&t discs to rv owners at major shows along with seminars. A few years back, I attended one in which they demonstrated the program and took names for forwarding a 5000 plus points of interest program download. Maybe not such a big deal now a days, but I did receive it and learned quite a bit about running the program at the seminar. Apparently they found their product is quite popular with RV owners, as many aren't into smart phones and don't always have signal on the road to make use of Google maps and prefer the larger laptop, esp. for trip planning.