Review by Loves Books in MD

Microsoft MapPoint 2010nnWhile this may not be technically correct, MapPoint appears from a user standpoint to be an enhanced version of Microsoft’s Streets and Trips. Both can be used for plotting trips, and with a GPS adapter, turn your laptop into a full blown GPS. Using a computer to plan trips has a lot of advantages over a standalone GPS. You can plan your trips and side trips on a large screen, easily save and edit them, and look up possible destinations on the internet at the same time. The bad news is you need your laptop in the car when you do go on a trip and that takes up a lot of room compared to the standalone GPS. One nice feature is that routes created in MapPoint can be downloaded to some standalone GPS unit (mainly Garmin, check the MapPoint website at Microsoft.com).nMapPoint adds features that I feel will mainly be used for business. It has the ability send maps and data to Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). It can also pull data from Office applications and SQL databases and use that data to create maps. Developers can program their apps to use MapPoint to generate maps that are incorporated into their software or websites.

This is a great (and advanced) product if you need it’s advanced features. But if you are looking at this for home use planning trips, save some money and buy Streets and Trips (or a standalone GPS).

• Microsoft