'09 Microsoft Streets and Trips WITH receiver dongle for $24

[mhiscox]

From Dealnews.com . . .

Today only, MidnightBox.com offers Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 for Windows with GPS Locator, model no. ZV3-00019, for $19.95 with $3.99 for shipping. That's $16 under our November mention and the lowest total price we could find now by $16. This bundle features a USB-powered SiRFstar III GPS hardware unit with navigational trip-planning software (it gives directions, plots your location as you move, finds hotels, and more).

I've used Streets and Trips for a long time and it's a pretty workable system for trip planning. Not so good for actually going somewhere, unless you routinely have a daylight-readable laptop with you. However, the whole setup is cheaper than a USB GPS receiver by itself and it'd be hard to better this system for $24. I've no idea whether the receiver dongle will work with other software, but I don't see a reason why it wouldn't with the right communications settings.

Anyway, a bit of a bargain even if not top of the line. Here's the link:

http://www.midnightbox.com/?dealboxtabs=1

 

[Smksignals]

FYI... I use my receiver from S&T's with Delorme Topo 8. Works well !!

 

[Sangster]

nice find, just placed my order!

 

[The Adam Blaster]

That is super cheap!!
Last year when I bought software and the USB receiver it cost me about 80 bucks.

 

[mhiscox]

It's back . . . for some indefinite period. Same deal, same place,

http://www.midnightbox.com/?dealboxtabs=0

 

[AxeAngel]

I always miss the good stuff

Sam

 

[AxeAngel]

I found the 09 for under $30 with Sirf III GPS puck

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Streets-Trips-2009-Locator/dp/B002OOR6KM/ref=dp_cp_ob_sw_title_2"]Amazon.com: Microsoft Streets and Trips 2009 with GPS Locator for PC: Windows XP…[/ame]

 

[Marvin]

Hi guys,

I've never seen Streets & Trips w/GPS price this low! :luxhello:

Version 2009 is not the newest one, but even if one wants to buy it for the USB GPS receiver alone, it still is a great price!

The current version of Streets & Trips is 2010, and very likely 2011 is to be released within weeks.

:victory:

 

[AxeAngel]

I almost pulled the trigger, but in speaking with people on here the consensus is stick with Garmin or DeLorme.

For $23 I can't justify buying a corded GPS dongle. For a little bit more you can get a sirf III with bluetooth capability. Mount the GPS receiver and dont worry about cords everywhere...

-Sam

 

[Marvin]

Sam, I have used various USB and Bluetooth GPS receivers over the years. USB cable connection still seems to be more reliable and gives less headaches than Bletooth connection. I never stayed with a Bluetoth GPS for too long. Even now, my current GPS unit, which is a dual (Bluetooth and/or USB), I use it via USB.

In my experience, with USB connected GPS receivers, you just install the device driver, and from that point it just simply works. But with Bluetooth units, it occasionaslly doesn't connect, it may require a restart or a pairing of the device. It just is not as "set it up & forget it" as USB.

(If I had to buy a new USB GPS today, I'd go for a GlobalSat BU-353. My current dual, Bluetooth/USB, unit is a Qstarz BT-818x.)

YMMV

 

[AxeAngel]

(If I had to buy a new USB GPS today, I'd go for a GlobalSat BU-353. My current dual, Bluetooth/USB, unit is a Qstarz BT-818x.)

YMMV

Marvin, thanks for the advice, any reason you recommend the globalsat? Faster load time or what specifically?

I can't seem to find who makes the dongle for the 09 S&T, but the 10 dingle seems far superior. Additionally the 09 dongle is connected by way of a large clunky box - that allows for connectivity to MSN traffic. Something most users don't upgrade to.

-Sam

 

[Marvin]

Sam, the USB GPS receiver that sold a few years ago with the Streets & Trips with Connected Services is an older product made by Pharos. The USB GPS module's part number is GPS-360.

GPS-360 was based on the older SiRFstar2 chip.

Newer Streets & Trips sold with a SiRFstar3 based USB GPS receiver known as GPS-500. The newer GPS-500 looked just like the older GPS-360, but it was slightly smaller.

GPS-500 had noticeably improved sensitivity to weak satellite signals because of the more powerful SiRFstar3 chipset. But many users experienced mechanical problems with the connector between the GPS-500 and the USB extension cord. And mainly for that reason I wouldn't recommend it.

The current versions of Streets & Trips sell with a USB GPS receiver made by a company named Navation Technologies. The unit looks like a memory stick. It can plug directly to a laptop's USB port. However, when plugged in directly to a laptop, the RF interference from the computer is degrading the performance if the GPS unit to a point that in many cases it just simply doesn't work. Microsoft includes a short USB extension cable with which the unit works just fine.

My personal preference for BU-353 is because it is a proven performer that has been around for a while. Very seldom I hear any complains from users. Here's a brief information: BU-353.

Correction: In my earlier post I made a reference to "Qstarz BT-818x", but the correct part number is Qstarz Q818x.