Date:         Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:37:18 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: POI Mega File for S&T Users Driving Westfalias Addemdum
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTimeVwPxFJDEdrZ50=99VvE8fFZMhhSV0afK88fR@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 RE: MS S&T w/GPS on a laptop while driving.
Simple answer is yes, it will work, and the little GPS receiver is very
good, very sensitive.  BUT, having tried this some years back I found it
dangerous as hell.  That is, if you are a solo driver.  If you have a
co-pilot in the right seat then you should be okay.  Frank and Rita use such
a setup and swear by it.  But after trying such a setup I went out and
acquired a dedicated GPS to mount on the dash and it works much better.
A couple of cautions, based on my experience, about laptop mapping
software.  First, avoid the the Delorme setup.  I found the software, Street
Atlas, to have the worst interface you could imagine, totally user opaque.
Get Streets & Trips.  But get the latest version, 2010 or later.  They made
major improvements in the 2010 version (I understand that 2011 is out now
but what I could find there is no major change, just more data).  The little
GPS plug in is amazing.  Even though I don't use the laptop while moving
I'll set it up at night, use the GPS to mark exactly where I am and add in
the route I've traveled that day.  Then I end up with a full track of the
entire trip by the time I get home.  And since I have a ton of POI files
loaded into S&T I've pulled over and fired up the laptop to find
campgrounds, etc. in the general area then put the coordinates into the GPS
to get there.  But I don't recommend the laptop setup for use while driving.