Route 66 Navigate Britain 2004 GPS kit

I recieved Route 66 Navigate Britain 2004 bundled with a recent purchase of a PDA with built in GPS capabilities. I chose the bundle with Route 66 as it was the cheapest available.

Initially skeptical due to the lower- priced software, I would encourage other potential buyers to ignore such stirirngs in your conscious as the software holds its own quite well.

It doesn't have many fancy embellishments- you can't add your ...
...searching for an address in Route 66's extensive street database or importing an address from your outlook contacts, and then tap on 'navigate'. The software uses a connected GPS reciever to search for satellites in view and, on my PDA, routinely finds upwards of six (three are needed), and then verbally announces that your route is being planned. Soon, inside minutes if not seconds, it announces that your route has been calculated. To continue, ... more

I recieved Route 66 Navigate Britain 2004 bundled with a recent purchase of a PDA with built in GPS capabilities. I chose the bundle with Route 66 as it was the cheapest available.

Initially skeptical due to the lower- priced software, I would encourage other potential buyers to ignore such stirirngs in your conscious as the software holds its own quite well.

It doesn't have many fancy embellishments- you can't add your own points of interest, for example- but it does have all the basic functions that you might need from any PDA- based navigation software: It's easy to set the software up to guide you to your destination, and it automatically uses your current position as a starting point.

In 'Navigate' mode, simply add one or more waypoints either by tapping on the map with your stylus, searching for an address in Route 66's extensive street database or importing an address from your outlook contacts, and then tap on 'navigate'. The software uses a connected GPS reciever to search for satellites in view and, on my PDA, routinely finds upwards of six (three are needed), and then verbally announces that your route is being planned. Soon, inside minutes if not seconds, it announces that your route has been calculated. To continue, simply start driving. The software offers clear and concise instructions as well as a simple and uncluttered map view with visual indication of the next turn to make.
If you make a wrong turning, the software silently recalculates your route and guides you, rather than insisting you return to the original route as with some navigation software.

In 'Route Finder' mode, the sofware acts in much the same way as any online routfinder you may have used- you enter a start point, a destination, and any number of intermediate waypoints by the same methods as mentioned above, tap "calculate" and the software presents you with a route (both as a map and as a list of written instructions).
This mode of the software is also included on CD ROM for installation on your PC or laptop which makes the software ideal for someone who simply wants to print off clear and accurate route plans without buying an in-car GPS system.

In both modes you can specify whether you're driving a car or a lorry, and whether you want the fastest (time) or shortest (distance) route.

I've used the software a few times since getting it- mostly testing it out locally, but I have also been on a 70- mile journey to somewhere I'd never been before.
The short journeys took me on routes slightly different to the ones I'd usually take, although these did turn out to be slightly quicker and shorter. One odd glitch I encountered during a short journey was an odd double- back on a dual carriage way, but this hasn't been repeated since.
The longer journey was a complete success- no wrong turnings, the journey was smooth and the instructions were easily translated to the road. The map was easy to consult at a glance, but this also relies on your GPS system and mount to be effective. On- screen graphical instructions help to clarify the verbal instructions.

One thing I was particularly pleased about is that the voice which guides is British. This obviously a superficial benefit, but nonetheless provides some satisfaction in a market which is inarguably America-dominated.

In conclusion, negative points include:
No user- definable points of interest; software flies into a bit of a hissy fit if you happen to take a wrong turn into a dead- end- this doesn't affect the software, but the voice repeatedly and insistently tells you to turn around as soon as possible as if all life depends on it; adding new maps (european maps, for example) costs quite a bit. This varies depending on which maps you want to add.

And the positive points:
Seems to be cheaper than a lot of the alternatives; easy to use; simple and uncomplicated for point-to-point navigation; the included UK maps are accurate enough to lead you door- to- door in most situations. 

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