Customer Reviews
PDA software can't even find street addresses! 
2006-06-17
First, I'm a computer geek and should otherwise know what I'm doing with software. I have purchased several DeLorme products before, including Topo USA twice (great software!) and the non-handheld version of Street Atlas.
But, this handheld Street Atlas for my Palm TX is just horrendous, especially the PDA side of the software (the desktop software is annoying but somewhat tolerable - but I only bought this for its PDA installation). It took me a while to figure out that I needed to select areas of the map to export and to then export them. Bizarre interface, but I did manage to get the maps into the PDA. Although the maps on the PDA look rather ugly... just lines and dots... not pretty like Google Maps or Microsoft MapPoint. So far, I can live with that.
What makes the PDA software useless is that it won't find a simple street address (or partial street address) no matter what I do. I would expect any decent mapping software to be able to find a road that exported to the map. There is a "Find" feature, which defaults to "Fuzzy Find", and all that does is show me completely unrelated entries in other Palm applications... it shows me entries in my TODO list, my Contacts, my Calendar and other apps (all completely unrelated to the street I'm trying to search for), plus it'll show me various unrelated businesses (that probably aren't even on the street I'm searching for). But, no streets!!
The only way I can figure out to find streets is to scroll around, zoom in/out until I happen to see the street name on the tiny map. This is nearly impossible if I'm not well familiar with the area. Even paper maps have a chart that lets me look up a street and I'll be told what grid square its in. The desktop app also can readily find a street. So, why not the PDA software? (Yes, the streets I search for are in the exported map.)
I'm not even bothering trying any other features, not unless Find works.
Powerful but complicate, Not very user friendly 
2006-06-17
For your info. I am a computer nerd for the last 10 years. I have never had a "consumer based" software that I need to read instructions for for the last decade. This software is so complicated that I can't even figure out how to zoom in/out on the PDA version without going thru the Manual. But once I have it figure out, I have to say this is 1 of the most powerful GPS software by far. Here is how I rate this software.
Easy of use 0 stars
User interface 0 stars
Usefulness 5 stars
Extra info 5 stars
intergration with Contact list (on PDA) 5 stars
voice routing 4 stars.
Keep in mind that if you are looking for a device strictely for GPS only. I will still recommand a STANDALONG device. Those stand along device such as Roadmate from Magellan or any other standlong device is still a winner for day to day navigation. But If you want a software base GPS with lot of extra and possibility of upgrade in the future(like add topo map) then This is for you.
The map format is harder to read then Microsoft Street and Trip handheld (but unfortunately MS Street does not have the ability to calculate route on PDA and nor does it have voice )
Hopeless and horrible on a PDA 2006-06-09
It's possible to stumble around on this software when it's installed on a desktop/laptop, but just try to export maps to a PDA. The interface is clumsy, confusing and completely unintuitive. As a streets/trips map for use with a PDA and a GPS, it is a terrible choice and you will struggle with it forever. The interface on this software is about the worst I've seen on a PC in 15 or so years.
Still not a good product. 
2006-03-21
This is the third or fourth version of Street Atlas USA Handheld I've bought. On each of the prior occasions I gave up trying to use it with a variety of PDAs. One more time I thought since DeLorme boasted of the major revision they'd made.
Not really. It is still a stinkeroo.
It installs easily to a Palm device and earlier versions installed easily to Windows CE. And it works nicely with a non-DeLorme Blutetooth GPS.
But it is useless on a PDA. Maps are shown in 2D view only and they are simply thin lines across the screen. Street names even in the optional large font size are still unreadable unless you focus intensely. The highest zoom setting still covers too much area while the lowest zoom settings result in such crowded data that your route is lost.
The second weakest feature is trying to find a location. DeLorme forces you through a convoluted procedure. And finding an address seems to take forever.
The absolute worst feature is trying to create a route on the PDA. It is frustrating, time consuming and, in my experience, almost never works.
Finally, DeLorme's map information is incorrect and doesn't seem to be updated. The 2004 version didn't note that the street I live on is one-way and it constantly routed me going the wrong way. It sill does.
Actually using the product is a nightmare. The representation of your GPS location on the Palm TX's 320 x 480 screen is so tiny as to be invisible, virtually impossible to quickly see in a moving vehicle. Not a good situation. The display does not stay centered. One moment your GPS locator is squarely in the center of the screen. The next, it is at the top of the screen. Then the bottom or the sides. There is no uniformity.
The product allows you to set waypoints in order to customize your route. You literally have to do that on the computer rather than the PDA, because the PDA maps are simply too cumbersome to work with. You can do a reverse route on the PDA. Wouldn't you expect that if you simply reverse the route you created, that the waypoints you inserted would be considered? Logic says yes; DeLorme says no. Recalculating a route took almost 15 minutes on the Palm and resulted in a hodgepodge of side streets being included. Since I didn't follow the recommended (and very strange) reverse route, the program simply stopped posting the GPS location to the map. Apparently if you aren't following a pre-determined route, you are out of luck.
I'm finished with DeLorme. Never again.
Jerry
Not for PDA's 2006-03-09
I've owned every version of Street Atlas since version 2 and every version of TOPO USA since it's inception. With only one exception (RWE) I belive that each update was more than worth doing. I travel for a living over 150,000 miles a year and rely on mapping heavely. When I got my dell Axim 50V I was more than a little excited to get my hands on the handheld version of this software.
It COULD NOT be any slower. A simple 20 mile route takes 10-15 minutes or more. You actually have to disable the auto suspend battery saving of your PDA to prevent the PDA from turning it's self off during the long calculation process. I tried to run a 45-50 mile route and gave up after nearly a hour.
If you attempt to zoom, pan the map, or proform any other function be careful. Allow the map to compleetely fill in before making any more moves. If you attempt to zoom or out several steps at a time or pan 2-3 times you'll most likely hang the system and have to do a soft reboot.
You'll find the occasional person that claims only a few seconds to run a route or other wise touting the program. Take a careful look and read what the majority of users are saying. I think you'll find a general concensus. Follow your research and make a informed decision. Don't let me tell you what to do. Decide for your self.
Not worth it - don't bother 2007-10-13
The software is very slow on Palm. The search take a light year to get anything done. It's not worth trying it - even if they give you money. I can not believe they are selling it for money. Stay away from it!!
If you are looking for a street mapping program for your PDA, don't buy this one 2007-02-18
The product is not good. I gave it 2 stars because it did successfully download onto my PDA, but beyond that it was difficult and confusing. If you couple this product with a GPS system it will work, you will know where you are. However, the routing function on the PDA is a disaster and it will jam up if your route is more than a few miles resulting in the operator having to reset their device. Several of the roads are not joined in the program's software which causes the program to create some pretty interesting routes.
The computer interface is very confusing, I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out how to save a route so that it will successfully transfer to my Palm. I did read the other bad reviews before I purchased this product but I had not choice because I wanted to integrate my DeLorme TOPOs onto my PDA and there was no other way to do it. Maps are only provided in 2D, which is pathetic considering there are so many good 3D mapping programs on the market.
If you can avoid buying this product please do so. Many of the major mapping companies have opted to make the PDA interface standard with their mapping programs, if Delorme is trying to force its PDA customers to cough up additional money for a PDA interface the least the company could do is create a worthwhile product.
Not Easy to Use, But Works Great 
2007-01-29
I have an Ipaq RX3115 with bluetooth GPS. SA Handheld works great with the combination. I have made routes on the Ipaq (with difficulty) and the routing has been right on the money every mile. The voice commands are very nice (along with the routing), making the program a better choice for those who need those features. Otherwise Streets and Trips is a better choice for handhelds and definitely a better choice for laptops since it has the routing and voice commands for laptops. Overall I am pleased with the program due to the added extras that S&T does not have.
Just plain awful 2006-09-13
This software is simply unusable. The routes generated on the PDA bear no relationship to reality, the verbal instructions to turn occur as you are passing the turn, not before, and the tech support just ignores you. Avoid at all costs.
Price is the only draw to this package 2006-07-18
If price is the key to your buying decision, then this is the package for you. If ease of use and reliability are more your bag, keep looking. This review is based on the PALM version of the software.
Desktop: graphics are not nearly as nice as Microsoft's Strets & Trips, and it doesn't appear to allow you to export multiple routes in one shot to the hand-held. To bad MS doesn't make a Palm client.
Routing: frequently tried to take me off road between curvy sections of an interstate.
Bluetooth GPS: This is my biggest complaint. It FREQUENTLY loses connnection to my bluetooth GPS receiver. I've run other software on the same Palm T|X without ever losing connectivity. DeLorme represents reinstalling the package. Sure. At least that will get me to hang up the phone.
Tracking: gives notice that you have a turn coming up in "less than one half mile." Ok...what about when ALL your turns are in a short distance? Should be configurable to give additional notices.
