(Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall)
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For more than a decade, Microsoft Corp. has been committed to providing intuitive and easy-to-use mapping solutions that help consumers plan ahead and drive with confidence once on the road. Microsoft has taken its commitment to the next level with the launch today of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Standard and Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 with GPS Locator, which combines the No. 1 best-selling(1) travel and mapping software for the U.S. with a Pharos Science & Applications Inc. Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that plugs into the Universal Serial Bus port on a PC. The updated versions deliver the trip-planning and driving tools that consumers have come to love and expect, along with several new and enhanced features that will help consumers save even more time and money while on the road.
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As fuel prices skyrocket, more and more travelers cancel or look for affordable alternatives to scheduled family vacations. Many opt for "staycations" -- or take time off work to enjoy the sights and places close to home that they may have overlooked or never made the time to go see.
"Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 is an especially good option if you are watching your pocketbook," said Lori Stock, senior product manager for Streets & Trips at Microsoft. "Whether you are exploring regional hot spots or your very own neighborhood, Microsoft Streets & Trips will help you find nearby places of interest and calculate the most efficient route between stops. The GPS version has all the same great features but will also guide you to those destinations with spoken streets names, which gives you a hands-free solution to help make trips as smooth and stress-free as possible."
Exploring Your Own Backyard
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 is packed with tools to help consumers take advantage of all of those gems and destinations that are close to home. Streets & Trips hosts more than 1.5 million points of interest such as hotels, restaurants, national parks and ATMs, which means users have at their fingertips all the information necessary to make a memorable and fun trip. The software's Find Nearby Places feature allows travelers to search a radius up to 50 miles to find select points of interest and then gives users detailed directions and contact information so they are ready to hit the road in no time. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 also comes with a free trial membership to Entertainment(R) online, which allows travelers to trim expenses by taking advantage of special savings at restaurants, hotels and special events.
