Windows Phone Thoughts: DeLorme Bluetooth Wireless Earthmate GPS PowerPack Reviewed: GPS, your way

Handheld software
The handheld version of Street Atlas is better than the desktop version. But it also has fewer features. The handheld version's main purpose is navigation. Once you've set up the Bluetooth connection, using the GPS receiver is very simple. Just connect to it and let Street Atlas do the heavy lifting. It takes a few minutes to acquire a signal depending on your view of the sky. The Earthmate GPS receiver worked great for me. I put it next to my Garmin eTrex on my dashboard. Both found the same satellites and had similar accuracy indoors and outdoors.


Figure 7: Tracking satellites. I was indoors so it I wasn't getting a signal.

Once the signal is acquired, Street Atlas shows your current location with a blinking circle. When in motion, the circle turns into an arrow. Driving around town with this was great. Step on the gas and the software showed me exactly where I was. The accuracy was very good even on tree lined streets.


Figure 8: Mapping on the road. I only downloaded the major roads so you can see some blank space.

With the handheld software, you can quickly zoom in and out using the up and down navigation on your Pocket PC. If you zoom in too far, you'll just get a black screen. Zoom out and you'll get your map back. You can check out restaurants, hotels, and services on your Pocket PC. This is very handy when travelling. The software also allows you to calculate distances between points and create new routes.

Creating a route on the Pocket PC is not easy. First of all, you can't just click the "tell me how to get to point X from where I am right now". That's the magic feature I kept looking for. That is the biggest glaring omission from the handheld software. You can only create routes by clicking on the map to choose a starting point or by input addresses.


Figure 9: En route to Wheeling, WV.

While driving (or walking/jogging/hiking), the on-screen map will scroll automatically. You can even choose to have it orient with "up" as the direction you are going. Like with the desktop version, the maps are the best part of the software. The handheld version also can keep a log of where you have been. You can then save that "track" for later. But you can't use that track to find your way back home. That feature is not part of the software.