Microsoft Autoroute 2007 review

Verdict:

Review Date: 19 Feb 2007

Price when reviewed: inc VAT (software only); £98 inc VAT (with GPS receiver)

Reviewed By: Chris Finnamore

Our Rating 2 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

The latest version of Microsoft's route-planning software includes integrated support for the Windows Live Search and Windows Live Local services. You can buy the package on its own or bundled with a USB GPS receiver.

Autoroute's interface looks old and is reminiscent of a Windows 95 application. To find a destination you can type an address into the search bar or find it manually by scrolling around the map screen. The maps themselves have plenty of detail for Western Europe, but for any locations east of Germany only major towns have any detail.

One new feature in Autoroute 2007 is the Windows Live Local icon. Clicking this opens a webpage, which displays Autoroute's currently displayed location in Microsoft's free online Live Search mapping application. This provides more detail than Autoroute and has the bonus of detailed satellite imagery. Instant access to the superior Live Search maps makes you wonder why you'd bother spending £44 on Autoroute in the first place.

One of Autoroute's main strengths is its route-planning function. You can enter a number of waypoints across Europe and the software calculates complicated routes quickly. It displays your trip as step-by-step instructions and shows the route on a map. The instructions are clear and give the names of roads as well as their number. The software also supports GPS receivers and can be used in your car, but there is no 3D view, and driving with a notebook on your lap is ridiculous. Windows Mobile devices are supported, too, but the software is nowhere near as good as a dedicated sat-nav.

Microsoft's Autoroute 2007 is a reasonable mapping and route-planning application, but it's poor for in-car navigation and does nothing you can't do for free online.

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