Mapping Applications for Windows Updated

Streets and Trips 2013 and MapPoint 2013 mapping software arrived in Aug. 2012, with updated data for the United States and Canada only, along with downloadable 14-day-trial versions of each.

Streets and Trips, for consumer road navigation, is available without a Global Positioning System (GPS) device (US$39.95) and with a GPS device (US$69.95). It provides routing, pushpins, and travel cost calculations. The 2013 version adds new maps of the United States and Canada, adds 2.5 million points of interest, and features hotel and restaurant reviews and ratings. In Europe, Streets and Trips is sold as AutoRoute, and a 2013 release is anticipated, but a release date has not been announced yet.

MapPoint uses the same mapping data as Streets and Trips (including the new features), but adds business functions such as the ability to visualize and analyze mapped data, such as sales territories or revenue by geography. MapPoint also provides APIs for interacting with maps and data, and integrating into Office applications. Streets and Trips and AutoRoute do not support APIs for developers. MapPoint 2013 costs US$299.99, but so far only includes map data for the United States and Canada; previous versions included data for Europe that was released later.