Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Helps Ease Stress Associated With Road Travel |
| Microsoft company logo. (PRNewsFoto/Microsoft)
REDMOND, WA UNITED STATES | |||
Enhanced, affordable trip-planning software makes road trip planning and
travel even easier for consumers.
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.
Planning Helps to Ensure a Smooth Ride
It is no surprise that unexpected hang-ups and slowdowns on the road
leave many feeling anxious and stressed. Microsoft Streets & Trips is an
easy way to get customized, highly detailed driving directions that will
help consumers plan for the unexpected so they can relax and enjoy the time
spent on the road. Road construction updates, available online at no
additional charge, inform users on important local, state, national (U.S.)
and international (Canada) construction updates and road closures.
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 will then create routes that bypass such
hang-ups to minimize frustrating delays and unexpected stops. No matter
where a trip takes you, planning ahead of time and building in stops for
meals, bathroom breaks, fuel and sightseeing using the customization tools
available in Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 is a surefire way to reduce
stress and gives travelers the freedom to relax behind the wheel.
Reducing the Gas Guzzle
With prices rising at the pumps, it is more important than ever to make
the most of a tank of gas. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 helps consumers
find the most efficient route and gives them the easy-to-use tools to
calculate traveling expenses before they even walk out the front door.
Using the car's tank size and mileage per gallon, along with the current
price for fuel, users can use the Microsoft Streets & Trips fuel
consumption manager to calculate a cost estimate for each trip. Automatic
re-routing in the GPS version also helps to keep consumers on track after a
wrong turn, which can decrease wasted gas and save consumers valuable time.
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 includes the following new features:
-- New! Entertainment online free trial membership so that consumers can
take advantage of special savings at restaurants, hotels and special
events(2)
-- New! Updated street maps for the U.S. and Canada
-- New! Updated user interface that has an even more intuitive look and
feel
-- New! Ability to send location information to a mobile device(3)
With Microsoft Streets & Trips with GPS Locator, you get all of the
above, plus the following:
-- New! Spoken street names that provide consumers with an easy-to-use,
hands-free solution that delivers turn-by-turn directional information to
the desired destination
Availability
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 with GPS Locator is scheduled for
availability Sept. 15, 2008, for an estimated retail price of $74.95
(U.S.).(4) Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Standard is available for an
estimated retail price of $39.95 (U.S.). For those planning European
vacations, Microsoft AutoRoute 2007 will be available for an estimated
retail price of $39.95 (U.S.).
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
(1) Source: The NPD Group Inc./Retail Tracking Service, January
2000-January 2008. Based on total U.S. retail sales.
(2) Entertainment online offer details: Free trial lasts for 14 days.
Trial begins when you first sign up with Entertainment online through
Streets & Trips. Valid only in the United States, D.C., and Canada
with the purchase of Streets & Trips 2009. You must activate your
trial membership before June 1, 2011, to use this offer. Free trial
offer is not available to current Entertainment online subscribers.
Additional restrictions apply; see
http://www.entertainment.com/microsoftst/info.html for more
information.
(3) You may be charged a fee by your wireless provider to receive
messages.
(4) Actual retail prices may vary.
For more information on Microsoft Streets & Trips:
http://www.microsoft.com/streets
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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CONTACT:
pr.mspx./ /CONTACT: For more information or
to request a review unit of Streets & Trips 2009 or Streets &
Trips 2009 with GPS Locator: Whitney Tenold of Edelman,
+1-503-471-6864, whitney.tenold@edelman.com, for Microsoft Corp.
