• PC World
• » Software

Handy Companion

If you have a supported device, Map'N'Go can use the Global Positioning System to track your location as you drive. While in the car, we connected a $119 DeLorme Earthmate GPS receiver to our laptop. (Map'N'Go also works with popular devices from Garmin and Magellan.) The software displayed our location as a green dot on a map (although in our rural area there was no street detail). The map view updated our location as we drove along. Map'n'Go also used a computer voice to issue directions based on our current location, telling us where the next turn should be, and reporting the remaining distance to our destination. Directions and distances were accurate, but working with a laptop and receiver in the car is a bit bulky.

Even without tapping into the software's GPS capabilities, Map'n'Go's hotel and restaurant recommendations are a boon for travelers. We were especially pleased with the software's integration with AAA travel club information. Restaurant reviews and hotel recommendations are short, well researched, and to the point. To find reviews and recommendations, simply right-click on an area of the map and choose a radius (10, 20 or 50 miles) from that point for which you'd like information.

For example, on our test trip Map'n'Go picked a direct route for our weekend getaway--and also offered two good restaurants to hit along the way. We particularly liked Map'n'Go's ability to identify radio stations in each area that we'd be driving through. When we right-clicked on an area of the map, the software helped us find a local broadcast of National Public Radio; as we moved the mouse to another location on our mapped route, the software found the stations in that area, too.

Version 6.0 also features the latest information database, and adds a simple travel planner that calculates how much fuel your itinerary should require.

Priced at just $25, Map'n'Go 6.0 is a steal thanks to its winning combination of accurate route mapping and aggregated travel resources--a balance that most online mapping and destination sources don't achieve. Despite our difficulties finding our starting location, we appreciated the program's trip planning for city-to-city routes, as well as its helpful roadside recommendations.