On the road again

Home Office Computing, Feb, 1998 by Darren Gladstone

BUSINESS
TRAVEL GUIDE        Rand McNally Business Traveler's
                    Suite Good 1/2

Requirements        WIN 95/WIN 16MB of RAM, 90MB of hard-disk
                    space (full install), CD-ROM drive,
                    Internet connection for travel links,
                    optional GPS device
List Price          $59.95 (READER SERVICE 122)
Publisher           Rand McNally, 800-671-5006, ext. 450,
                    www.randmcnally.com

RATINGS

   The one-to-four-star ratings     Excellent
      are based on performance,     ****
       features, setup, ease of     Good
                                    ***
learning and use, availability,     Fair
             warranty, support,     **
      documentation, and price.     Poor
                                    *

A business trip is more than airline tickets and a hotel reservation. How do you find the best route from the airport to the hotel and then research a list of restaurants for a client dinner? Rand McNally has assembled mapping travel software, online resources, and more, in a single package.

Rand McNally Business Traveler's Suite consists of the recent editions of TripMaker, StreetFinder, an atlas, online sources, and a PhoneDisc business phone directory. StreetFinder and TripMaker employ a simple interface that can quickly locate any address and plot a set of driving directions.

We liked the global positioning system (GPS) best, which transformed our notebook into a "You Are Here" gadget. With an external (optional) GPS receiving device that slides into your notebook's PC Card slot, you can locate your position on StreetFinder's maps with a fair degree of accuracy. We wandered with our notebook through lower Manhattan to find a different way back to our office. The pointer was off by a negligible amount, and we were able to navigate our way back in time for lunch.

TripFinder does an excellent job plotting out courses, estimating travel time, and providing places to go once you reach your destination, but like its previous version, it seems a bit better suited to family vacation planning. We especially liked the driving preference option that adjusts directions depending on whether you're in a hurry or want to take the scenic route.

With tons of online hooks for hotels, restaurants, theaters, and hospitals and a price just under $60, the Rand McNally Business Traveler's Suite will guarantee never missing that left at Albuquerque again.