What kind of digital mapping software is available?
Whatever software you are considering, you also need to ensure that your computer is powerful enough to run it. One way of getting information about this is to ask friends who may have already bought into digital mapping or enquire through the website.
Your retailer should also be able to give you good advice on which software to purchase. These days, many retail stores have demonstration units so you can see what these systems are capable of. They should be able to supply you with a free trial disk. The alternative is, either to go online and visit the web site of the relevant system where you will be able to access sample software, maps, and in some cases download a demo or see a video, or contact them direct for a free trial disk.
There is a wide variety of mapping on offer. For example, mapping that covers specific areas such as National Parks and Trails, or options to buy mapping at a scale and area of your choice based on your home or postcode. Our advice is to shop around and, once again, make sure you are quite sure of your requirements before you purchase.
Mapping software is always in a process of being updated. This is to iron out software glitches, update new GPS models as they come on stream and upgrade and add new features to the software. It is therefore worth making sure that from day one you work with the latest version. You will find details of the version you are using in the Help menu. Armed with this information, go on-line to check if there are any updates available for you to download. The alternative to an update on-line is to use an ‘upgrade’ disk.
Posted: 22/01/2009 at 21:52
Posted: 23/01/2009 at 14:16
