Street Atlas USA 9.0 plans your trip with precision and speed. Updated data quickly and reliably locates more than 4 million points of interest. Create automatic and customized routes without the need of Internet access. Easily locate exit services and interest points within a given radius or along a certain route. Search for banks, recreation areas, accommodations, schools, restaurants, and more.

Ideal for personal or business travel, the program can be loaded onto your laptop for maps on the go or connected to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for real-time travel tracking. When used in tandem with DeLorme's Earthmate GPS receiver or an NMEA-compatible GPS receiver (including popular Garmin and Magellan brands), the program displays a large arrow that tracks your travel route in real time, guides you back on course if detoured, and also signals upcoming exits.

V9 has many good things:
1) FAST and efficient!
I run my V9 on an old ThinkPad 560X (Pentium 233MMX) and it runs just great! Try that with newer mapping software. I like that I can leave my cheapo laptop in the trunk and not worry if it gets stolen after all it only cost me a hundred bucks off EBay.
2) SIMPLE
Using the classic Windows interface it's easy to operate. It may not have the new features of 2004 like voice commands or radar serch but then again it's not bloatware. It does the limited set of things it does, very well.
3) Back-on-track!
I love this feature if I overshoot the exit it will recalc and tell me how to recover.
4) Map extraction
You can run the map extractor and install only the states you need if you don't have enough space for the whole US. Nice! My 560X doesn't even have a CD-ROM so I installed the states I needed over the network and never have to refer to CD's again.
5) Voice navigation
Okay, voice is not the best and not changeable, but it does give me audible cue I need to exit soon or whatever
6) Quick keys. There are quick keys like page-up/page-down to zoom and arrow keys to recenter that are easy to find in the dark on most keyboards or in my case a slimline IBM numeric keypad.

Yes it has some issues and I have a wishlist of items I wish it had like select the voice to use, etc. but still the best out there! I just wish Delorme would sell map updates for this veteran. Ah well...

Unfortunately Delorme has become fixated on it's new tabbed product and discontinued this excellent product. Avoid SA 2003 and 2004. Find a copy of V9 on Ebay or in the bargain bin and use it for a few more years until something better comes along.

I have used their product for years staring with version 5.0 through version 9.0 and in terms of usability and accuracey you won't find a better piece of equipment for your money. This product will operate through most Palm/Handheld devices or for the over the road traveler like myself integrating both the hardware and software is easy and effective with the use of my laptop. I have used a variety of other brands like TravRoute in addition to the weak handheld GPS units like Garmon, Magellan and nothing in my "opinion" gives you more bang for the buck than DeLorme.

Word to the wise don't be too quick to get their latest version; Street Atals 2003. It's very new and very different and resembles their X-Map Business software which I found to be much more cumbersome and less functional in many ways.

Step 1 - In the installation, they don't ask you if you want to install the data in addition to the program. With modern mega-gigabyte drives, that is a no-brainer.

Step 2 - I track down how to load the data disk, following the steps to the letter.

Step 3 - I start the program and I am told that the data disk is missing. Duh, guys, you just told me how to load it. Esc, esc, esc... ad nauseaum.. I get to the program.

Step 4 - I will be doing a lot of local travel researching a book so I'm not worried about hotels, restaurants, ATMs, etc. so I want to know how to find libraries. Oh... that's not in our standard list of interesting places. I'll admit that they do have beautiful maps and it was pretty cool to just choose Public Libraries when I did find the search feature.

Step 4 - My God, what kind of interface is this?? I thought the tabs at the bottom would be cool, but as much I as I used to hate Windows, sometimes I flipped through all the tabs and did not have a clue, not a clue where to find things beyond the first level of menu.

As someone mentioned earlier about not being a computer dummy, I have been a PC software analyst since the late 70s covering packages in CP/M, DOS, W3.1, Win98 and Win2k. I have frequently had to pick up packages with no manual and no instruction. This is one of the clumsiest interfaces I have ever seen.

Within 30 minutes of installing this package, I was packing it up for return. I don't mind paying the shipping and handling and tracking fees just to get this piece of tripe off my computer.

I hate to be mean to these guys so I won't call them and say "WHAT were you thinking??"

Step 1 - In the installation, they don't ask you if you want to install the data in addition to the program. With modern mega-gigabyte drives, that is a no-brainer.

Step 2 - I track down how to load the data disk, following the steps to the letter.

Step 3 - I start the program and I am told that the data disk is missing. Duh, guys, you just told me how to load it. Esc, esc, esc... ad nauseaum.. I get to the program.

Step 4 - I will be doing a lot of local travel researching a book so I'm not worried about hotels, restaurants, ATMs, etc. so I want to know how to find libraries. Oh... that's not in our standard list of interesting places. I'll admit that they do have beautiful maps and it was pretty cool to just choose Public Libraries when I did find the search feature.

Step 4 - My God, what kind of interface is this?? I thought the tabs at the bottom would be cool, but as much I as I used to hate Windows, sometimes I flipped through all the tabs and did not have a clue, not a clue where to find things beyond the first level of menu.

As someone mentioned earlier about not being a computer dummy, I have been a PC software analyst since the late 70s covering packages in CP/M, DOS, W3.1, Win98 and Win2k. I have frequently had to pick up packages with no manual and no instruction. This is one of the clumsiest interfaces I have ever seen.

Within 30 minutes of installing this package, I was packing it up for return. I don't mind paying the shipping and handling and tracking fees just to get this piece of tripe off my computer.

I hate to be mean to these guys so I won't call them and say "WHAT were you thinking??"