DeLorme's Topo-USA ver 2
by Mike Dudas

The Topo-USA is a mapping program that displays land features in two dimensions on the screen with topographic lines, or displays an aerial view from a perspective above. This mapping program is for people who want to leave the main roads -- to hike, check out the terrain, pick a site for a remote cabin. Buy another map program if you just need roads.
The program is on four CD's corresponding to the four quadrants of the continental United States. It is simple to install. Before you know it you'll be asked what state map you are interested in. There are icons in the Windows toolbar that allow for "zoom-in," "zoom-out" and "zoom-4out."
There is a main window that shows the map of the area of interest and three small windows. The first small screen shows a map that is condensed scale for the area of interest. The second one is for quick directional scan. The third screen is an historical file of operations to the large map.
Let's put it to the test. On the accompanying map you'll see a representation of an area of Tennessee where the Minnie Pearl Parkway was completed in 1998. It is a direct route from I-40 Exit 148 at Only TN east to Centerville TN. The mapping has not picked that up as of July 1999. But, as I said - this isn't about roads, it is about terrain.
The 2-D operations in the program operate smoothly but the 3-D operations only showed snapshots in movement and were not satisfactory for scrolling between two points on the map (on my slower Pentium machine).
I was not able to test how the program downloads to a palm unit. I was also unable to set it up for use with a GPS device on a laptop.
Recommended requirements: Pentium II 233 MHz or higher processor. 3-D graphics accelerator card for 3-D map view. Microsoft Windows compatible color or black-and-white printer
GPS Connection Requirements: Earthmate®; GpsTripmate®; or any fully-compatible NMEA receiver, including GARMIN®, Magellan™, Rockwell/Conexant, Lowrance/Eagle, and Trimble Scoutmaster™. Connector cable (required for some GPS receivers)

www.delorme.com $100.

Editor's Note. Version 3 is now available. Topo 3 box shown. Topo USA 3.0 gives you automatic trail and road routing, elevation profiles, shaded relief, great printing capabilities and more. You can create your own topo maps of anywhere in the US. Still $100.