As sure as the leaves change, every fall Microsoft releases a new version of its venerable Streets & Trips software. Like its many predecessors, Streets & Trips 2009 ($74.95 list, $39.95 without the USB GPS receiver) adds some new features and refinements. This year the big news is the addition of text-to-speech conversion, so the software speaks specific street names—a welcome addition.

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Streets & Trips 2009, like other versions before it, is a cost-effective way to repurpose your existing hardware, turning a laptop PC into a GPS device with software and a USB receiver. Unfortunately, this year Microsoft dropped the bundle with MSN Connected Services that was offered in Streets & Trips 2008, which included live traffic updates and fuel prices. Though the feature hiked up the price, it added plenty of value. Still, text-to-speech boosts the 2009 edition. Also new, Microsoft has partnered with Entertainment Publications to offer coupon searches. With this integration, you can search for coupons for restaurants, attractions, and more. They're plotted right on the map, and there's an option to print them. (Check out the slideshow for an example.) The software includes a 14-day trial to this service; thereafter, you can opt in for $30 a year.

The basic views of Streets & Trips haven't changed since 2008. You have the option of full-screen map view, adding a list view with turn-by-turn directions, or adding a third "navigation" pane that shows upcoming maneuvers. Microsoft has, however, changed the toolbar: The icons are about twice the size of those in the 2008 version, making it much easier to access top-level functions when using a mouse or touchpad in a vehicle.

Like its predecessor, Streets & Trips 2009 includes only a basic POI (point of interest) database of approximately 1.6 million entries. And as with the 2008 edition, the database still includes a handful of restaurants in my neighborhood that have been out of business for years. Though the included database is small, when your laptop is connected to the Internet, you can use Live Search to scour the Web for POIs. You can, for example, use the search term "restaurant, Corning, NY" to find restaurants in Corning. Online matches are displayed in a list view with corresponding numbered icons on the map. You can then send the data to a mobile device or add it to your route. —next: Hands On

Hands On

I loaded Streets & Trips 2009 onto my laptop and took it out for a test drive. Of course, the notebook had to sit on the passenger seat, since it wouldn't fit on the dashboard. Compared with the 4.3-inch screens found on the most popular dedicated GPS devices, a larger laptop screen can be a plus if you have a big vehicle. But there's the drawback of not having the screen directly in your line of sight as you drive; that's why text-to-speech conversion is helpful.

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During testing, I created routes to my standard test destinations, and the directions generated matched those of other Navteq-based GPS devices. Microsoft's text-to-speech algorithm, though, needs some small tweaks: One of the voice prompts told me to "take ramp on right to senior three." Of course, it should have said "State Route 3" or "SR 3." Similarly, references to U.S. routes were pronounced as "us."

Like its predecessor, Streets & Trips 2009 was somewhat sluggish when it came to recognizing missed turns and recalculating routes. I intentionally tried navigating in the wrong direction on a route, driving south on a specified road instead of north. The program didn't "say" anything to redirect me; the only indication was on the route navigation pane, where it displayed "Traveling on route in wrong direction!" in large red letters. Most dedicated GPS devices will tell you to make a legal U-turn when possible or will simply recalculate the route. Since I was keeping my eyes on the road, though, I didn't notice the warning immediately; information like that should be articulated by the text-to-speech engine.

I place a lot of importance on text-to-speech as a safety feature in GPS devices, so it should come as no surprise that I think Microsoft's Streets & Trips 2009 is a worthwhile upgrade, and at $75 with its GPS receiver, it's very affordable. With a live Internet connection to back up its limited POI database, Streets & Trips 2009 can serve as both a solid pre-trip planning tool and an in-car navigator.