REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 26, 1997 — Getting lost is a fact of life when trying to find a place for the first time, according to a recent survey by an independent market research firm. In fact, 53 percent of Americans surveyed reported regularly or often having difficulty when trying to find a new address. Thanks to the latest version of Microsoft® Expedia
™
Streets 98, announced today, getting lost can be a thing of the past. Now consumers can quickly and accurately locate addresses along 6 million miles of U.S. roads and in more than 150,000 towns and cities.
It’s clear from the research that both men and women can benefit from the software – even though they may not agree on who needs it most. Only 16 percent of men surveyed admitted to having problems when striking out into unfamiliar territory, yet 36 percent of them claimed that women would be more likely to get lost when trying to find an address for the first time. Women, on the other hand, thought that men and women were equally likely to get lost.
Preferred by Users
Expedia Streets 98, formerly retailed as Automap® Streets Plus 1997 Edition, builds on proven leadership in accuracy and ease of use. According to a recent nationwide study conducted by Burke Research, people whose jobs depend on finding addresses quickly and efficiently preferred Microsoft’s street-level mapping software 2-to-1 over its closest competitors.
“Expedia Streets 98 is a complete, accurate and essential planning resource,” said Ian Mercer, business unit manager at Microsoft. “People are really going to enjoy the new features that help them navigate around an unfamiliar area with confidence – everything from finding a great restaurant to planning a busy day of appointments is simple with Expedia Streets 98.”
Expedia Streets 98 adds a variety of new and improved features and content to help consumers get from point A to point B with precision and ease. Enhancements include an improved interface, easier-to-read map style, new nationwide ZAGATSURVEY® restaurant guide online integration with the Microsoft Expedia Travel Agent and Expedia Pocket Streets for creating and downloading maps to Windows® CE operating system-based Handheld PCs.
Custom Street Maps and More
In Expedia Streets 98 Deluxe Edition, also announced today, consumers can search and map over 14 million business listings from ABI’s Yellow Pages USA
™
CD-ROM.
Expedia Streets 98 allows consumers to create detailed, customized maps using annotated Pushpins. An improved highlighter tool makes it even easier to create custom maps showing selected locations or routes clearly, and an enhanced Find tool quickly locates addresses, ZIP codes and places – even if a name is misspelled. A new, enhanced map style makes the maps easier to read on the screen and on printouts.
Expedia Pocket Streets, included on the Expedia Streets 98 CD-ROM, is the first mapping program that allows consumers to export and download accurate, customized maps to Handheld PCs running the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. An Expedia Pocket Streets map covers 120 square miles yet requires only 450 KB of memory. Users of Handheld PCs can sample Expedia Pocket Streets maps for free by visiting the Expedia Pocket Streets Web site at (http://www.microsoft.com/expedia/) (connect-time charges may apply).
Fast and Efficient Travel Planning
Online integration with Microsoft Expedia, the leading travel planning Web site, links consumers directly to more than 500 sites with current information on cities, places, events, entertainment, weather, road conditions and other details useful to travelers. In addition, consumers can research flight schedules, compare room rates, purchase tickets and book reservations directly through the Expedia Travel Agent.
Microsoft’s Expedia Family of Products and Services
The 1998 edition of Streets and Streets Deluxe 98 now joins the Microsoft Expedia family of services. These include the Microsoft Expedia online travel planning service, available on the World Wide Web at (http://www.expedia.com/) ; the Microsoft Expedia Trip Planner 98 CD-ROM; and the Expedia Mungo Park
™
online magazine, dedicated to the spirit of adventure in travel.
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 and Expedia Streets 98 Deluxe Edition are available for an estimated retail price of $49.95 and $65.95, respectively. Licensed users of Automap Streets Plus or other mapping software qualify for a $10 U.S. ($15 Canadian)
rebate when they get either product. This offer is valid in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada only. It expires Aug. 1, 1998. Expedia Streets 98 is also available as part of Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Expedia, Automap, Windows and Mungo Park are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
ZAGATSURVEY and Zagat are registered trademarks of Zagat Survey LLC.
Yellow Pages USA is a registered trademark of American Business Information Inc.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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