[USMA:36807] Re: Microsoft Streets and Trips Customer Comments

[Michael Payne]

I also bought this product and wrote to Microsoft about the use of kph. I never did receive a reply. But then again about 15 years ago I wrote to them about using a space for the 3 digit grouping and commas as a decimal and lo and behold in later versions of Excel this is available.   Michael Payne ----- Original Message ----- From: Carleton MacDonald To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Monday, 15 May, 2006 23:13 Subject: [USMA:36796] Microsoft Streets and Trips Customer Comments Scene:   I bought a copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips with GPS.  I loaded it onto my laptop then took it on a driving trip (my son drove, I navigated).  I noted with some annoyance that when I changed the Streets and Trips from miles to km, the km speed display was “kph” and not “km/h”.  I also noted that even though I have my computer’s time setting at 24 hr time, the time shown on the GPS screen was am/pm.  I wrote to Microsoft.   From the bottom up:   My comment Their totally clueless answer (thinking I lived outside the USA, for any red blooded ‘merican wouldn’t be usin’ that furrin’ metric and military-time stuff) My response to their answer   Sad.   Carleton   From: Carleton MacDonald [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 19:00 To: 'Microsoft Contact US' Cc: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: 'RTCProd=011-920-277'   The product was bought at Costco in Frederick, Maryland, USA.  I live in Gaithersburg, about halfway between Frederick and Washington, D.C.   Not all Americans use miles, and not all use the 12-hour am/pm clock.  I’m one of those who firmly believe we should have dumped miles, inches, pounds, quarts, acres and all that rot thirty years ago, along with our friends the Canadians and Australians and most of the rest of the English-speaking world.   Given that, “kph” is completely wrong, and needs to be fixed in the next edition to the worldwide standard symbol “km/h”.  Also, PLEASE have Streets and Trips follow all the rest of Microsoft’s products and display whatever time setting the user has set in Windows Control Panel/Regional Settings.       From: Microsoft Contact US [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 14:52 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE:'RTCProd=011-920-277'     Hello Carleton,   Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Customer Service.   I understand from your message that you wish to obtain information about Streets and Trips 2006 with GPS.     If you are seeking assistance with a Microsoft product that was purchased outside of North America, you may wish to contact your local subsidiary directly for assistance. At this time, our Support Professionals are only trained to troubleshoot issues with North American versions of our products whereas the Support Professionals at the local Microsoft subsidiaries are trained to troubleshoot issues with localized versions of our software and can assist you in your own language.     You can find a directory of Microsoft subsidiaries worldwide at the following Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide   Carleton, I hope your issue gets resolved soon and appreciate your patience in this regard.    Thank you for using Microsoft products and services.   Mintu Microsoft Online Customer Service Representative   If you have any feedback about your Online Customer Service experience, please e-mail my manager, Abhijit Rao, at [EMAIL PROTECTED]   -----Original Message----- From:   [EMAIL PROTECTED] ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Date:   Monday, May 15, 2006  07:48 AM To:   CS ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Subject:       --- CONTACT INFORMATION First Name: Carleton Last Name: MacDonald --- CUSTOMER PROVIDED SYSTEM PROPERTIES O/S: Windows XP Professional SP2 Br: 6.0 2900 Country/Region: Other --- PRODUCT OtherStreets and Trips 2006 with GPS --- SYSTEM PROPERTIES Ref URL: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=cntactms O/S:  windows nt 5.1 O/S Lang: en-us Br:  msie 6.0 Br lang: en-us --- QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS Message: Three issues with an otherwise fine product:   1.  Windows products that display a time (such as Word file save information or Outlook message times) all seem to follow the user's global time setting in Windows Control Panel.  That is, if the user has set Windows to am/pm, the time shows as am/pm; if the user has set Windows to 24-hr time, the time shows as 24-hr.  I do not use am/pm, only 24-hr, and the setting on my computer shows this.  However, the GPS Pane on Streets and Trips is showing the time as am/pm.  Streets and Trips should follow the convention of all other Windows products and display the time in the format set in Control Panel. 2.  The speed on the GPS Pane is shown as "kph".  This is absolutely wrong.  There is no unit known as "k".  It's "km" for kilometer.  The only correct way to show speed is "km/h".  This error could only have been made by someone unfamiliar with SI/metric who patterned it after "mph".  SI/metric does not work like that.     3.  When you get close to your destination, it would be nice if the scale on the map would change automatically to show greater detail.  I know you can do that by pushing F3 (recalculate from present position) but if it were automatic it would be easier.