Ease of Use:  

MapSend DirectRoute is moderately user-friendly. Using the program may take some trial and error before you feel comfortable to using it on a trip. MapSend DirectRoute does not offer a tutorial, which would help drastically.

Feature Set:  

First things first; MapSend DirectRoute has astonishing zoom capabilities. At one point we zoomed in so tight, we thought we might be able to see who was mowing their lawn. MapSend DirectRoute also provides easy–to–follow, detailed driving directions.

Using MapSend, getting lost would be nearly impossible, except that some street labels are quite small and difficult to read, especially while driving. MapSend has the ability to transfer data to a their GPS unit.

Points of Interest:  

MapSend DirectRoute comes with an extensive database of POI arranged in easy–to–navigate categories, which you can toggle on and off. Searching was relatively easy, and well-known cities of the world can be viewed in an atlas–type image. Distinguishing POI from other graphics is difficult to do on the screen making road travel a challenge.

Map Customization:  

The only customization tools available through MapSend DirectRoute are options to add icons as waypoints and the option to draw new regions on the map.

Safety Features:  

A feature called Automatic Route Recalculation for Wrong Turns saves this program's rating in this category. MapSend will track your progress in conjunction with a GPS unit, and if you make a wrong turn, take a detour or find the road impassible, the software will automatically calculate a new, more convenient route. MapSend does not include updated weather and construction information.

Ease of Setup:  

We didn't have any problems using MapSend DirectRoute.

Help / Support:  

MapSend DirectRoute offers email and phone support. It took Magellan about a week to respond to an email. MapSend Direct Route comes with a user guide and you can access FAQs through Magellan's homepage. One nifty feature in MapSend DirectRoute is the “What's this?” icon. You can click this then click another button on the screen to receive a brief explanation of the selected tool's function.

McMagellan's MapSend DirectRoute could use a tune up—especially with their help and support. And MapSend could make their fonts bigger, as DeLorme does. But we had fun with the zoom feature, and our maps were quite accurate.