TOPO! 2.7.7

“Several years ago, I picked up a number of the REGIONAL TOPO! map CD's (Yosemite, SEKI, Mt. Shasta/Lassen/Trinity Alps, and a few others). That was when they were owned by Wildflower Productions, after which, as most know, it was bought by NatGeo.

Periodically, I would go to the site and check for upgrades, but after a while, I'd gotten away from it for a time, only to find upon returning to the NatGeo website that the upgrades available did NOT apply to my TOPOprogram, and I could no longer upgrade from the website.

In fact, it appears the Regional CD's haven't been available for some time now, having been replaced by the State series (the Regionals were, I think, $49.95 and the State series is $99.95).

Furthermore, if I read the thing right, it's now a web-based application for which they now charge an annual fee for access!!

Could this be true?

What's a cash-challenged backpacker to do? Well, I'm not really challenged, but hell, I already spent a bundle on the TOPO! I have... have I been suckered into the only course it seems NatGeo is channeling me into?

What a racket!!

Anyone have a solution? Or, failing that, a recommendation for newer/better/cheaper topo software I don't have to pay an annual fee to use?

Or am I dreaming?”

“download the garmin software via torrents=$0= #&%!$ software pirate...oh well”

“yeah, find a hack.. or http://mapper.acme.com/
last edited: 7/22/09 11:28:30 PM”