Conclusion
The real question, though, is whether either service is useful. Having experimented with both, I can say that my AAA Triptiks have nothing to fear. The detail that you get in a real map is far superior to what you can get on your Palm unit's tiny screen. I wouldn't dream of trying to read maps on my Palm device while driving. Life is short enough as it is! Even with a passenger to do the Palm-reading, I would much prefer my navigator to be reading from a big, high-contrast paper map. (You can get paper maps, by the way, from both of these sites. Just print out the map instead of downloading it to your Palm device.)

To be fair, it can be helpful to have turn-by-turn directions on your Palm organizer, particularly if you're staying in an unfamiliar city and walking to an appointment. Occasionally, I've even found it helpful to have the turn-by-turn maps. While walking, I can take the time I need to make sense of what my Palm unit's little screen is telling me. While driving, I'm more likely to be trying to make sense of the road in front of me. Even when walking, though, I think it's easier to print the directions and maps and carry them. Sure, you're going to have some paper to keep track of, but that's what pockets are for, right?

All things considered, in my opinion, when it comes to maps on your Palm device, you can't get there from here.

Kevin Quin sometimes feels like a nowhere man living in the nowhere land of Washington, D.C.