Schmap

Schmap is the publisher of free digital travel guides for destinations throughout Europe and the USA, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. [Morrison, Tim. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1540329,00.html "Map, Schmap"] , "TIME." September 28, 2006] The company’s travel guides are available for download at [http://www.schmap.com www.schmap.com] , along with a small computer program that interacts with a Web browser to display the guides called the Schmap Player. [Sottili, Carol. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063000259.html?sub=AR "Site Inspection"] , "The Washington Post." July 2, 2006]

There are currently 199 city or island guides available for download from Schmap, purportedly more than the number offered by traditional paper guidebook publishers Frommers, Lonely Planet, and Fodors as individual city or island guides. [ Press Release. [http://newsblaze.com/story/2006080411150100002.ew/topstory.html "Schmap Overtakes Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet."] "News Blaze." August 4, 2006]

The Schmap Guides are entirely free to consumers, with Schmap relying on sales from its travel store, advertising, and licensing revenue from its commercial customers for financial support. [Shannon, Victoria. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/19/business/ptend20.php "The End User: Internet ingenuity."] "International Herald Tribune." July 19, 2006]

The Schmap Player is currently available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X only. A version for handheld devices is also in the works for 2007. [Morrison, Tim. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1540329,00.html "Map, Schmap"] , "TIME." September 28, 2006]

Features

Schmap combines its own Vector Map technology with map data licensed from Tele Atlas, city information and reviews from WCities, and tourist photos from Flickr to create the Schmap guides. [King, Emily. [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog0607_3a.html "Schmap IT."] "National Geographic Traveler." July 18, 2006]

The hallmark feature of the Schmap guides is their interactivity: users can create their own dynamic, printable maps with links, tours, and photos of their favorite sights. [Shannon, Victoria. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/19/business/ptend20.php "The End User: Internet ingenuity."] "International Herald Tribune." July 19, 2006]

The Schmap Player also includes custom map tools for measuring distance, bookmarking points of interest, zooming, panning, and playing a tour sequence. According to a no-longer-extant-as-of-April-2008 FAQ on the Schmap website, the company is planning a release of Schmap 2.0 in late 2006 which will allow users to share their own customized travel guides.

chmap Packs

Schmap allows users to download an entire group of travel guides in a “Schmap Pack” with one mouse click. Two different types of Schmap Packs are currently available, those grouped by geography such as European Capitals, California, or Canada, and theme packs such as “Vineyards and Vintages”, “World of Golf”, and “Cruise Destinations”. [ Press Release. [http://newsblaze.com/story/2006080411150100002.ew/topstory.html "Schmap Overtakes Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet."] "News Blaze." August 4, 2006]

ee also

*Tele Atlas
*Lonely Planet
*Rough Guides
*Frommers
*Fodors
*Flickr

References

External links

* [http://www.schmap.com/ Official Schmap website]
* [http://www.schmap.com/guides/packs Schmap Packs]
* [http://www.schmap.com/store/ Schmap Travel Store]