[mapguide-users] MapGuide vs Google maps

[Benoit Begin]

This is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. The two are very different
kind of technologies. Google Maps basically renders maps using pre-generated
tiles. It has some good API for overlaying KML data, but that data will be
rendered client-side by the user's browser so any excessive amounts of data
will bring the whole thing to a screeching halt.

Mapguide renders map images that are unique per session. Therefore, it has
the ability to turn layers on or off, to personalise the look of a map layer
at any time during the session and allow for rendering of custom data
generated server-side. The dynamic nature of Mapguide allows you to generate
thematics for your layers of data (like say, different colors for traffic
levels on a street) and every time Mapguide generates an image of your map,
the streets will be colored depending on the current values for the traffic
levels. Thematics on layers is something that is very widely used in GIS.

There's also the fun thing of mixing both technologies together. Using
OpenLayers (www.openlayers.org), it is possible to overlay Google Maps data
and Mapguide data. I do believe the very latest version of the Fusion Viewer
enables dev. to create a viewer that does this as well. This can be very
useful if you want to use Google's basemap and overlay some geometries from
your own Mapguide server. You basically get Google's look and feel, plus its
speed, along with your data. Keep in mind if your site isn't widely
available to the public (no login, non-Intranet, etc), using Google Maps
requires a license and there are fees attached to it.


Nickthetemp wrote:
> 
> I have never used google maps and I was asked to write a report compairing
> the two.
> 
> I am currently using Mapguide enterprise 2010.
> 
> I am just wondering if anyone has any insight of the pros and cons for
> using either one or the other?
> 
> Thanks
> 
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