Google Maps API

[Rick Levine]

> Microsoft is going to release "Virtual Earth" soon, and it is expected to
be better than the current Google Earth.

FUD.

Microsoft is going to release a better search engine than Google soon too,
according to them.  It is a well documented FUD method of Microsoft to
announce vaporware to keep competitors' products down.  The idea is to get
buyers or advertisers to put off purchases until they see what Microsoft's
offering looks like.

Rick

UMN MapServer Users List <MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU> wrote on
07/01/2005 08:32:35 AM:

> To put Google Maps into perspective, all the other major online software
> companies have or are going to release some sort of 3d mapping tool.
Amazon
> released one recently, but then took the link offline. I belive you can
> still get it internally. (not from the main page which was
> http://maps.a9.com) Microsoft is going to release "Virtual Earth" soon,
and
> it is expected to be better than the current Google Earth. But, then
again,
> Google may improve theirs heavely in the coming months. Yahoo released
their
> mapping API the day after Google did. So, if you want to compare Google
with
> Yahoo, here's the link: http://developer.yahoo.net/maps/
>
> Here at the Great Lakes Commission, we are excited to hear about the new
> Google Maps API as it will allow us to get a street level reference point
> for our GIS data.
>
> I personally played around with Google Earth as soon as the free version
> came out. I took a few screen shots and posted them here:
>
> http://www.kylemulka.com/wordpress/?p=231
>
> Google Earth is pretty exciting. I think they took the download link down
> because of the bandwidth the software must be hogging with all those
images.
> I'm not sure if they will be able to sustain the free version of Google
> Earth as it currently stands even with advertising. Any thoughts?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Camden Daily [mailto:cdaily at GMAIL.COM]
> Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:39 AM
> Subject: Google Maps API
>
> http://www.google.com/apis/maps/
>
> I hadn't seen this yet, so I guess it's still new.  A full-fledged API
for
> Google maps.  Up to 50,000 page views a day.  From what I can see, it
looks
> pretty well developed.  If you don't want/need the full power of your own
> GIS app, and just want to plot some stuff on a map, it looks pretty
sweet.
>
> Also, did anyone else manage to download the Google Earth beta software?
I
> can't remember the last time I was so completely blown away by a piece of
> software.  Zooming in from outer space onto my house is damn cool, and
then
> turning on the 3D buildings model and checking out downtown Chicago is
> awesome.
>
> -Camden Daily