Microsoft's Virtual Earth - Googlemaps Clone?

[Morten Nielsen]

>I saw this, but was thoroughly disappointed in it.  No detailed images
of Canada appeared.  What good is a virtual earth if all that is
displayed is the USA?



Well Google have been running their app for quite some time now. VE has
just been launched two days ago. They are still in the process of
getting more and more data online, and more up-to-date imagery, as
well-as eagle-eye imagery. Microsoft has decided to launch with only USA
data, and then more data later. I can't see the big problem in that, and
seems quite reasonable when you think about it. They are under pressure
from Google, and shouldn't wait too long. I guess you always will be
able to find spots where one is better than the other. Examples below:

Dodgers stadium:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.073759,-118.239949&spn=0.005859,0.0099
17&t=k&hl=en
http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=34.073559|-118.240567&style=
h&lvl=19&v=1

Hollywood:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.134057,-118.321670&spn=0.005855,0.0099
17&t=k&hl=en
http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=34.134057|-118.321673&style=
h&lvl=19&v=1

Pentagon:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.870871,-77.056400&spn=0.005507,0.00991
7&t=k&hl=en
http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=38.871234|-77.057875&style=h
&lvl=19&v=1

And Google's own headquarters isn't visible in Google's map :-)
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=google+mountain+view&ll=37.423406,-122.082
659&spn=0.011090,0.016919&t=k&num=10&start=0&hl=en


And by the way, what good is imagery when you need driving directions or
need to find something particular? Who cares about seeing your house? (I
hope you already know what it looks like and where it is)

>I still love google.

Yeah its _still_ the coolest, but VE also has some nice features, and
when it all gets brushed of, I think it can be just as cool. Check it
out in a few months. Btw. The scratchpad and automatic updated
search-result is pretty cool. I like the idea that queries corresponds
to the area you are viewing. Oh yeah and the scroll-wheel can be used
for zooming!

There are plenty of kick-ass javascripts to steal from both apps :-)

 

/Morten

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