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Microsoft unveils Virtual Earth (beta... of course.)
Well, it's happened -- Microsoft has thrown down their counterpoint to Google maps and Yahoo maps. I just checked out Virtual Earth and it's got some pretty nice bells and whistles:
- Continuous local search: Do a search by type ("coffee," e.g.) and you'll see waypoints of local coffee places. As you pan around the map, the search will update continuously based on your new location.
- Layered search: You can see the results of multiple searches -- both "restaurant" and "hotel," e.g. -- simultaneously via the use of different colored markers, which comes in handy for travel planning.
- Scratch pad: This is a temporary bin to hold items of interest as you go -- when you've collected your points of interest, you can email them or blog them all at once (although the blog feature apparently only works in IE6/Win, hmmph).
- Locate Me: Finds your location by triangulating via the nearest WiFi spot (requires a small client-side application), or by taking an educated guess based on your IP address. The latter is a bit rough -- it thinks I'm in Syracuse, NY because my ISP is there (I'm not!). Regarding the former -- if you're using Firefox, you'll have to download an ActiveX plug-in.
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsSimilarJul 25th 2005 8:39AM
Will probably only ever work for Windows Sheeple, Meh. At least Google Earth will eventually work on OSX and Linux.
ActiveX just to run Microsoft Virtual Earth? If I wanted to blow open my Windows box with security holes, I'd use IE in the first place.
Doesn't it seem odd that this Google/MS Simulated Earth idea came out of both companies at around the same time?
SteveJul 25th 2005 8:43AM
Looks like an admirable first attempt, but you think they'd have enough sense to use more recent satellite footage...you know, post 9/11/2001?
J.T. MillJul 25th 2005 9:33AM
It could zoom in further at my house than Google Maps, but the interface was clumsy and the hybrid map lines didn't match up at all with the airial photos. I'll stick with Google, thank you.
VVVJul 25th 2005 10:07AM
Google Earth already has that Locate Me function...at least it did my find my house at startup without me typing my address....
Mark LittleJul 25th 2005 11:26AM
We started building our house in 1995 and it doesn't show in the photo. Kind of a long lag time.
Herman YungJul 25th 2005 7:25PM
Virtual Earth's satellite images are old.
hafaJul 25th 2005 2:25PM
Unoriginal idea, its really not worth anyone's attention.
BennyJul 25th 2005 6:59PM
It does seem to zoom in further than Google Maps.
Victor Agreda, Jr.Jul 25th 2005 9:24PM
Virtually useless is more like it. When I try to zoom in too far I get some lovely icons indicating there are no pics (took me a minute to figure out because I though it might be downloading them). And the images are so out of date as to make navigation quite incorrect... Yay! So when I get lost I can whip out Maps2003 on my PocketPC and get more lost...
ZaidJul 26th 2005 6:58AM
Nice knowing that such a thin client full screen mapping tool is now available. I was getting a bit tired of the postmark-sized alternatives designed to fit on VGA monitors. The 10MB Google Earth download is great on my laptop but not on every connected Windows box I might stumble accross.
Now with some more competition around let us hope that the aerial resolution will spread or increase. Meanwhile I also think that, for power users, Google Earth remains far ahead.