Mapquest getting a long overdue facelift - VIDEO

When you need a word for tissue, you probably say Kleenex. Xerox and copy machine are almost synonymous. And for many people, Mapquest means online maps. A huge number of people still use Mapquest as their primary online direction service, even though Google Maps and other services have long had features missing from Mapquest.

It looks like AOL (the company that owns both Mapquest and this blog) has no plans to let Mapquest rest on its laurels. The company pushed out a new version of Mapquest beta today, and an accompanying Mapquest beta blog. TechCrunch reports that today's beta is tomorrow's default interface. Mapquest plans to roll out the changes to its main site by the end of the year.

So what's new? First up, you get a map on the front page, not just text entry boxes. Second, you no longer have to enter a street, city, and state all in separate boxes. There's a unified Google Maps-like box at the top. The default view is the directions view. But you can also search for businesses and places, for example, "coffee shops" in "New York." You still have to remember to type the place name in one box and the location name in the other or you'll be less than satisfied with your results.

Here are a few other features we like:

• Print a map showing whatever level of detail you'd like
• Move icons out of the way if they're blocking a street name or other important features
• Adjust your default settings, including map or aerial view, set home and work locations, etc
• Get directions for trips with multiple stops
• Minimize the text sidebar and maximize the map

We've put together a little video showing some of the features. You can check it out after the jump.

Tags: directions, google-maps, mapquest, mapquest-beta