Comments on: Microsoft mapping goes 3D

New Virtual Earth interface merges gaming world photorealism with images of real-world cities.
Photos: Virtual Earth 3D marries maps, search
Video: Microsoft takes on Google

[ss_Whiplash]

Nice try

It exactly like Google Earth, except without the smoothness and quickness of Google Earth. And it's really buggy. Leaving graphical trails all over the screen. The landscapes don't load half the time either leaving me with a blurry low res view. The only thing I like are the textured 3d buildings when you're at street level.

[KTLA_knew]

3D cities

How many cities has Google put into 3D? Last I checked, they were still using the Keyhole software they bought to catch up to this and cities were simply flat photographs mapped onto whever the elevation was compared to sea level.

You're saying Keyhole now has the same 3D rendered urban environments as Live Local? Guess it's been to long since I've used Keyhole.

[FutureGuy]

were you wearing 3D glasses!!!

the last time I checked Google their maps were in 2D unless you had some special 3D glasses you were wearing!!!

[a85]

try changing the settings

If you put the quality on the highest possible it works fine. Its quick, smooth and looks great on my system.

[xcgeek]

Plugin/IE

To say the product is browser based, and they say it only runs in EI and requires a plugin is a contradiction. IE with a required plugin is the same as installing something like Google Earth as it requires the Windows OS to do all the work. Anyway, competition, either good or bad, is always good for us consumers.

[Linuxluver]

Only for windows? Google Wins......

Google Earth supports Windows Mac and Linux.

Microsoft supports their OS and their browser.

As far as this user is concerned, Microsoft don't as they don't offer me any services.

Go Google Earth!

[Lindy01]

Yeah

your right...MS can only reach 90% of all computers.

[zeeboid]

too bad, 96% of all computers only

thats a shame, I mean, with only 96% compadability, its sure to fail!
***

[zeeboid]

too bad, 96% of all computers only

thats a shame, I mean, with only 96% compadability, its sure to fail!
***

[zeeboid]

Only compadable with 96% of computers

thats a shame, I mean, with only 96% compadability, its sure to fail!

whatev. i've been using LiveLocal for a while now. I made the "switch" from Google. The new 3d version rocks. soon you will be able to use Microsoft's Flight Sim to fly the whole world on your computer. that, is sweet... but again, only 96% of comoputer users will be able to use it.

[riceguitar]

Compatible, YES... Used? NO

Not a bad app. It's pretty clunky you must admit. Not exactly ready for prime time. If they can speed it up, make it more cross browser compatible then maybe. I don't see it being a G-EARTH killer ever.

[Paul Schantz]

Depends what you're trying to do

Last year I was project manager at a Fortune 100 where we did two proof-of-concept mashups that married a sample of our internal data to both Google Earth and MS Virtual Earth.

Google Earth made for a much nicer presentation to executives because of the cool zooming feature and flyover street mapping. However, one of the major drawbacks to using GE as a consumer tool is the idea that potential customers need to download a 10+ megabyte client program (and learn how to use it) to access the data we were presenting.

As others have noted, Virtual Earth doesn't have the same "wow factor" and it is sometimes clunky due to bandwidth issues, but it was able to map our data just as accurately. The high-resolution "bird's eye view," where available, was particularly useful in our application. The fact that VE was browser-based also made our application more intuitive to use for "casual" or "consumer" web surfers.

Both applications work well, it just depends what you're trying to do with them. Google Earth seems more like a research tool to me, and Virtual Earth seems like it's geared to advertising (which is the main point of the article, of course).

[wooman7]

very well said, paul

It really does come down to what you want to do - downloading GE will not allow you to roam and the accuracy might not be so...accurate due to the fact that the 3D imaging is done by anyone that submits the data and not by 'professionals'. I believe Live Local 3D is computer generated and we all know computers never make mistakes...ok, almost never:>)

[danielMann]

Compare this to Google Maps, not Google Earth

Google doesn't really have anything like this. Google Earth is a client application that you need to download and run (they bought this from a company called Keyhole, it isn't an original Google product).
This new Virtual Earth site from Microsoft is in-browser and blows away Google Maps, and in fact blows away Google Earth too.
Of course people have a choice, but Google Maps / Earth feels like yesterday's news and yesterday's "wow", there's a new player in this space and it's looking very good.

[manjasoftware]

Blows Google Earth Into The Dust...

This Just Blew Google Earth Into the Dust!

[cascadia4]

Cool, but...

These new 3D mapping software ideas are cool and great for flying around and getting a 3D topographical view. From the pictures i've seen (not at home so I can't download yet), the new views from Microsoft are very good... more detailed than Google Earth's gray buildings.

Again, it depends on what you're doing. Looking for Someone's house? Streets and Trips. Mapping out a roadtrip? Streets and trips. Detailing a project where a 360* Flyby with 3D Topography is needed: GE or VE.

I think before they jump too deep into 3Ding too many cities... they need to get more high res images for rural areas.

Eventually I'd like to be able to zoom in and see enough detail to spy someone picking their nose at the time the sat snapped a photo. 3D is nice, but without high res sat imagry, its worthless.

[t8]

Doesn't work in Firefox

As usual MS have gone all political and have amde this service available in IE only. I am hardly going to switch browsers just so I can use Virtual Earth.

Now at least with Google, their stuff just works. It is WC3 compliant and works on all platforms and browsers.

This is why I trust Google to give me their search results.

Microsoft search is sure to be political and point users to Windows every which way.

^&*% that. Give me Google any day.

[kimoggun]

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