EARTH/MAPS: This Summer the Battle for the Earth Begins...Online

As if cyberspace weren't a large enough battlefield, search giants MSN and Google are duking it out over outer space. Their current target: Earth. We've all used those various online mapping sites to get directions, and sometimes those have been less than accurate. Now imagine taking that inaccuracy and adding topographical satellite images that might be more than 5 years old and you've got the picture. [NOTE: Please excuse my overt skepticism, but I hate old data. I understand that security issues preclude real-time satellite images from being available to the general public, but anything older than a year or two should be headed to the historical archive.]



Both MSN and Google are now offering the ability to view your maps with topographical info.



MSN: The Virtual Earth offered by MSN is, simply put, a lame rip off of Google Maps. They attempt to use the same tiling technology that allows you to easily grab and scroll the map your currently viewing, removing the need for clicking the pesky arrows and waiting for a screen refresh. Notice I said "attempt". While the site works, you might as well go to Google Maps. Not only will you find a cleaner look and faster refresh, in my test searches I noticed that MSN's satellite images were older than Google's.



GOOGLE: Topographical mapping comes in two flavors from Google. You can use the standard Google Maps: do a location search and toggle street map view/satellite view. The tiling technology allows you to quickly and easily slide your view and center it the way you want. If you're up for a beefy download, you can install Google Earth (previously Keyhole) for free. This gives you not only the ability to view satellite imagery, but change your view into an almost 3D perspective. You can do a flyover of the area and get a feel for what to expect on your drive.



We've still got a long way to go before the virtual world looks as great as the real one, but for now, if you need to go beyond the map in your glove box, I heartily recommend Google's version of earth. In this war, we all win.



- Hutch





MSN Virtual Earth

Google Maps

Google Earth