Microsoft Launches 3-D Online Mapping

Good news for all those that love mapping features as Microsoft added Virtual Earth 3-D to their Live Search today. The bad news? You have to be using Windows Internet Explorer 6 or 7 and install software (that takes a long time to install). We assume that Virtual Earth doesn't work on Macs. Maps are currently viewable in 2-D through any browser. The bad news is that the program is such a memory hog that we almost don't want to use it. At least the 2-D stuff looks nice.

The 3-D maps are currently available for only a handful of cities: San Francisco; San Jose; Seattle; Boston; Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Las Vegas; Detroit; Phoenix; Houston; Baltimore; Atlanta; Denver; Dallas; and Fort Worth.

What do you think about the maps? Let us know in 30 or so mintues when you're done installing.

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By tien mao in Miscellaneous on November 7, 2006 10:12 AM

Comments [rss]

grasping at straws, are we?

"that's actually a screenshot of nyc.
[3] Posted by: tien | November 7, 2006 11:09 AM"

So what? The software and Microsoft has nothing to do with nyc! NOTHING.

Since it maps the world, is this software *about* Egypt? Is it *about* Madagascar? Is it *about* Siberia? All I have to do is type in an address in Iraq, take a screenshot of the software showing Baghdad, and suddenly the announcement of Microsoft software is directly relevant to Iraq!

Lar

You can almost see Stuy in that screenshot!

JoNs

I think google has some competition here.

The install, IMHO, is better than Google Earth (which doesn't show through the browser at all.)

JonS