Microsoft launches their 3d map....can u say google what?

comoneymaker · #1 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 12:07 AM**

Since Sea town is home to Microsoft i figured id show a sample image.

Here is the link to start exploreing your city...post your favorite picks!

comoneymaker · #2 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 12:08 AM**

http://maps.live.com/Default.aspx?q=&FORM=BDIR&enc=0

Trantor · #3 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 1:06 AM**

I say MAPS LIVE WHAT??? This shitty Microsoft Service only has US cities, while on GoogleEarth (or Googlemaps) I can check out the Palm Jumeirah and the construction of Burj Dubai in Dubai, then decide to check out Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, then see the new port in Buenos Aires and the size of Mumbai in India!!

LMJCobalt · #4 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:19 AM**

Hey, ah, this feature has been around for a while. Plus you can do the same satellite view as google earth in other places across the globe. And I know they have their 3d software in place in cities like Rome and London. Its pretty cool.

hauntedheadnc · #5 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:23 AM**

I can't get it to bring up maps... all it does is loop me back to the search bars when I try to look at one.

comoneymaker · #6 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:26 AM**

yea but seems like google is all from directly above or bad angels...plus u can zoom more on this one and is more recent photos than google

urbanflyer · #7 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:40 AM**

^
but if it isn't international it's mostly useless.

flar · #8 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 3:29 AM**

I checked out NY in 3D, it was neat. For Canada, you can't zoom in anywhere near as close as you can in Google Earth. I found live to be very slow and jerky as well, so other than the 3D of major American cities, Microsoft has some catching up to do. At least Microsoft made it compatible cross-platform (I use Firefox and Linux).

MSPtoMKE · #9 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 3:33 AM**

Well, Google Earth (formerly Keyhole) did start out being basically exclusively US based in their coverage, but now it has quite good international coverage. Microsoft local is good for limited uses, but i find the navigation very clumsy, and it doesnt seem to work very well for me in firefox (big surprise) I still use Google Maps/ Google Earth more.

Upward · #10 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 5:09 AM**

The interface is cumbersome, at best. This won't take me away from Google.

mSeattle · #11 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 5:14 AM**

That's a nice shot captured there. I honestly was presuming it was San Francisco till I focused a little more.

Sacto · #12 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 5:53 AM**

The real active ads throughout the cities are too much...I can see now that the richer you become the greetier you are.

staff · #13 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 7:09 AM**

Uninteresting.

DaveofCali · #14 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 7:19 AM**

Heh, this feature (Birds eye view Aerial Images) was introduced by Microsoft about a year ago.

cabasse · #15 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 7:57 AM**

i get the feeling most of you guys haven't seen the virtual earth 3d portion. the image i see above is just their bird's eye, which as dave said is kinda old... the awesome new addition is when you switch to 3d and go to aerial mode. here's a sampling.

Detroit

i didn't think to wait for the higher-res textures to load for this first one

google earth doesn't have anything outside the downtown core...behold, the fisher (and new center)

house of michi/ex-house of myself

Atlanta

(uh, where's the westin)

(pretty detailed, eh? lame angle but i was tired of screwing with it)

buckhead. same goes for atlanta - practically everything in the city over a few stories is modeled and textured

the system i'm currently on is my friend's sempron 3200/512mb/geforce 6200. just enough power to make the cut... could really use more ram and a more powerful graphics card. i can't wait to give the program a try once it gets it's 1gb addition. (christmas present from his parents)

mSeattle · #16 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 10:31 AM**

Those are cool!

BnaBreaker · #17 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 1:29 PM**

Holy sweet goddess of the sun those are fucking amazing. What is the website for those cabasse? I guess they are missing a few key buildings, but it is still mindblowing nonetheless!@!

staff · #18 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:08 PM**

Now that is cool.

Trantor · #19 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:42 PM**

well, GoogleEarth also has 3D buildings, but I am not sure if any of them are texturized.

flar · #20 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 2:56 PM**

I didn't see the true 3d, which is very neat. I'll have to live without it though, because it's not compatible cross platform, you need Internet Explorer.