Google Maps Vs Live Search Maps

My review of the latest online web mapping software

Google Maps was the first to release the satellite imagery.   It remains the most popular, with loads of features and user friendly interface.

Pros:

• The display is Clean, uncluttered and simple.
• The Satellite imagery is higher quality than some of the competitors.
• Drag and drop maps.
• Easy Pan and zoom features.
• Natural Search Feature I.E. “Pizza Near Springville, Salt Lake City, Utah”.
• Lots of features and hacks.

Cons:

• Lots of data usage if used  by mobile.
• Rather plain & boring interface.

Features:

• Transit – Find destination using only public transport and Your legs (not much though).
• Driving Directions – Find quick and easy directions to go to… anywhere.  It incorporates Step-by-step driving directions, Multiple stops, Check live traffic conditions (select cities), Drag ‘n drop points to customize your route and use Street view to see where your going.
• Street View – Perhaps the coolest feature in Google Maps – View street level photographs (select cities), Take virtual walks; pan, rotate and zoom, Explore cityscapes landmarks, points
  of interest and Find shops, restaurants, parks, hotels and more.
• Add A Location – Add businesses, landmarks, and points of interest.
• Explore a Place – View local photos, YouTube videos and wikipedia articles, Discover popular searches and places of interest, Browse user-created maps or design your own.
• Create a Map – Mark your favourite places on your map, Draw lines and shapes to highlight paths and areas, Add your own text, photos, and videos, Share your map with friends and family.
• Add Content - Overlay information such as weather & photos, Select from a variety of interactive maps and tools, Save information to your own map.
• Find Businesses – Find businesses near a location or zip code, Get addresses, phone numbers, and directions, Read Reviews and write your own, Add your business to the map.

Live Search Maps is created by the people who made windows/  Their maps search feature is big competition to Google with many good features and excellent design, have a look!

Pros:

• Excellent high quality imagery.
• Good design and interface.
• Many very Cool Features.
• Easy to Use

Cons:

• Bad Searching tools – many simple searches result in ‘Not Found’
• Same Old Imagery.

Features:

• Bird’s Eye View - Their bird’s eye view is one of the best features I’ve ever come across giving crisp clear imagery.
• ClearFlow – The tool took five years for Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence team to develop.  ClearFlow provides real-time traffic data to help drivers avoid traffic congestion.  Clearflow anticipates traffic patterns, while taking into account sporting/arena events, time of day and weather conditions, and then reflects the back ups and their consequential spill over onto city streets.
• Terrain – details are also available in 3D mode.
• Point Of Interest - A tool similar to Google Map’s version.
• Drawing on maps – A nifty little feature which enables people to draw on the map.
• Find Me – A location finder that can locate the user’s location

Overview

Both products feature many cool, useful and clever features.  With technologies developing so fast, I’m sure there will be faster and better tools coming out soon!

Do You Have Any Ideas not covered here?  Post them in the guest box below!

Sources:

1. Google Maps
2. Explore Some Of Google Maps Features

Notes:

Unfortunately some of the features mentioned will work only in certain US cities.