Windows Live goes Local

dualcore writes "PC Magazine is reporting that Windows is going live with a 'new online local search and mapping service.' The interface is pretty close to Google Local, but with subtle enhancements, such as right-clicking anywhere on the map brings up a context menu or the way you can click on a point on the map to select it for directions. The final word on which service is better remains to be seen but this competition will certainly benefit the end-users."

Bird's Eye view is amazing - just needs few tweaks

[tommers]

While the interface isn't as polished as Google Maps, the Bird's Eye View feature is just tremendous. I haven't found a single block in San Francisco that isn't covered and they all look really good. I can't wait for someone to write a GreaseMonkey plugin to tie this into Google Maps, since their hybrid view is still the best around (except when I want the higher resolution of Virtual Earth [in my area at least]).

And I'm not afraid to say: Wait to go Microsoft! They've created something very very cool that no one else has. While Google Maps and Google Earth were bigger steps in the evolution of maps, this is still quite a large one and I think Microsoft deserves more credit than they got when they first released Virtual Earth and probably more credit than Google FanBoys at Slashdot will grant them now.

That said, there are some annoying interface issues that make it less polished than Google Maps.

1. Dragging feels unnatural and gets stuck. I feel like I have to drag a little, let go, and then drag some more. Don't see what's wrong with the way Google and Yahoo do it.
2. While I can understand why you can't just drag around forever since perspective of the adjancent edges are all different, it would be great if they could make dragging between photos easier so I don't have to scroll up to the upper left to move up or down. Any thoughts on how this could be done more smoothly.
3. There address parsing isn't as good as Google Maps.
4. Even if it wouldn't be seamless, it seems they could still offer the option of scrolling around multiple photos in a mosaic format. Maybe they don't want to break the illusion that you are in this space by allowing you to have a mosaic view of all photos available in an area. Maybe someone can create this (though Microsoft will probably shut it down like Google shut down the Google Maps poster maker).
5. And obviously greater coverage would be much appreciated.

The draggable-maps may have just created interface expectations that can't be met with these photos.

The Siteseeing link from their [live.com]blog [msn.com] is also very cool.

Innovative

[ReDiLect]

Lately it's google that comes up with the most innovative ideas and MS chasing their behinds. I wonder when the Google OS will appear..
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http://www.e-guides.biz/ [e-guides.biz]

Re:What I don't understand...

[MightyMartian]

Google was hardly the first one to have online maps.

Microsoft had maps online before Google

[everphilski]

...its called Terraserver, and it predated Google by a good many years...

-everphilski-

Re:What I don't understand...

[Dick_Stallmanat0r]

While I don't agree that One-Click shopping should be patented, your post seems more like blatant MS bashing. Google Maps "copied" MapQuest and Yahoo Maps in the sense that they are both similar products. Google made some definate enhancements just as MS has in this case. And MSN is hardly a copy of ICQ, it is used to send instant messages over the internet but otherwise is completely different. Not to mention the fact that AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, and just about any other IM client under the sun does exactly the same thing.

I realize I will probably be modded Troll or Flamebait for refusing to join in on bashing MS, but come on people, this is just wrong.

Windows?

[Maxmin]

This is probably an obvious answer to /.ers, but what on earth does http://local.live.com/ [live.com] have to do with Windows (other than the o/s the service runs on?) This appears to be just another web app, with the windows adjective thrown in for no other reason than brand recognition.

And maybe it's also a sneaky effort on MS's part to convince internet users that dynamic DHTML+JS web pages are somehow related to their operating system... NOT. Kind of surprised it's not "MSN Local Live", or "MSN Live Local" or something... maybe that says something about where the MSN brand is going...

Re:Bird's Eye view is amazing - just needs few twe

[robkill]

And obviously greater coverage would be much appreciated.

The greater coverage will come as Pictometry scales up to fly over more cities. Their website mentions each pixel equates to roughly 6 inches on the ground. That's a lot of imagery to collect over major metropolitan areas. 8 bits per pixel, covering several thousand square kilometers at that resolution with 4 different viewing angles is a lot of data.

I'd like to see more geospatial information. Lat/Lon coordinates (at least WGS-84), height (ellipsoid or MSL), etc.

Re:Innovative

[Dragoonmac]

And when Google releases an OS it'll be cool for a month or two, then it'll start having bugs, and slashdot users will go eh... and then pretty soon we will all grow to hate google, make broken logo and monolithinc Larry Page icons. I mean, windows 3.1 was freakin awesome if you were a dos user tired of doing everything by command line and couldn't produce a copy of GEOS, man, I loved GEOS...

Re:What I don't understand...

[CaymanIslandCarpedie]

OK fanboy.

This stuff just drives me crazy!!!! MS was the first to bring online sat images to the net by about a decade. Google copied the concept, but its OK because you like Google better and you think thier product is amazing while the way MS did it sucks. Now MS copies a minor thing like draging an image and its just wrong!

To me this is not just a Google Live/MS Live issue. Same for iPod fan boys who go crazy when another MP3 play copies the color of the case or some stupid detail, but its fine that Apple copied all the functional ideas from others.

Everyone goes on and on about how competion is good, but as soon as someone does something similar to one of thier little "pet" products suddenly its just horrible (even if thier "pet" product is just as guilty as others of copying others).

My complaint isn't about Google or any specific product or company. EVERYONE COPIES EVERYONE ELSE!!!! Thats it, and you know what? Thats a great thing! That lets everyone gain from incremental improvements that are made because of the cycle of copy and improve (or as others would say "embrace and extend").

Intellectually I'm sure we all understand this, but somehow once its "our" product being copied in some little way, we go off bitching about it. STOP IT!!!!!

Re:Bird's Eye view is amazing - just needs few twe

[tommers]

To be fair, I think Google was already doing significant work on Google Maps before they acquired Keyhole. I'm sure the Keyhole people helped with a lot of the final touches and the integration of satellite imagery, but Google would still have released Google Maps (sans satellite) without the Keyhole acquisition.

But I do agree that Microsoft should get credit when they deserve it (which in this case I think they do)

Re:Cumbersome

[RzUpAnmsCwrds]

"Now, looking for the nearest Pizza Hut isn't that big of a deal but when somebodies life is involved, I wouldn't trust any other search provider."

When someone's life is involved, why the fuck would you be on the internet trying to find a hospital. We have a number for that, 911. If you're in Europe, 112.

Re:Worldwide

[n0dalus]

For users outside of the US and UK Live Local is the better one.

I live in Australia [cam.ac.uk], and Google Maps zooms in close enough to just see my house and car [google.com]. With Windows Live I can barely see my city [live.com]. They are using different map services, so I guess it just depends where you live.

Re:Bird's Eye view is amazing - just needs few twe

[cbreaker]

But, terraserver is very similar to the current satellite map systems - albiet using the lower quality images available at the time and with browser capabilities circa 1999.

The only thing that's really different, besides the ability to load your own waypoints and data, is the mouse dragging.

I do fully agree that without a push from competition, Microsoft does almost nothing new. Every once in awhile, they do release something neat, albiet somewhat half-assed and never updated, like terraserver. It's very dangerous to have a company like that in monopoly, and I'm glad there's pressure from Google, open source, etc to keep them moving forward at least a little.

Canada ?

[AnotherLostAtom]

Mictrosoft does it again. They forgot completely about Canada. The only thing that shows up in the search is Ontario Power Generation, because lord knows, if New York State could not tap into our power grid, bad things would happen! But seriously, I searched for the CN Tower, and it told me no dice!! On google I get PICTURES taken from and of the CN Tower. MS, pull up your pants, and get with it!!