Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

BV2312 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:35:56 GMT

@Foaf agree! When i use to search my home town leicester i use to get leicester square, london lol but it looks like they sorted that out... but yeah there are cities which crossover when searching

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

foaf — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:43:45 GMT

Agree with DavidK and Alex, living in the UK there are a load of UK towns and cities with US counterparts.

So when searching for something I use Google Maps and when I want pretty pictures and planning tools I use Live Search Maps. Wish I could use LS Maps all the time!

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:32:29 GMT

Having a EurAsian country and a US State with the same name poses some unique problems. Live Search Maps had no problem going right to "Armenia", for example.

Typing in "Georgia, Asia" in Google found the country, and in Live Search Maps brought up a list of restaurants near Macon, GA :P

However typing in "Gori, Georgia" in Live Search Maps brought up the correct country showing Gori, the Mtqvari river, the railway, and the main roads. In Google Maps, it correctly identified the location of the city within the blank space that is Google Maps rendition of the entire country.

And since you asked, I didn't even bother to search for Georgia. I just navigated to it in Live Maps 3d, an easy spin of the globe (for either map product).

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

quikboy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:11:28 GMT

Those pictures really show a thousand words. :^)

But I think the Photoshopped image has better color.

@DavidK : True, I guess Live Maps is still too US-friendly, even though most Americans aren't that aware it exists. Search works fine for me in my area. You just might have to be more specific.

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

DavidK — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:28:41 GMT

You can tell I love maps... I think I have an addiction to them!

Google maps in Australia has just gotten street view for nearly the entire country, and we're about to get live traffic for Sydney at least.

Live Maps Australian can't even find my street! And Birds-Eye view only extends to a few blocks outside the CBD!

Sad.

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

alexwilks88 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:34:36 GMT

What DavidK said. Live Maps is the better mapping service in general, but the search is just _awful_. Sadly this makes it very difficult to use a lot of the time, and is quite unusual for a company so obsessed with getting search right.

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

DavidK — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:29:45 GMT

I should qualify that;

if you search "maps.live.com", it gives you the US state...

if you search "maps.live.com.au", it gives you the US state...

if you search "maps.live.com, it gives you the US state...

so... how exactly did you make it find the country??

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

DavidK — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:23:55 GMT

I hate to be nit-pickey... have you tried searching for "Georgia" in live maps, and Google maps?

Live maps takes you straight to the US state of Georgia.

Google maps on the other hand... oh look, there's a world outside of the domain name I searched in!

I'm not a google fan boy, but live search maps has got to have one of the worst search functions ever, even yahoo maps does better!

re: Google Maps: We’re not evil, just not very good

Alber1690 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:49:19 GMT

This is what news stations love to proudly show when they use their on-screen maps? Sheesh. Now there's yet another reason to move to Live Search Maps.