Google Earth v Microsoft Local
 

For information...

Microsoft have set up a rival to Google Earth. Still very much in Beta and not as functionally rich. However the UK surface photography is excellent. For those who want to take a look at a remote airfield before flying there this is excellent.

http://local.live.com/

The interface is a bit clunky and slow, but once you are on your way it becomes much easier to handle.

Not bad...

I much prefer the Google Earth interface but this has higher resolution images than Google on some areas.

Quite useful for "filling in the gaps" in Google Earth.

Very good site. Thanks for the link.

Personally for the UK I still often find that Multimap (www.multimap.com) provides better imagery, although poorer control over it. Google's ability to change slope, etc - for example giving you an idea of the view on approach into a farmstrip is quite enhancing.

G

Most useful. Many thanks indeed.
Cheers,
Trapper 69

Nice Link However the images I picked to view were quite dated, which was interesting in a way to see how things have changed round here! ;)

Funny you say that. If you look at Brighton train station (big curved glass roof) you will see a car park to the right of it and some waste land. If you click on Birds-Eye view then you see a better, up-to-date picture showing the recent building works where they are re-developing the area!

Southend Airport has 3 707s and what looks like a Belfast in the SE corner. Picture must be a few years old.

Wow, the pictures of my house are only a few months old. The bird's eye view option is amazing. Almost makes you feel like its an invasion of privacy.

Hi

Is it me or all i can see is map imamges on the Microsoft Live site???? Whereas Google Earth gives a proper photo image.....? Any ideas?

For images of France, this new website beats Google Earth into a cocked hat!
http://www.geoportail.fr/index.php?a...sitorConnected

Quite like the Windows site..... cae in handy when we looking for a new house!

Just looking at a trg area and found this!

http://tinyurl.com/or4xz

The imagery for the area where I live (3m SW of Benson) on the MS site is the GetMapping imagery, also used on Multimap, and at least seven years old for the bit just around me. That said, it is to a much higher and useable resolution than the stuff on GE that covers my house, but is not as good, or up to date as the better imagery on GE which covers most of S Oxon.

If you look at google earth and heathrow airport there are a couple of concorde parked
David

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v...&scene=4307797

Still a great sight... Timeless.

Genghis old fruit. Microsoft bought and use GetMapping's high-res photo database. GetMapping's site on the internet is multimap.com, where only their low-res stuff is freely available. So with Local, you get more for nowt.

Have you peeps also found the oblique recon shots labelled "Bird's Eye View"? Now these are most cool and are not available with Google Earth (don't sprout on about tilt, it's not the same). Try searching on Southampton to see this in action.

Next to the zoom slider, there is the map / photo button. Very small and easy to miss.

A list of addresses for anyone interested. For some reason these links have become non-clickable (which I must work on when I get time), you will have to cut and paste for now.

http://www.justinmg.karoo.net/sub_pages1.htm