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Comparing the Mapping Services

techcrunch.com — Since it seems that every search engine has their own mapping service, TechCrunch has done an excellent roundup of the ones out there right now and declares a winner.

Who dugg this? Made popular Apr 18, 2006

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  • TrevorBradley, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Yahoo loses the zoom champion test, and still wins? Fah. Google Maps (or better Google Earth) for me.

    I tried yahoo maps. It seemed incredibly buggy. And it's US only. I'll try it again now just to be fair...

    Less buggy than I recalled, but it's Canada data is plain awful. Google Maps and Earth let me make out my house. With Yahoo Maps I can barely make out my neighbourhood (and I'm only a few miles across the border in a major metropolitan area!!!)
  • Thorpe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12I still find Google Maps that most simplest and easiest to use.
  • thatautguy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7how anyone could consider Yahoo's flash interface a good thing puzzles me; for me, that's the main reason why I don't use Yahoo maps.
  • Echidna, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Yeah, I was surprised by his conclusion. He said almost nothing about the advantages of Yahoo until then... when he proclaims them the winner.

    Either it was very poorly written, or he had ulterior motives.
  • seanharrop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Am I the only one who thought of the Lazy Sunday skit from Saturday Night Live which features Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg rapping about which map service to use to get to the movies?

    "Yo, where’s the movie playin’?"
    "Upper west side, dude."
    "Well, let’s hit up Yahoo Maps to find the dopest route."
    "I prefer Map Quest."
    "That’s a good one, too."
    "Google Maps is the best."
    "True that... DOUBLE TRUE!"
  • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6So their winner lacks coverage *and* resolution in many places? What were they smoking? Or rather.. who paid them? :-p That's the two by far most important aspects.
  • stmiller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Missing comparison: Which service has flashing ads in your face? Or better, which is the only one without flashing ads?
  • crackintosh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I use Yahoo for directions, but for sat view I try Google, Microsoft and Yahoo because they usualy each have a different shot, and you dont know which one will be better. My apartment looks clear on Microsoft, but not on yahoo or Google, and my brothers house looks better on Google. I found a site that lets you view all of the sites at once, and compare, but I just open each in its own tab.
  • dexim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4None of them have ads (thank you Adblock).
  • BloodJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Google Maps seems to be the most light-weight and responsive. Good for a quick search. Yahoo on the other has the most useful features and API. I understand why he went with Yahoo as the overall. Great digg.
  • ContactRose, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Just because you disagreed with his conclusion doesn't make it a bad article; it is fine that you don't digg the article, but I think marking the article as "spam" to be a bit harsh. He did make some good points in the article that I didn't know about.

    As a "devout" Google Maps fan, it was informative to find out that other services offered features that I've desired once in awhile, such as multi-point directions or the "avoid" functions of MapQuest that I didn't know about. Enough so that even though I'll still probably use Google Maps as my main resource, I will know to check out the other ones when I need an unoffered feature.
  • ahannemann, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3One of the things that has dissapointed me over the past few months with Google Maps specifically is that the printing feature doesn't print enough detail. I constantly have to write in street names if I think I'm going to need them. Is it just me or does anyone else have this issue?

  • dengar69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yahoo doesn't even recognize my address when the rest do. Thumbs down for Yahoo.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3why the hell do people still use mapquest? i can not stand that tiny ass window.
  • timmins, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6I agree, and I think that's the reason Google's service has slowly won me over. Their interfaces are scaled down and lightweight and efficient. Key commands for the advanced user, and a simple text input box for queries. They span the range of user experience levels.

    On the other hand, Yahoo with maps using Flash and Mail beta is seriously becoming bloated. Wrong direction. And as an ex-paying Mail customer of Y!, I've started moving my important mail to other services. I'm afraid one day they're going to move everyone to the beta, and I can't bear with "Loading... Loading..."
  • gollo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Not to mention accurate. I just drove down to NC from MI and the google map was spot on. I used MapPoint 2004 on my laptop for the trip back and got hosed by wierd "travel 65yds on ramp" instructions. The instructions where like those of mapquest. Cryptic.
  • saluki1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3While I am aware that this article was for search engine mapping sites, I personally like www.map24.com for raw data and a nice interface. Of the ones mentioned in the story I use Google Maps most often.
  • rnelsonee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I tried out the new Yahoo Maps after reading this, and I gotta say it's pretty nice. There's other features that I consider important that Google still doesn't have - like an Address Book. Firefox still autofills some addresses for me in Google Maps, which is nice, but I just went to Yahoo and found the quickest route to get to my sister's house from work. And I didn't have to type in a single address (I've used Yahoo maps in the past). Yahoo's little zoom dealie is nice as well - something that Google only pulls off in IE, which I never use.

    In short, aside from a cleaner interface (which is important to some people), Google has much less features than Yahoo.
  • DJMajickman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ok, I have to say at first I thought no digg. Then I got to thinking about it. Having the live traffic information is really handy as well as having multiple waypoints for directions so that you can customize it to use the roads you prefer traveling on. Too say, bypass major highways during rush hour, and with live traffic you can take a quick look at it before you head out the door to know which roads to avoid. Just my $0.02 worth
  • BloodJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's funny, I didn't notice the ads until you mentioned them just now. I guess that comparison wouldn't mean much to me.
  • chrism1128, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2While you're on a murderous rampage, could you also take out anyone who uses any variation of "newbie"
    Oh, and if you have any time left any walkie-talkie phone users.
  • d03boy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm going to stab the next person to use the word 'fanboy'.
  • dasch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If I could just get Google Maps on the European mainland...
  • smojo12, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Mapquest is horrible I agree....it's the AOL effect.....people have been using it all this time and they don't want to try anything else.
    Also mapquest has a few features which come in handy time to time like the avoiding tolls and highways.
  • smojo12, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I use google maps most of the time and find it to work very well. The only thing lacking that I would love for google maps to be able to do is the ability to give directions with avoiding highways and also shortest distance. This is one reason I still use mapquest from time to time.
  • johnie1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4me thinks there may be some yahoo sponsorship going on here (speaking as a chap from London)
  • sremick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Another vote for Map24. While I sometimes use Google too, 90% of the time I use Map24. Sure it's Java, but it's faster once loaded and does stuff the others cannot (and breaking the map away and making it full-screen allows for huge printscreen copies).
  • benb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I use Google the most, but the multipoint feature of Yahoo beta comes in handy. It is still pretty buggy though, but that is beta for ya.
  • chrism1128, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I live in North East New Jersey, 20 minutes outside of NYC, so coverage in my area is good on all of the services.
    They all do some things well. I think Google has the best maps and lightest most stable interface. Yahoo does glitch out at times, and I don't love flash, but when it works, it's really nice.
    When you print directions, it does the point to point line thing (no big deal) but when you mouse over any step in the written directions, that leg of the line glows. Flash or Not, that is what you want to see!
    I also love how Mappoint used to let you click off steps on the written directions and it would insert a mini-map of that turn. That helps a ton.
    They all have some great things. If they could all just steal each other's good Ideas, I might never get lost again.
  • thereisnospoon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.tomtom.com/index.php?Language=4 And you will never be lost again...

    Webmaps are good for looking up directions from your desk - when you're in a car a dedicated gps device is hands down better.

    Now if they combined downloadable Google maps into a GPS system...
  • fahrvergnuugen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yahoo can't find my house either. All of the others can. Double thumbs down to Yahoo.
  • travisk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Exactly, this is where Google is behind. I don't want to type in my home address every time I ask for directions.
  • thegeekpea, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I still prefer how mapquest prints the directions. And that's the most important feature since that's what you have with you when you are in the car.
  • echoic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is a sham, Virtual Earth is always getting shafted by fanboys. It has shortcut keys and favorites. No digg.
  • scagnetti, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Another thing I love about Map24 is that you can input your predicted travel speeds to better guage your time on the road. Mapquest and the others will assume you're going to do the speed limit and give you an inflated estimate. On Map24 I can tell it I'm going to average 80mph on the highway and it calculates it more accurately.
  • spacebar14, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They forgot

    1) Virtual Earth is US only
    2) *NONE* of these services provide 2Cellphone stuff outside of the US
  • kevinlquinn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Google maps are the best! True that! DOUBLE TRUE!!
  • scagnetti, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As I mentioned above, you should check out Map24 for this functionality. It kicks ace.
  • Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Laughable. They don't even take into account global coverage, and take the Bird's Eye view as interesting despite only covering a fraction of the US. Before I receive flames of these being US companies, please note that among the most common occasions you want maps for, is foreign countries when touristing or at business trips. It would be interesting to know which of them have the best global coverage at the highest resolutions. I *think* it's Google Maps/Earth, but a comparison of map coverage on uhmm... map services... would be kinda useful in a comparison like this one. :-p Their clear winner just supports US and Canada for example. Yay.
  • MrStylz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I understand that for your uses so far google has been accurate, but for me, it's been horrible for directions. I love google maps for the maps/satellite/usability alone but I would *never* trust it for directions anymore. This isn't just google, I might add. I find the same disappointing results on all BUT MapQuest.

    A search on anything but mapquest gives me too many turns or sends me hours out of my way, literally. A 6 hour trip on anything but mapquest gives 7.5, sending me in a "Z" shape instead of more along the lines of a bracket.

    Going to a Sam's Club, google maps sends me down into a neighborhood, the wrong way... MapQuest (I checked when I got back...) sent me the right direction.

    That's been my experience, so for directions, I'll stick to MapQuest and leave Google for the slick GUI.
  • TROGDOR42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No, no you're not. I thought of that too.
  • jaydawg53, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I use Mapsonus.com a lot; it's a map service of Switchboard.com. It allows the stopping points within the directions too. It also will let you map to favor major highways, avoid major highways, fastest route, or shortest route.

    I still like Google maps, though; I've found myself using all kinds of Google stuff now, including their email.
  • orrd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Actually Google Maps has almost no coverage outside the US. True, they recently added new satelite images in some countries, but if you want street information, only the US, Canada, and the UK has any street data at all! Which mapping site has the best world coverage? You may not have even heard about it, but it's http://www.maporama.com. I did a ton of research on the mapping services and sites to figure out which one to use for a travel site, and Maporama has by far the best world coverage of anyone out there right now. Oh, but the interface is crap compared to the new ones like Google and Yahoo.
  • ABadInAlbany, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I find it interesting that they comment on the quality, but lack of usabiltiy, of the "Bird's Eye" pics in Windows Live Local. Those same photos, produced by Pictometry International Corp., are actually used by 911 and other municipal services to provide highly localized/visualized details of 911 calls and other sorts of operations. Those pics might not serve a lot of use to a user, yet, but what lies under the hood promises a lot more functionality in the future.
  • jerryleelewis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0true dat
  • rjz26, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yahoo Maps beta is slow and Google is much simpler if you know what you're looking for. However, Yahoo maps really beats Google when it comes for looking for businesses by proximity and category.
  • aquaholic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Google is definately tops for me... couple of gripes though (1) Sometimes G-Local interferes with map results (try looking for Lennox Mass. as a location) (2) Would like to have the ability to customize/choose alternate directions and/or provide an intermediate point. Both of these issues do not in any way give me reason enough to go with the others (Y!,mapquest,msn)
  • LordBug, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yahoo maps beta has some interesting things, but it's route plotter is crap. Google isn't much better quite often. I find Mapquest still gives great directions, they just don't have the nifty scrolly maps. Yahoo also uses Flash (barf!), you have to login to even use it, and it's satellite resolution is poor. 3 strikes, you're out.

    I'll coninue using Mapquest and Google for now, and I think I'll check out a few other map sites people have listed in here.
  • d03boy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2They give directions to get places.
  • CaughtThinking, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Yahoo.com, Can't Beat the Real Thing

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