Saturday, April 23, 2005

Spring is here!




Yellow Tulip from Neal & Tara's backyard.

Mapquest Got Ya Lost?

I have officially abandoned Mapquest. Try Google maps out. More info below.

NPJ

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Google Maps, while still in Beta test, are incredible. They're very intuitive, well designed, interactive, and the search capabilities are amazing. While there are still some snags, the site is one to be utilized if you're looking for directions or maps of anyplace in the U.S. or Canada. Visit Their Web Site

Pros Excellent search capabilities - very intuitive!
Visually appealing maps.
Maps include parks, airports, hospitals, malls, and other points of interest.

Cons Only covers U.S. and Canada.
The site has problems understanding that you want to see a new region.
Sometimes ZIP Codes are needed to make the site understand.


Description
Type in any unique place into the search, such as an address, a business name, an airport code, etc.
The resulting map will show options on the right-hand side with little balloon indicators.
Zoom the map on the left side or by using plus and minus buttons.
Zoom in for comprehensive street maps including almost every street name.
Obtaining directions to or from a location is easy by using the indicator balloon.
Type in a type of business like "pizza" and a ZIP Code and Google Maps will locate nearby options.
Pan by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse or by using the arrow keys.
Pan wide stretches of territory by using home, end, page up, and page down.
Type something like "Richmond, VA to Boston, MA" to get directions.
Spelling and capitalization doesn't count!
Guide Review - Google Maps
Google Maps is the next generation in online mapping. Their search is smart and intuitive and one can search for just about anything - the name of a business or point of interest, an address, or a city and up will pop an attractive map. The map is easily panned and zoomed through mouse or keystrokes and the street names and road outlines are crisply displayed. Directions are clear and follow the roads in vivid lines. I'm thoroughly impressed, despite the minor bugs that keep the search from being rated A+++. Google Maps is where I now go to map and address or for driving directions, they did a great job and I know the site will get even better!

Source: Geography About.Com