Some wil be aware of Google Maps but I suspect much fewer people are aware of Microsoft’s Live mapping service, Live Local. I am fan of most of what Google has been doing. Their competitive spirit has forced Microsoft to wake up from the slumber they had fallen into. One example is how Microsoft has developed their Live service to compete with Google’s web offerings. As a person who once said to an MS salesman that MS search engines were $h^te, I must admit that Live is pretty good, possibly as good as Google, especilly since it often comes up with different but equally good results.
As someone who likes to get out an about in my car on road trips, for photography, work, etc, knowing where I am going is pretty important. Earlier this year, I navigated around the backroads and cities of Virginia courtesy of Live Local without gettings lost or making a wrong turn. I’ve just found (it might have been like this for a while) that Live Local now has Irish and European maps. A true test of Live versus Google is now possible. Irish digital mapping is a joke as anyone who has tried to use a GPS in the Republic outside of the main roads or cities can testify.
I’ve taken screen shots of my town from Live and from Google. Note that Live shows all of the rural roads. Google stops at the edge of the town. Strangely, Google does not show any detail at all for the neighbouring town of Newbridge, one of the major towns in County Kildare and it’s a much bigger town than Kildare town.
Live allows you to cleanly right-click on the map to quickly add pushpins, add way points and search for routes. Google cannot do this at all. This is pretty important because Google can’t even search the Irish map. I tried searching for Leeson Street, Grafton Street and Merrion Square and it failed all three. Live failed with Grafton Street, came close (next street) to Leeson Street (it’s actually shown as N11) and hit Merrion Square bang on. Another test was to find my family home which is 4 miles from the nearest town. Live Local had the road clearly marked whereas Google Maps barely even mentioned the aforementioned town, let alon my home area. WHile I give with one hand I take with another. Live Local does not show the M1 bypassing Dundalk nor the completion of the M50. But, like I said, digital mapping in Ireland is a joke. This might not be the fault of Microsoft because my GPS unit doesn’t show them either.
Faced head to head, I give Live Local the edge.
Screen shots are attached.