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Google Launches Mapping Service

Posted by timothy on from the wherefore-art-thou-peggy-marfori? dept.

Alex Reynolds writes "The beta version of Google Maps is now online, offering an alternative to Mapquest with what some might describe as a very much improved user interface, offering a cleaner layout, drop shadows, clickable waypoints and keyboard controls that allow you to move and zoom the map. For IE and Firefox/Mozilla at this point (no Safari or Opera support, as yet)."

19 of 889 comments (clear)

  1. Google will never stop... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They seem to have the directions to take on Microsoft

    1. Re:Google will never stop... by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yea but they will never catch them if you use Microsoft Directions they will bring you to i90 North!!!! Well it seems they may have fixed it, but I remember when Microsoft bought out map-blast (my old favorite) I remember getting quite loss with their directions with them telling me to to take an even Interstate North (All even interstate goes East and West) and on the side roads they told me to go East when I needed to go west. And they for the longest time decided not to give Exit Numbers! But I just checked it out it seems that it was corrected.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Google will never stop... by luvirini · · Score: 5, Funny

      well, microsoft gives nice driving instructions for Europeans atleast: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/24/msn_drivin g_instructions/

    3. Re:Google will never stop... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
      Thats nothing. Try this on for size:
      I don't know how long it will be before someone at MSN notices that a whole lot of people are interested in this trip; this has appeared on many newsgroups already.
      1. http://mappoint.msn.com/DirectionsFind.aspx
      2. Plan a trip from Haugesund, Norway to Trondheim, Norway
      3. Laugh
      Shamelessly quoted from an ASR posting.
    4. Re:Google will never stop... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Here's another good one Bennäs - Jakobstad. What makes it even funnier is that Bennäs is the closest train station to Jakobstad, that's one hell of a cab ride into town :)

  2. New World Map by olafc · · Score: 5, Funny

    A preview of the world map after Bush his second term is over :)

    1. Re:New World Map by edudspg · · Score: 4, Funny

      A preview of the world map after Bush his second term is over :)

      You have that backwards. After Bush's term scrolling east will work. ;-)

  3. Re:Forget IE/Firefox etc... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's the first thing I thought. It showed a map of the USA, so I tried scrolling right, only to find that the USA really is the whole world. Imagine my surprise! I owe a lot of Americans apologies for daring to doubt them.

  4. Dropshadows?! by kuzb · · Score: 5, Funny
    [..]offering a cleaner layout, drop shadows, clickable waypoints and keyboard controls that allow you to move and zoom the map.

    Jesus! They have drop shadows! Sign me up#@!

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  5. Re:Forget IE/Firefox etc... by jrumney · · Score: 4, Funny

    There be dragons!!!!

  6. very impressive! by Complicity · · Score: 5, Funny
    I searched for prostitutes near my address, and it came back with the following:
    • Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada
    • St Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church
    • Customers For Life Inc
    • Brantford Public Library
    • Children's Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk
    • Oxford Self-Help Network
    Google teaches us so many things!
    --
    - c -
  7. Rubbish! by eric.t.f.bat · · Score: 5, Funny

    I went looking for some cities I know of in the US, and the coverage is spotty, to say the least. New York is there, of course, but I went south to New Jersey and Delaware, and both Gotham and Metropolis are missing. Duh! Iowa and Minnesota exist, but Central City and Keystone are missing. Boston and Seattle are there, but no sign of Hub City, Gateway City, Star City -- need I go on? Obviously Coast City isn't there, but there's no marker for where it WAS.

    Pretty shakey all round. Not impressed.

    --
    I have discovered a truly remarkable .sig block which this margin is too small to conta
  8. Re:Forget IE/Firefox etc... by pjt33 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's all right. I'm used to maps not working too well in Lynx.

  9. What are google planning???! by madaxe42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We could not calculate driving directions between miami and anchorage. We currently only support road-based driving directions.

    Coming soon - off road based driving directions!

    Turn left out of drive.
    Go through neighbours yard.
    Swerve to avoid barn
    Swerve to avoid cow
    Attatch floats to car, cross pond
    Drive across desert, hope for reliable engine
    Drive through mountains, attatch boring attatchment(yawn)
    Reach crevasse
    Plummet
    Go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200

  10. Re:Forget IE/Firefox etc... by hachete · · Score: 4, Funny

    > Finally, Google IS a US-based country.

    It'll be getting it's own flag and army next.

    --
    Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious
  11. Re:You can drag the map ! by Vintermann · · Score: 4, Funny

    Either google maps is north america only, or the atlantic ocean is a lot bigger than I thought.

    --
    xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
  12. Re:You can drag the map ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot reply template #24
    How to reply to a story about a new tool:

    "Yawn. You've obviously not seen [insert tool name here that no-one has ever heard of]."

  13. Re:You can drag the map ! by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny
    Google just got rid of all irrelevant information.
    <preemptive humor impaired apology/>
    Just kidding Geesh lighten up people.
    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  14. Re:You can drag the map ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you're under linux and the javavm binary can't be found by the java plugin then Java does present rather a problem.. you need to edit your binary search paths ($PATH) and make sure javavm can be hand then all should be well.. try running firefox from a console and you can get a little information as to why the browser dies..

    2005 is definitely the year of Linux on the desktop!