This is what New dimension in search meant by Windows live website. It is about showing earth in 3D.
Now you can search earth for 3D maps which was earlier shown in 2D only. I have already mentioned that Live Maps list those locations and paths which are not searchable by Google maps. Now when you enter to Live Maps, you are presented with option for 2D or 3D maps. So this time, I thought of repeating the same search for a way from Gurgaon to Noida in 3D maps. But wait…before going 3D way, you will need to download and install Virtual Earth 3D (beta). Now there Microsoft puts it on back seat for asking you to do what they want.
Anyway, I installed it but then my IE 7 closed automatically throwing some out of memory exception.
I restarted IE and selected 3D option once again. I was asked for the type of view I would like to see. Selected the best one.
There is mouse as well as keyboard support for navigation in 3D space. The concept applied behind catching the user intention is very nice. Once you leave your activities for a while on the map, on then the map is rendered and it is formed again. But then it seems almost the copy of Google Maps. Nothing much new is there.
For my country, I didn’t any noticed any different as the map images were almost the 2D way and there isn’t much map information about India to show in the map. There were no buildings being shown even in the most active region of capital. It was all about ways if you click on Road view. On clicking the Aerial view, you start noticing some things forming but then it is about green and brown colors. There was no clear view of buildings. Here is the clearest view of New Delhi that I could get. Connaught Place is missing.
Same thing happens in Hybrid view where both of the views are mixed. Road is clear and you can easily notice the landmarks, placed very beautifully on the sides of road which keeps on clearing as you zoom in to the view. Here is the map that I got in 3D view (only a part of the road) –
I can easily find my what about way from Gurgaon to Noida if I use Google Earth software on my PC but then what is special in Live 3D…I couldn’t figure out. One you have to install the software on your PC and then you are provided with only the web interface to navigate. On the other hand, to navigate Google maps on web, you don’t need to install any software. And you are provided with additional option by Google to install and navigate 3D earth from your desktop using Google Earth. So I think, I wouldn’t be going Live way for time being. Google Earth is sufficient for me.