Crisis on Infinite Earths

Microsoft’s Bill Gates revealed the seriously cool looking MSN Virtual Earth was in development. It’s a direct challenge to Google’s newly renamed Google Earth (formerly Keyhole) and integrates Yahoo-like layers with satellite pictures.

Or so the demo suggests.

Here’s the problem. We don’t actually have anything from Microsoft yet beyond promises of how much better things to come will be. Sometime this summer is not really a good reason to be excited now. The Google method to releasing-that is, develop something then slyly link to the beta without a lot of fanfare is a better way to do it. Microsoft, please make a note of that and actually try it. That way, people will stop referring to your products as vaporware.

In the end, it just doesn’t seem important. While playing with Google Maps Satellite view is fun, it’s not really that useful when trying to get from Point A to Point B. For that a traditional view works better every time.

Related posts:

1. Ask.com & Its Continued Identity Crisis
2. Google Earth is Free
3. Microsoft’s Identity Crisis: The Tech Giant’s Human Struggle
4. Rupert Murdoch: Media Mogul in Crisis or Cutting Edge?
5. Crisis of Confidence: Web 2.0 Remix

About the Author

Susan Esparza is the Senior Editor at Bruce Clay, Inc. She joined the company in November 2004 and has written extensively for clients and internal publications. Search Engine Optimization All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies by Bruce Clay and Susan Esparza, is available now. She also knows where the knives and forks go in a buffet line. The latter makes her invaluable to Bruce Clay, Inc.