Apple Campus Missing From MSN Earth

webguru4god writes "The Register has an article detailing a significant omission from Microsoft's new Virtual Earth application. Apparently the satellite image view of 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, CA shows a large empty lot, whereas Google Maps shows the sprawling Apple campus. Hmmm, I wonder if the Google campus is missing too?"

Re:It's just an old map

[RonnyJ]

The Register article even later points out that MSN have photos still showing the WTC (pre-9/11) - obviously old photos. Still, it doesn't stop them (and /.) having a sensationalist headline.

Real story ....

[taniwha]

I completely agree - the real headline should be something like "Microsoft Virtual Earth Horribly out of Date"

I think that's just MS way

[Tibor the Hun]

Steal someone's idea, and do a halfassed job...

I'm sure it's not on purpose, it's just the way MS does things.
I've also read in the Register that the Twin Towers from WTC are still there.
I mean, wouldn't one of the beta testers check for that?

Slashdot needs a new "Sensationalism" category

[mabu]

to hold stories of this nature, which wildly jump to erroneous conclusions.

Microsoft was apparently too cheap to purchase more recent satellite imagery so they got old, crappy data. Google's is more recent.

Nothing here to see folks except a few people with short attention spans that don't do adequate research.

The mods are to be blamed for this. Just today I had a story rejected that had more information than the one published, but it wasn't as pointed in its title.

TerraServer Data

[wireloose]

TerraServer's web satellite imagery server came out in the late 90's, with all the early 90's imagery from the USGS. The interface was similar to both of these map sites. And then Microsoft bought and took over TerraServer a year or so later. So, that's probably what's here. Rather than spend time getting data sources updated, perhaps they spent time rewriting all the image server software in .NET.

Seriously, though, Microsoft did the usual overkill, attempting to put too much into the user interface. Hence odd mouse controls, unnecessary zomming animation when a simple quick redraw at the new zoom level is preferred, etc.. More time spent on glitz than substance.

Are you people retarded?

[Anonymous Coward]

What you'll notice if you use both map sites is that the photo-maps are piecemeal quilts from seemingly various data sources taken at different days/times.

Google Maps has outdated/missing sections just like MSN does, but no one criticises them for dropping the ball?

"MSN Virtual Earth" incorporates, to a degree, data from their Microsoft Terraserver project which debuted in 1997, which is nearly a decade before Google ever got into the map business. The background is sort of interesting [wikipedia.org], even.

Can Google do no wrong? What the fuck?

Other things that are missing

[The OPTiCIAN]

Of course, Australia is missing from the Microsoft maps as well but somehow that seems less notable than... a couple of acres on the west coast of the US?

Re:TerraServer Data

[koko775]

I don't understand this elitism or prejudice against features just because it's Microsoft. The zooming was a feature i'd like to see in Google Maps, since i don't have to reload the map every step of the way. And the mouse controls -- odd? How? They were nice touches to a typical user like me.

Bill's house seems to be there...

[WareW01f]

Of course MSN [msn.com] gets you a much better view than Google [google.com]. I mean come on, where do you think your boss would look first?

Still I'll admit that I Googled [google.com] for the address and got a hit without even having to drill down!