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Switching from MapQuest Driving Directions to Google Maps

By: Joshua Nestor

The younger you are, the easier it is to take technology for granted. Whether you are cynical or, like me, more easily entertained, I find mapping programs like Google Maps or Mapquest simply astounding. The people who have assembled these tools over the last 10 years are brilliant.

If you never tried this marvelous service, go to maps.google.com right now. It doesn't matter where you are going... the shortest most up to date driving instructions and maps are seconds away.

Google Maps has been my favorite for quite some time already. The know-how in the geo-mapping arena has improved remarkably yielding astounding maps of most of the planet and directions to just about anywhere in the world.

I will do a cursory review of these three services, which with any luck will save you some exploration time when you enter the websites.

I switched to Google Maps after using Map Quest for almost 10 years (more about Map Quest below). What spoiled my loyalty after all those years, was reading the instructions at Google Maps. You know, when all else fails read the instruction?

If Google keeps going like they have they'll rule the world in no time. Google has outstanding point-to-point mapping worldwide but their real glory comes in their satellite mapping.

To try and cover all of Google Maps in this review would fail, so let's look at the central features of the site and you can uncover the rest after you get there.

All of Google Maps is based on actual earth satellite imagery. You can quickly locate Physical maps, Political maps, Road maps and Topographic maps anywhere on the planet.

You can see people walking around Colosseum in Rome or read the home plate logo at Coors field in Denver. In most parts of the world, you can also generate point to point driving instructions.

Another exclusive feature of Google Maps is that it lets you to amend the route it has laid out for you, simply by dragging the route marking to another spot. We often know alternate routes, learned by experience that we want to use. The other services won't let you change the path... with Google Maps it's easy and immediate.

Rand McNally has been publishing maps and road atlases for a long time. Word has it that Fred Flintstone used their atlas. They still prefer the printed map or atlas and publish lots of them. Next time you stop at a gas station check by the register, it's a safe bet you'll find Rand McNally atlases for sale. Now, having said that, they have first-rate e-maps and directions. I find them very useful for comparing routes with Google or Map Quest as a double check kind of thing.

Map Quest has been around since the good old days of the internet... 1996... so by e-standards, it's very old if not antique. AOL bought it in 2000 and remains in charge.

I could not count how many times Mapquest has provided me with accurate road maps. They have exceptional US and European coverage but are definitely weaker on the rest of the world. If you use them in the States, they are quite specific and usually dependable. The map accuracy drops off somewhat in high growth cities, mapping always lags hyper growth .

MapQuest has a "Gas Prices" icon right on the top menu bar that will search for the best gas or diesel costs anywhere in the US. This is a real money saver and I check it before every fill up if I can.

Between the three of these sites, you should be able to find your way around anywhere on the planet.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Joshua Nestor is a writer for Fun and Safe Driving, website devoted to promotion of real world defensive driving techniques. Site features encyclopedia, forums, defensive driving videos, and map quest road maps .

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