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Google Earth Pro is now free

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41–50 of 76 posts

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#41

Years ago before I started at my current job some people had Google Earth (free) on their PCs. But then someone read an updated Terms of Use and determined that we actually needed to be using the paid version of Google Earth so many people had their copies removed from their PCs. Then around the time I started someone read an updated Terms of Use and it was determined that there was no problem using the regular versi…

> (...) tried some other program. I know in my department we already installed alternative software for most people.

I've never heard of Google Earth alternatives. Any recommendations?

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#43

Good, but it's still missing the one key feature that I really need: offline satellite imagery. I guide off-road driving adventures in the western deserts for groups of friends every year. Trip planning is done primary in Google Maps and USGS topos but I occasionally find myself out in the desert and needing to scout a route for a last-minute change but with no way of doing it without Internet and satellite imagery.…

There's a whole ecosystem of software for building tile databases and viewing them on phones/tablets:

http://mobac.sourceforge.net/

There's also a bunch of "WMS Viewers" that you can point at National Map endpoints (which shouldn't have any licensing issues):

http://raster.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services

I've never had a use for them so I don't know if one works well and has nice caching features.

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#44
post #42
post #35

Can we get proper Linux support, please? The current Linux situation with Google Earth is a joke -- 3 years old, crashes, based on wine, no pro features.

Fortunately, the Windows version of Pro works perfectly in wine.

Great to know, thanks. Was there anything fancy needed to get it running or did it just run?

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#45
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar anecdote here. I live in the south east of England, just outside London. If I search for 'pizza restaurant' it shows me somewhere in the Phillipines. Searching for 'pharmacy' shows somewhere in LA.

Unfortunately I have to agree with both of you, even though my experience in finding the places is not that bad on GMaps But the "new GMaps quirks" are awful

The best I've seen out of New Maps was when they put Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street.

... in Queens. http://random.fennecfoxen.org/screenshots/gct.png

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#46
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, too bad Bing Maps search is a bad joke. Really You have to specify if it's a Address or a Place (if your initial search doesn't work, which is pretty much always)

Where I live (Stockholm) Google Maps has become completely useless at finding anything. It used to be the case that you could search for the name of a store chain (e.g. Systembolaget - the state alcohol stores) and it would show some of their stores on a map around you, nowadays it picks some random one (never close to where you are) and displays that instead. The same thing has started happening for lots of places t…

Exactly the same thing happens to me here in the midwest United States. If I search, for example, for "fast food", especially on my phone, it tends to shift the entire map to some random city, state, or town (and sometimes country). It seems to have a particular affinity for the state of Alabama and also the western coast of Nigeria.

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#49
post #46
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where I live (Stockholm) Google Maps has become completely useless at finding anything. It used to be the case that you could search for the name of a store chain (e.g. Systembolaget - the state alcohol stores) and it would show some of their stores on a map around you, nowadays it picks some random one (never close to where you are) and displays that instead. The same thing has started happening for lots of places t…

Exactly the same thing happens to me here in the midwest United States. If I search, for example, for "fast food", especially on my phone, it tends to shift the entire map to some random city, state, or town (and sometimes country). It seems to have a particular affinity for the state of Alabama and also the western coast of Nigeria.

> If I search, for example, for "fast food", especially on my phone, it tends to shift the entire map to some random city, state, or town

I thought I was the only one. I've found Nokia's HERE Maps to be better overall than Google Maps when I just want to find a place to eat or shop or visit. For navigation, they are about equal in my experience, i.e. if you absolutely know your destination address, Google Maps is as good as, or better than, Nokia's maps at getting you there.

Re: Google Earth Pro is now free

#50
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, too bad Bing Maps search is a bad joke. Really You have to specify if it's a Address or a Place (if your initial search doesn't work, which is pretty much always)

Where I live (Stockholm) Google Maps has become completely useless at finding anything. It used to be the case that you could search for the name of a store chain (e.g. Systembolaget - the state alcohol stores) and it would show some of their stores on a map around you, nowadays it picks some random one (never close to where you are) and displays that instead. The same thing has started happening for lots of places t…

Searching for Systembolaget in Stockholm still works for me:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/Systembolaget/@59.326755,...

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