There have been a number of times that I’ve doubted a mapping service’s wisdom – perhaps I think it’s better to use Leader, instead of Virginia, Avenue. Another scenario involves me finding my final destination, but then deciding to park a block or two away. A new drag-and-drop feature in Google Maps has the flexibility to handle both these situations.
Users can input start and end addresses just like before (or use this sample set provided by Google). But after the software spits out driving directions, that’s where the fun begins – simply click on the blue line and drag it to wherever you’d like your route to go.
You can also click and drag the green, yellow, and red markers, should you decide to edit your start and end points, or any of the stops along the way. All the while (even mid-drag), Google Maps keeps you informed of how long your route is in both miles and minutes.
I like these new features – a lot. And on Ogle Earth, Stefan Geens writes, “I have no idea how the algorithm for finding routes does its work so fast, or how address labels get to be displayed on the fly as you drag a destination around, but this bit of AJAX programming is simultaneously technically stunning, useful, and easy to use.”
Other mapping services may still be worth using – perhaps they can find a better route than either you or Google know of – but Google Maps has won my allegiance with this latest set of upgrades.
