MSN Search has released its Local and Maps product, designed to compete with Google Local and Maps, and I for one am not impressed.
Since the product is clearly designed to take on Google, I will review it, not on its own merits, but on Google’s:
The dragging interface for the maps is just not as smooth as Google, and the satellite photos are dark and dingy, a far cry from Keyhole’s crisp, bright and detailed photos. In addition, the map does not scale to the size of the page, so you can’t view them in larger sizes. There are no keyboard shortcuts. There are no overlays on the map with information, just dinky pushpins which force you to look back and forth.
On its own merits, its a good product. Its local search results seem superior to Google’s, and not just that, they seem actually good (I’ve never been impressed with Google’s local results). It has residential listings, something Google does not. It loads quickly, although not as fast as Google.
It lets you drag the map around, a relatively new convention, although Google’s does it better. In Google, when you drag around the map, it just adds in the new areas. Here, it redraws the whole map, which is unnecessary and time-consuming.
Its a good start, but it doesn’t measure up. Since Google Maps is very new, Microsoft can’t even make the excuse that it hasn’t had enough time. Hopefully, MSN will work to improve this product quickly. It is beta, but Google Maps left beta real fast.
Oh, and do something about the satellite maps. They stink!
Links: Local and Maps
Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.
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