Google Earth: Your old GPS sucks now

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius\";p=\"102931)</div>

My wife hates you. This capability may very well be what triggers my update to something more powerful than my 5-year-old Micron with PentiumII and 450 something-or-other. Thanks for the tip, though.

 

Interesting but not really useable for routing in a car. Even if you had a connection with a network it would not be as useable as GPSr maps. I typed in several obscure locations and it could not find them. I typed in the same ones into Delorme SA 2004 and it found them. In two cases, Google found the wrong location which Delorme identified properly. In some cases, Google seemed very business oriented in that it sent me to businesses that identified themselves with the location, but were 30 miles away. One location was labeled on the Google Sat, but it still could not find it. To find locations accurately, I had to type in GPS coord. from Delorme first. It does find common places ok, but your not always going to easy to find locations.

 

i think it might be nice for a 2nd option for locating stuff, but since i cant dl it either.... we will just have to see about that

 

Google Earth is a great tool. I saved the install package. Try this link http://home.comcast.net/~dondnh/ , right-click and select Save As to your local computer. It's about 10.3MB.

 

I had been using Keyhole for the past year and when Google incorporated Keyhole into Google Earth(free) the much improved satellite programme "Google Earth Plus" was created and provided free to previous Keyhole subscribers.( It's only $20 US to upgrade)
The Earth Plus version is basically the same as the Earth version but has GPS integration included. It's a fun thing to use and although the Canadian area satellite pictures are not nearly as good as the US and some other parts of the world the whole thing is remarkable in the vast amount of information which can be manipulated and viewed. I find the earthquake reporting fascinating and extremely timely.
I'll be interested in the experiences anyone has in actually using it in conjunction with a GPS unit.
Gary

 

Google Earth is very impressive. It is the closest you will come to "flying" over your neighbourhood. You see your house, car, everything just as though you were flying in an ultralight at 400 feet. Warning: its addictive.

 

Jared, funny you should say that because last nite I flew a Cessna 182RG in Microsoft Flightsimulator 2004 in the vicinity of Canon City Colorado and compared the simulator scenery on my main display with Google Earth Plus satellite view on a second display. All the highways,rivers, airports and mountains coincided and were extremely realistic. The only advantage the simulator provided was real weather up dated every 15 minutes.

 

Well, I would rather use a simulator than actually fly an ultralight, considering what happened to John Walton. I like the way Google Earth not only gives you an ariel photo, but actually lets you tilt the image and smoothly float along. It even tells you the exact elevation of any point. I notice you are on Vancouver Island. I lived in Victoria in the 1980's and my father and brother are there. Beautiful place if you don't need a job!

 

Jared...re: no jobs around here....you got that right. Just proves that we get the government we deserve by how we voted.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius\";p=\"103008)</div>

It's Google -- they'll work out the problems.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Canuck\";p=\"103112)</div>

What kind of GPS integration does it have? I use Quakemap which allows me to plot a track from my GPSr at home or to take the maps (sats) on the road and use with NMEA for current positioning. I would love to see the Google version add on the GPS abilities and portability of Quakemap. Quakemap is good, but the sat images with 3D flyby of Google is way better.

 

It says " plug in your GPS device " I somehow don't think my Garmin Street Pilot can be used that way but your's might. I don't know about Quakemap but I can certainly see how Google Earth has great potential if you can plug your GPS into a lap top with Google Earth Plus installed.

 

Nate,

Thanks for the heads up on this. I installed it on my son's computer and he is thrilled. Can't get him off the computer!

 

This is the first program in which having a 10Mbps Fiberoptic internet connection REALLY makes a difference! (Besides up/downloading large files). Last night, with Google Earth, I stood on top of Mount Dana (far eastern border of Yosemite) and looked down on Mono Lake. Very realistic looking !!!! . . . especially when you consider I was dog tired, had a headache, was hot, and suffering from altitude sickness when I was there in real life. ukeright:

Try this tweak on Google Earth for better performance if you have a somewhat robust system. I think Google made the default for wimpy machines.
Tools > Options > Memory Cache Size . . .
Increase cache to 128 or more, depending on you system’s ability to handle it.

 

It appears that Google Earth will not work with GPS data until you pay for the subscription version. Reading the help it discusses downloads from Magellan and Garmin. It accepts downloads of tracks, routes and waypoints. This means it will work for archival purposes for looking at where your were but not where your at. It does not discuss NMEA data which is needed for live tracking using a GPS. So it will not be making your GPSr obsolete in the near future.

To be live in your car it will have to have downloadable sat's which Quakemap will do or you would have to have an always on internet connection. The program would also have to communicate with a GPSr using NMEA which Quakemap will do. What Quakemap does not do however, is present the same data used by Google Earth in as great a display.

 

the internet connect would be easy... but need an apple version... oh well

 

finally got to download it. apparently they were discriminating against dialup connects. but hooked up my broadband from verizon wireless from the Mac and downloaded it first try.

i must admit that this program is addicting and by far the easiest to use that ive ever seen.

i have already e-mailed dozens of satellite pics of nearly everyone i know...hehehe

 

Interesting system but....like some of us here (I'm sure)...It's not compatible for Apple (yet).