Sat-Nav for your PC (earth.google.com)

Member Name: blissman70

Product:	earth.google.com
Date:	30/12/08 (176 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great informative program

Disadvantages: none

I have been a fan of Google Earth' for quite some time, (having uploaded a few of my images onto the site itself). It is a small program which sits harmlessly on your PC until you decide to have a look around the world....

You can download Google earth from many sites, simple 'Google' the words and you will be directed to the appropriate site... or even go to the old faithful www.downlaods.com and get it from there... it's only 12.79 MB and takes no time at all to set up.

It runs on Windows 2000/ XP and Vista... Mac OS X, iPhone OS and Linux and comes in many languages from English to Spanish and even traditional Chinese.
Updates are always on offer and when you open the program it will inform you of any changes.

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* WHAT IS IT..?

Google Earth first came on the scene in 2003 under the name 'Earth Viewer' which was created by Keyhole Inc. Then in 2004 Keyhole Inc was taken over by Google and in 2006 the name 'Earth Viewer' was replaced by what we now know as 'Google Earth'.

It uses a combination of satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3d, (Geographic Information Science) to create a brilliant mapping system which lets people explore the many beauties of the world without moving from the comfort of there chairs.
It allows you to take an aerial view of anywhere around the world... although some areas are a little more obscure than others...

The program is free but there is a 'Google Earth pro', which is more for commercial use and cost around $400 per annum.

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* WHAT DOES IT OFFER..?

Well... it gives a brilliant birds eye view of the world via satellite shots... allowing the viewer to see any part of the globe with some excellent clarity, (although the closer you zoom in the blurrier some parts of the world become).

There are also many pictures which are in 'key' locations, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney Opera house in Sydney etc. etc....
There are also many pictures from the average viewer which can be uploaded from your PC, although you do have to open an account with www.panoramio.com (which takes no time at all and allows you to upload your pictures and position them on the Google Earth map for the world to see).

When you open the program you are presented with a picture of the globe, as if you are in space looking down...
The home page is quite pleasant to look at, with the globe taking up most of the page, and a search criteria on the left, which from here you can input a specific location or a general area, clicking the magnifying glass symbol, or even pressing enter, will send the Globe spinning and your chosen location will zoom in to site.

Also on the left side is where you keep 'your places'... these are the places that you have left a 'pin' or 'marker' in so you can return to that specific point with the click of a button.
Plus layers... which allows you to add or take away such things as roads, places of interest, borders and a lot more, this helps when pin pointing a specific place.

Along the top of the page, above the image of the globe, there are symbols which allow more additions to personalising your 'Google Earth'...
* A blue and white rectangle...which hides the information side bar on the left, pressing it again will bring it back.
* A yellow pin... allowing you to create your own personal choice of markers, pin pointing where you want so you can quickly return to that point, (these markers will appear in the left hand 'places' column.
* A ruler... allows you to draw a direct line between to points, useful for estimating the distance between the points.
* A sun.. which turns the globe image form night to day and vice-versa.
* A planet with a ring... gives you an image of outer space and the solar system.

Plus
* The options of printing or e-mailing certain images you may want to,

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* IN CONCLUSION...

What a fascinating little program this is....
It offers a brilliant look around the world with some fantastic looking images as you zoom into the ground below.

The entire program is so easy to use and takes only a matter of minutes to actually get the hang of it... so once downloaded you'll soon be 'flying' to all those exotic locations that you've always wanted to go... for no cost at all... taking in the area from above.

If you haven't got a specific place to look at you can simply browse around the world by 'dragging' around the globe, (achieved by holding down the left 'click' on your mouse and moving the mouse around... zooming in and out by using the mouse 'clicks'... it's so simple even I got the hang of it).

I usually use this if I'm wasting a few minutes at work, simply flying round the world, checking out the beautiful scenery that it has to offer or just for route finding as it gives you a brilliantly detailed view of where you are going and what you will be seeing on the way, the fantastic details are so easy to remember.


In all, it is one of them programs that downloads in an instance, sits harmlessly on your PC and once opened will stem you boredom levels no end as you shoot around the globe looking at places you've been, places you want to go or even places you daren't go...

One word... brilliant

If you've not already got this then why not... it is well worth having on your PC for those days at work that you just want to get away from it all.

Summary: forget planet Earth, let's all live on Google Earth