Nice thingy but I

I just did a quick comparison between it and google.. for my area, the images MS uses are at least 5 years older than google's!!!!!!! no kidding. that parking deck has been ready since 2002, in MS the crane is still in the middle of it! joke.also google maps most of the world, MS does not. my money is on google with this one. all tbe way.

It is certainly in Microsoft's best interest to do this (run on Firefox, et al). What they want is everybody to use it. Therefore, it should be available everywhere. They won't be able to compete with Google if they don't. Of course, business model probably says it doesn't work --quite-- as good in other browsers compared to IE. But who knows?I recently read about the "threat" GE and VE are to military establishments and government secrets. And this got me to thinking about how these tools will be instrumental in bringing about world peace. No country will be able to totally control space, and as space launches get cheaper and cheaper, no single government will be able to keep any even corporations from launching their own satellites and selling real time data.The complications and possible scenarios are mind boggling.Very cool.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

Or, rather than waiting and waiting to purchase the "best" computer ever, lets enjoy the new features of FSX, give 'em a little money to support development, and let them work on FS11!Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

Well, some of the pix are at least three years old that I know of. But Google is just as out of date.Visit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/

But, yeah, you're right, that's what we all do. Except, also, that creativity and leadership has very little to do with hardware. The best creative add-on I ever saw was a tiny bit of programming called Active Camera. It multiplied my experience of sim-flight and didn't tax anything else.

Sorry, the hardware bit was only an analogy, I didn't have time to write it better. IOW, analogous to the person who keeps waiting for the price to drop, or for that latest bit of hardware to be released, rather than purchasing a faster rig which will improve his productivity earlier, let's work with what we've got here in FSX. I think it was a good decision to release something now. Better to put something out there and get feedback, than to continually ruminate but never produce anything. Many, many people who used FS9 in the past are happy they upgraded to FSX, and the buzz of release of FSX added many users to the rolls who "didn't know FS existed".We already know SP1 and SP2 are going to be released, so better that we all gave them some feedback on what they had and from what I can tell, have redirected some of ACES thinking along more efficient lines, which profits everybody.No, I don't mind being a beta tester, especially if it means I can have some input into the design process and profit from the result of everybody's input.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

Google shows my house from about 6 years ago and I live in a major USA city. So what's up with that?Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Development Team Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterHiFi Beta TeamRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/AirSource Member: http://www.air-source.us/FSEconomy Member:http://www.fseconomy.com/

Well,I can see that I haven't laid down sod in my backyard yet! :(Wow. This is great in that the resolution in my neck of the woods (Olympia, WA) is very good. Man, I can only imagine the possibilites. What do you think the odds are that something like this can be incorporated into FS11? From a time available (like today) to RTM basis? Would it be too much data for the ACES team to incorporate into the next release in the FS series given that they've probably begun work on FS11? Blake

There's been quite a bit of discussion on this subject by the ACES team if you check their blogs. Chances are, not FS11, mostly because of lack of seasons and shadowing and the processing it would take to fix this.But you never know, perhaps some enterprising person will come up with a solution that can be implemented within a year (I expect this is probably the lock down date on features for FS11).Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

However, I find very irritating to have a brand new sim which, as soon as released, appears to have missed the creative train and seems to be the last stop on the old line. Particularly when it is the only sim, and particularly when it has, or can easily have, the best resources and the best brains available on the planet.As it stands, and pending some hypothetical quantitative improvements, the very only outstanding progress with FSX, as far as I'm concerned, is the much more realistic airmass, which in itself is enough for me to buy it.The rest, as amply demonstrated by various threads is comparable to what FS9 can do and completely laughable when compared to what Buchner pottered in his little corner, with no funding and in 2 weeks.

Again, I suggest you read the blogs. ACES has already prototyped it, and did not feel it was worth pursuing at the current time.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

nt

MS seems much better for UK data. I've yet to find an area in the UK not mapped by MS.With Google, if you don't live in London or right next to an airport, seems you're out of luck.

I'm sure the competition will be a good thing for both products.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180