The Bottom Line

Google Maps is a worthy competitor to more established map sites such as MapQuest and Yahoo! Maps. What sets Google Maps apart is its interactive zoomable and movable maps, and its capability to display satellite imagery and hybrid maps in addition to traditional maps. You also get a great search function you can use to find local businesses, as well as some nifty functions you can access from your mobile phone. I used to use MapQuest, but I've switched all my map-based activities to Google Maps; it's that much better.

Google Maps also lets anybody (anybody with programming expertise, that is) access their map database to create a Google map "mashup"that is, a specialized application that adds new data to a standard Google map. There are tons of neat Google map mashups on the Web, which we'll examine in Chapter 19, "Using Google Map Mashups"; we'll also discuss how to make your own mashups in Chapter 41, "Creating Google Map Mashups." It's a cool technology, and one of the neatest things about Google Maps; read ahead to learn more.