Yahoo Maps Pwns Google Maps

5/14/2006 in Life by Elliot Lee | 5 comments

If you just use the regular Yahoo Maps, yes, it sucks. To quote that SNL Narnia rap video: “Google Maps is the best. True dat, Double True!”

That is.. until you use Yahoo Maps beta. They’ve got something really amazing cooking up there. As I told Michael Stalcup a few minutes ago.. I’m impressed.

Google Maps only allows you to enter 2 locations and find directions between them. Yahoo Maps shows you a route between 3 (or more!) locations, allowing you to plan out your whole trip.

Even better, it updated the URI (Uniform Resource Locator) without having to use a “Link to this page” thing like Google does, which is clumsy and unnecessary.

Further, the interface is created with Flash, which means helpful context menus that expand on hover (or mouse-over), plus smooth zoom, so you don’t have that unsettling break when you zoom in. Finally, it has “Live Traffic” so you can see traffic speeds, accidents, and construction sites, using data provided by Caltrans and CHP. Very cool.

Reminds me of my post from just over 2 months ago, when I said that Google Loses to Yahoo. I was referring to Search; but Google is now getting pwned in maps, too. Google was better for some time, but Yahoo is finally beginning to catch up. AdSense still rules, though. Hopefully my next post won’t be about how YPN is owning AdSense.. if that happens, Google is in serious trouble (even if the rest of the industry hasn’t noticed it yet).

  1. LokiSnake’s avatar

    LokiSnake on 5/14/2006 at 8:35 am

    Wow. Thanks for the tip on this. It really is better, in most ways. I some how like the Google interface better though, as it is more clean. But the features really do kick butt. And I guess it is in beta, so from now on, Yahoo is my maps and search of choice.

    But, I gotta admit that strangely, I still use Google for searches, simply because it is maybe simpler. Only when I’m not getting the results I need, I would go to Yahoo to redo my search, and then get the results I need. I guess this happens just because of habit.

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  2. Sumit Chachra’s avatar

    Sumit Chachra on 5/14/2006 at 7:49 pm

    Try using the “Find on Map” feature and see why Yahoo! local gets 4 times the traffic as Google local. Try stuff like kinkos, fedex, dennys etc. and be pleasantly surprised!! :-)

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  3. Sam’s avatar

    Sam on 5/15/2006 at 9:49 pm

    The new Yahoo! home page looks pretty snazzy too.

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  4. def’s avatar

    def on 6/2/2006 at 7:54 am

    Have you seen the Yahoo Mail Beta?

    Now that is well done!

    I think it’s brilliantly done with AJAX.
    Drag and drop, the works.

    Makes Gmail look almost primitive :)

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