Windows Live Local beta review

Windows Live Local beta is a fun and zippy mapping tool that lets you obtain real-world driving directions, find businesses, and play virtual tourist. In addition to the dynamic, drag-around satellite imagery first popularized by Google Maps, Microsoft's service enables you to mark locations with pushpins and share your customizations with other users. Windows Live Local beta also integrates with a host of other Windows Live products, as well as with the Outlook e-mail and calendar app, making this the best Web-based map for die-hard Microsoft fans. You can try this service by visiting local.live.com.

The split-screen layout of Windows Live Local beta features an array of tools on the left side and a map with drop-down menus of features on the right side. Keyboard shortcuts make navigation handy; for example, just press the plus or minus keys to zoom in or out, or right-click on a location to plot directions to or from that spot. You can close the left pane for a wider map view, and show road maps or satellite imagery or a mix of both. In our tests, we saw aerial images of urban areas that were sometimes close enough to distinguish specific models of cars on the road. And for 100 U.S. cities and some U.K. locations, Windows Live Local provides a unique, 45-degree-angle "bird's-eye" view that lets you circle landmarks from near the ground in any of the four directions. Satellite views of rural areas and other countries are a mixed bag.

To find a location, enter either business data or address data into the two text fields at the top of the page. The two fields posed a problem for us, as we sometimes typed a query into the wrong field; the single text box within Google Maps is more intuitive.

Like other beta mapping services, Windows Live Local's driving directions appeared to us to be a work in progress. Unlike Yahoo Maps beta, which opens new text fields if you need to go from point B to points C and beyond, there's no easy way in Windows Live Local beta to get directions for more than one final destination. Unfortunately, at this point, there's no easy way to send your directions to a smart phone, either. Still, we like the traffic details for 35 cities, which flag and describe jams and incidents and color-code estimated driving speeds near trouble spots.

Once you find a destination, Windows Live Local's business listings can connect you to nearby services in North America and the United Kingdom. For example, we found CNET's offices, then typed auto in the top text field, which let us narrow down our search to mechanics. Windows Live Local then instantly marked 10 car shops near work. The left-hand pane listed more options, as well as several unobtrusive text ads.

We're glad that Local beta doesn't force you to sign in with a Passport or Windows Live account, but you'll have to log in to save and share searches. Once you do that, Local displays the map of your area by default. It can also pinpoint your location without demanding that you sign in, either by identifying your IP address or through its Location Finder, a free download.