Downside: Unfortunately, Google Earth's high detail seems to be mainly centered on the United States; satellite imagery outside of the country is irregular. One example is in Melbourne, Australia, where half of downtown is crisp, and the other half is a blur. The free version lacks drawing tools and GPS data import; the Plus version adds these for $20. Also, Google Earth is only for Windows 2000 and XP.
Outlook: Google Earth is extremely flexible, even allowing users to create their own layers. As we saw with Google Maps, users were able to hack in features such as crime statistics and housing prices, and with Google Earth's more powerful engine, it's expected that additional creative features will be unleashed. Already, users have figured out how to create their own buildings, show real-time bus tracking, or even display the closest Flickr photos to their location.
What You'll Pay
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