Well Google Maps is very basic. Its almost like google earth but no where as useful. You can choose to center on your GPS location then get a route to where you want to go. Trouble is the GPS locater doesn't move along the map as your driving.
Windows Live search is awesome. Here are some reasons.
You can program as many GPS start locations that you want. It takes about 30 seconds to find your location via gps so this is a nice feature. Say your not busy at work. Just do a gps locate then program this location as work. Then you can do your home location and any other location you visit. Its helpful because rather then wait you can just choose that location to do simple searchs.
Here are the search features based on location.
The main page features some quick links based on your current map location. Also you can check traffic in the area if your area has traffic monitoring. Quick link to Movie showtimes and Gas Prices in the general area your at.
Then if you go into categories you get the following options.
Activities
Health & Fitness
Hotels & Accommodations
Nightlife
Recent search
Restaurants
Shopping & Services
Top Search's
Transportation
Now say your looking for activities. Click that search and a complete sub list appears that looks like this.
Amusement
Billiard Parlors
Bingo
Bowling
etc
etc
So if you click say bowling it will bring up all bowling alleys in the area. Say you see the lanes you want to play at. You can click that and it will list there contact info with a quick link to phone them. That brings up your phone book and automatically dials them. Useful for setting game times up and reservations. Also if they have a website you can follow that.
Now say its a place you've never been to. You already have your default location so you just click map directions to this location. Bam you have a full satellite or basic road view to that location.
Click center on gps since you have your route. By the time you leave your place it should be centered on the location. Then you can zoom in within I'd say 500 feet and watch your arrow drive down the road. It also beeps about 100 feet prior to the turn then again once you reach the turn. After you finish the turn it beeps again confirming your still on route.
If you miss your turn it will ask if you'd like to re route via your current location.
Live search is just so much more complete than Google maps is. Try it out for yourself and you'll laugh that you ever thought Google maps was any good.
Here is a example of a satellite view on it. There is nothing highlighted in this picture and the gps isn't active so you won't see a red arrow since I'm at home currently. This is just a quick launch location for me. It will zoom in a bit closer but is slightly blurry. I find this the perfect height to watch when your driving down the road. Just realized I forgot to go full screen so its not as large as it should be.
