So, if you didn’t notice, MSN unveiled Virtual Earth [ http://virtualearth.msn.com/ ], yet another step behind Google Maps-which has been all the rage for a while now-(it’s only a matter of time before they copycat again with some virtual earth globe thingy which emulates Google Earth) and Microsoft has made their first blunder…or offensive stab. Look up the address for Apple Headquarters, better known as 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, and on Google Earth you get this [ http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.332307,-122.030103&spn=0.005924,0.010131&t=k&hl=en ] and on MSN Virtual Earth you get this [ http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?ss=apple&cp=37.333411|-122.029708&style=h&lvl=17&v=1 ].
Aside from the quality of the two images being vastly different, and in my opinion Google’s being far superior(when’s that satellite footage from, Microsoft? 1972?), there’s one thing missing from the MSN Virtual Earth image. Apple Headquarters is missing. Yup, completely gone, not there, poof, kaput. But-we know it’s there, so where is it? Who knows, I’m waiting to hear what the PR folks at Microsoft manage to cook up to cover their butts this time, but whatever it is it’ll probably be a doozy.
The Guardian broke the hilarity-I mean the story, so check out their take:
[ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/25/msn_earth_deletes_aple/ ]