News

Mac OS Version of Google Earth Released

January 11, 2006

The Mac OS version of Google Earth has now also been extended to the Apple Computer Inc. users. Google Earth is a flashy mapping application that has been an object of praise for the Windows PC users.

Google Earth, available as a free download, taps a multiterabyte database of aerial and satellite images to let users "fly" around the globe using a video-game type user interface. Users can also save and share searches, and add notes.

The application can also retrieve local business listings from Google Local for the U.S. , Canada and the U.K. It provides detailed road maps for these three countries as well as Western Europe , according to Google. Though most PCs run Windows, there are benefits beyond user numbers for Google in offering Google Earth for the Mac OS because being associated with Apple carries a certain prestige.

Google Earth Plus (US$20 per year) and Google Earth Pro ($400 per year), which are more sophisticated PC versions of the application, aren't yet available for the Mac OS, Google said.

There is also a server-based, multiuser version called Google Earth Enterprise.

Source: InfoWorld