MapQuest [ http://mapquest.com/ ], Google Maps [ http://maps.google.com/ ], Yahoo Maps [ http://maps.yahoo.com/ ], Windows Live Local [ http://local.live.com/ ], and Ask Maps. [ http://maps.ask.com/ ] There are a ton of different mapping services that promise to get you from point A to point B with the least amount of hassle and give you all the turns and merges you need to get from home to grandma’s house, or from the office to that new restaurant, or to your friend’s party on the weekend; but as anyone will tell you, the big players in the game are anything but perfect. Directions will tell you to go the wrong way down one-way streets, completely neglect to update themselves when bridges are out or when some roads simply don’t exist anymore, and horror stories from these services abound.
Well, TechCrunch has taken them all to task and reviewed them one by one on topics like views, features and user interface, API (that is, the interface for programmers and other plug-ins and applications), and more. As cool as it is though, one thing they did kind of leave out was accuracy; I’m not sure whether it’s because most mapping services essentially use the same data and they’re more or less the same, or whether that’s just not their area of expertise. Either way, they provide a pretty comprehensive review, and while I personally love love love Google Maps, I can’t say they feel the same. Read and enjoy!