In addition to the ever powerful
presence of MapQuest in the online map application
world, other major companies have also developed their
own online maps. Among these are the two powerhouses
Google and Yahoo. However, Microsoft has also developed
it’s own map tool. MSN’s MapPoint is an
interesting offering that might not be the most unique
but still gets the job done.
The main note about MapPoint that
both contribute and take away from it is its tie to
other Microsoft applications such as CarPoint, a site
about traffic conditions. While indeed these are useful,
the obvious tie-ins and blatant advertising that results
can be a bit annoying at times. But then again, this is
Microsoft.
The map application itself of
MapPoint works very similarly to MapQuest and offers all
of the same basic features, although arguably a little
more colorfully. One can look up a map by itself, find a
route between two or more points, find landmarks or
other places of interest, or go more in depth and
calculate precise travel distances and travel times.
The interesting feature of MapPoint
is the phone direction service. By simply dialing a
number offered in the application, the user can mention
the current point and the destination and the automated
service will read back to the user basically the same
information as what the online application would give.
This is good for saving time or for when the internet is
down.
Although it isn’t necessarily
unique, MapPoint is still a solid offering and offers
the same basic features at very good loading speeds and
is a good recommendation.
