Google loves itself a mapping app. So much so that it has two: Google Maps and Google Earth. In addition to having overlapping features related to global satellite imagery with geographic information, they serve different purposes for different people. On the one hand, Google Maps is a user-friendly interactive map offering driving directions and information about businesses and landmarks, while Google Earth serves a different customer base with access to various tools and overlays that provide a more detailed overview of the planet.
Launched on February 8, 2005, Google Maps puts all kinds of new map tools at users’ fingertips. You could click, drag, and load and view new parts of the map without refreshing the entire page, and it was designed for detailed driving directions that evolved over the years to offer information like traffic information, tolls and speed cameras, transit directions, Street View, and even augmented reality navigation. Google Maps has evolved over the years by offering an assortment of route planning tools, making it the most popular travel app, but that all changed recently when it was dethroned by MapQuest for reasons you probably wouldn’t guess.
Who is Google Earth for?
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So what is Google Earth for? Google Earth was officially launched on June 28, 2005, but it was originally developed by a company called Keyhole in the 1990s and, unsurprisingly, later formed ties with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) before Google’s acquisition. Google Earth is a program rather than a website, allowing users to navigate the world in a 3D environment using a camera with multiple degrees of freedom, an accurate representation of the terrain, and even modeled buildings in some cities. Satellite imagery has been a vital part of promotional campaigns showcasing views of natural wonders and research sites, and it has even been used to help governments respond to large-scale destructive events, such as Hurricane Katrina.
Users can also create their own custom maps and model their own objects on world geography. Content creators have used these tools as a data-intensive storytelling medium – Jon Bois, executive producer of the sports-focused YouTube channel Secret Base, used Google Earth to weave narratives with newspaper clippings and statistical graphs to profile athletes, teams and, for some reason, banana peels.
Google Earth continues to develop exciting new entertainment features as well as professional tools, allowing designers and engineers to plot the sites of buildings, associated developments and solar panels. The company has also integrated its Gemini AI assistant into the program. It now offers Google Earth subscription plans with expanded site analysis, modeling, and Gemini prompts capability for enterprise users starting at $75 per user per month.
