Two readers recently emailed The Register to tell them that MSN’s Virtual Earth promotes a world free of the menace of Apple Computer.
John Oates reports for The Register. “If you’ve got time on your hands – stand up Jens and Stefan – have a look at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters from Google and MSN’s rival map sites. Both sites offer aerial photos alongside maps.
See the difference? Google shows the Apple Cupertino HQ – a lovely, shiny building probably full of iPods. MSN on the other hand shows an apparently empty field. Not as much as a black turtle-necked jumper remains of Apple’s headquarters.”
Oates also reports, “Even more disturbing MSN’s Virtual Earth still shows the twin towers of the World Trade Center in all their pre-9/11 glory.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: First they want to change “podcasting” into “blogcasting,” now they want to redraw the map of California?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Microsoft employees squeamish about ‘podcast’ term, try using ‘blogcast’ instead – July 11, 2005
what do you expect from a software company soooo behind the times? Recent satellite images?
This just goes to show that Microsoft is a company which will go to great lengths to dupe society by either omitting pertinant information, or by keeping outdated infromation and labelling it as current.
The article is the perfect analogy of MSs business practices. the only sad thing is, that here in Europe, and in other perts of the world MS still has a good image and is milking this for all its worth.
Just consider that almost all of Bill Gates’s special invitation guest speaker venues – where his input was actually quoted – has been outside of the USA. Interesting isn’t it?
so Apple doesn’t exist.. oh shit.. does that mean we’re still using DOS in 2005?
DOH!!!
That’s fine, they be the ones wiped from the map soon enough.
Actually, that’s pretty funny.
It is funny, but it’s a tad sinister, too. They creep me out because it’s hard to tell what they’re up to. I do not feel like that company has my best interests at heart, but rather that they will use me as needed. Or better yet, manipulate me whenever they get the op[portunity. Yuck. (insert cold chill up spine here)
Just checked out the MSN World Trade location and apparently, someone has read these messages and blacked out the buildings in the satellite map. You can still even see a corner which didn’t get completely covered! Amazing.
doesn’t gates own rights to umpteen photos?
how many have been deleted/altered?
the clock is striking 13 and 2+2=5
Eric Blair is spinning in his grave.
Isn’t that exactly what an ostrich does?
Any company that puts out virtual earth maps in 2005 with the World Trade Center still standing is too pathetic to be afraid of!
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OK, they’re not totally harmless, but their days are clearly numbered.
Laughed my f**k*ng a** off!! (Pardon the French.)
Pictures from France’s Google Satellite Maps are 2 1/2 years old.
i’d just scratch this one up as incompetant instead of evil. microsoft using extemely outdated maps? big surprise.
To be fair the google images aren’t all that up to date, they still show the old wembley stadium, which if memory serves was knocked down in early 2003. Not quite as out of date or such an important error as the WTC but who knows how old some of the images are. Microsoft still suck though.
Yah, my 12-year-old neighborhood shows up as an empty field, too. Very useful information, MS!
The images are just old. Before the headquarters were built. How many years ago was that?
I am not surprised. I used to use mapblast.com for driving directions. Since MS bought it and replaced their engine with MapPoint, I cannot find anything I used to find with the old engine.
MS… pure hype, no substance.
wierd my four year old neighborhood shows up but the map version doesn’t. It looks like different parts were taken at different times
as of 1200 Eastern time today, the WTC twin towers are still standing according to MSN Visual Earth
Also the interface bites. Can’t scroll with arrow or page keys, only click and drag. No obvious way to switch from map to image to hybrid. What I find interesting is the the map data for Yahoo maps, Google Mapss and MSN are all from Navteq. Amazing how same info can be presented in different ways.Yahoo maps has to redraw whole map when you click an arrow to scroll around. What a clunky way to do it
Anyone zoom all the way in on moon.google.com?
MW=new as in Microshaft needs new photos
I can’t wait for their version of the Stepford Wives
macaholic:
“Cheese Gromit, let’s go someplace where there’s cheese.”
Just as well no one uses MSN’s virtual earth!
Just shows that MS can’t even get a bloody map right – let alone an OS.
This is a typical senario from MS – lets re-configure that map of the world.
Jesus – Bill Gates has obviously read ‘1984’ – by George Orwell!
<<so Apple doesn’t exist.. oh shit.. does that mean we’re still using DOS in 2005?
DOH!!!>>
Had it not been for Apple, we’d all still be using MS-DOS or Pro-DOS. Gates should be kissing Apple’s *ss, instead of trying to kill it.
Bill’s Reality Distortion Field at work:
“Apple? There is no Apple, there never has been an Apple! It’s all been me. I’m the innovator, I’m the GUI guru, It’s me, me, ME! Ha! hahahaha!”
MW= self
As in: Bill’s art of self deception.
Guys you don’t understand Microsoft’s logic. They’ll get it right in the next service pack…or is it the one after the next…or nextttttttttttttt
Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field is more powerful than we thought. There never was an Apple, or Mac. No wonder people think I’m crazy for using a Mac. It’s an IMAGINARY COMPUTER!!
My wife says I’m throwing my money out the window. AM I?? AM I?? I must be. Holy crap. I’ve got to think about this.