Filed under: Internet, Web services, AOL, Beta, web 2.0
AOL launches new and improved MapQuest Beta
The first thing you'll notice in the new MapQuest beta is that the company has finally added a map to the front page. You no longer have to enter your data and click to a secondary screen. The map will automatically show information based on your preferences or your physical location.
You can do all the things you'd expect with the map, like search for addresses or business, zoom in and out, or view arial images. You can also click on a weather link to overlay weather information, or click a gas link to pull up gas price information for various locations. There's also a traffic button that shows live traffic conditions for more than 85 cities.
Some of these features have been available for months. For example, MapQuest introduced live traffic information back in March. But AOL is really pushing the redesign now, by providing a link to the beta at the top of the main MapQuest page. The plan is to promote the beta for a few months before flipping the switch and killing the older version of the site.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
robotrock said 11:57AM on 8-26-2008
You say "catching up" and you probably mean feature-wise, but Mapquest is still the #1 mapping site.
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robotrock said 12:41PM on 8-26-2008
*in terms of traffic and users
Rizzle said 12:09PM on 8-26-2008
One thing that keeps me coming back to Mapquest is the fact that you can automatically "avoid toll roads", which Google Maps doesn't let you do (you have to manually drag your travel path to re-route).
Living near toll roads, getting directions on your iPhone means always getting the toll-roads, so I wish gMaps would just add that damn feature already!
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Rob said 12:23PM on 8-26-2008
No, no, no, no, no...
This will not do at all.
I will concede that Mapquest probably has already gained name recognition status like Kleenex and Xerox, but their site is incredibly non-user friendly. Both the Beta and the original are painful to use. Heck Mapquest doesn't even have some of the buisnesses that I searched for. Google Maps finds them in the first shot. Secondly, if GM ever routes me with a direction I don't want to take, I can just drag the route at my discretion to edit it. MQ doesn't.
I'm sorry,.. but for these reasons and more, Google Maps is still hands down the winner for best online mapping program.
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JohnnyQ said 4:33PM on 8-26-2008
"Incredibly non-user friendly"?
Then just think of how friendly it is to users!
martin said 7:09AM on 8-27-2008
horrid, and dumb. It guesses right that I am in the UK and displays a map where my ISP is located (300 miles away) but in the seach box it assumes that I still in the USA and won't accept a UK postcode only a US Zip. If I click the link asking for a map outside of the US and Canada (yes we do exist) it then will only accept a UK postcode if i enter it as ??? ??? not ??????.
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