Google Maps .V. Microsoft Virtual Earth

As an orienteer I have always been facinated by maps and when alerted by the BBC's Click Online program to Microsoft's new proposals and worries about invasion of privacy I thought I would do a comparison of the two maps.

So I went to each in turn and had a good look at my house ... we reckon one set of aerial photos is about 4 years out of date and the other is probably 5 years out ... but it will get better won't it ?

Having said this the power of the search and zoom on both is fantastic ... what learning tools our children have available for visualising thrie physical world