Pros and Cons of Microsoft’s Bing Maps

Microsoft’s Bing mapping system uses card formats to quickly display information.

Microsoft has recently decided to give some of its mapping systems to Uber, but the developing company is still keen on delivering high-quality services. Here are some of the pros and cons of Microsoft’s Bing maps, which we were able to spot from the recent mapping preview that Microsoft offered.

Bing Mapping has a strong competitor out there, namely Google Maps. Yet, the developing company is still willing to enter the competition promising unique features. According to the preview that Microsoft offered for its mapping tool, Bing’s Maps service has been revamped to offer better services.

Unlike Google Maps, which puts the emphasis on routes and trajectories, Bing is keener on delivering users the information they need to carefully plan their trips. Bing has been, for this purpose, provided with the “Along the Route” tool, which allows drivers to upload data about possible gas stations, restaurants and shops they meet on their way.

Moreover, the mapping program displays the information using card formats. Thanks to this feature it is easier to skim through routes and to select various destinations. The points of interest are displayed on the same page, which renders the whole operation a lot easier.

Microsoft’s Bing mapping system is much more than a route planner, it is a drivers’ consultant. The program memorizes the routes and travelling hours, so it can later on, advise users when to start their journey.

The update is meant to offer support to touchscreen-based devices. Unfortunately, the program will be first made available on PCs, a decision which triggered much discontent among customers, who, most of the times, rely on their smartphones to access online data.

Customers, who may use Bing’s mapping system to get additional data related to working hours and conditions, may be somewhat disappointed as the program does not display these pieces of information.

While on the road of becoming a modernized mapping program, Bing has still many more changes to make. Its StreetSide project has been labeled as a mere copy of Google’s Street View mode. The only noticeable difference, however, is the fact that Bing splits the screen to display the street-side view on top and the map at the bottom of the page.

Even so, the user-friendly interface of the program and the customer-oriented support render the mapping system more accessible than Google’s Maps. The latter puts the emphasis on strict route planning, whereas Bing focuses on the data users might need to carry out their journeys.

Image source: screenshots.en.sftcdn.net

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Matthew Slotkin

Matthew Slotkin has graduated from Rice University with a degree in History and English. He worked as an assistant professor before joining The Mirror Daily as a full time writer.