We’ll be heading to Kemaman, Terengganu Malaysia for some working purpose tomorrow. I’m keen to know how accurate Google Map & Live Search Map are with their maps and directions in guiding us in our journey.

If you’re staying in the North America, Australia or Europe or even KL, you’re already pretty much know the accuracy of these maps over there, so let’s give it a ride over a small district in Peninsular Malaysia.

Google Map

Once we set where we’re from and where we’re heading to, Google Map renders the map immediately together with its direction. Although the map shows only main cities, but it generally gives you an idea on where your destination is.

There are 3 views that you can choose from, which are map (below), satellite and terrain view. You’ll stick with map view most of the time as the other view is not helping you much if you’re traveling, although it is nice to see the same location from a different view.

I love the function of ‘embedding’ the map to any HTML web page, which Live Search Map is lacking of.

View Larger Map

Direction

The direction is pretty clear (you can see it below), as if it was Malaysian Map created by local mapping department. Clicking on each point, will show a more detailed map (screen shot below the direction), complete with the junction, road name and housing estate around you.

Besides, it lists out the distance from one point to another in Kilometers.

Detailed map representing each direction points

Summary – The map & direction is clearly presented. Even if you have no idea about the location where you’re heading to, you can count on Google Map for guidance.

Live Search Map

Again, it doesn’t take long to pull the Map once we set the ‘from‘ and ‘to‘ location. Unlike Google Map, Live search Map rendered a more detailed map as compared to Google Map.

As I’ve stated earlier, since I can’t embed Live Search Map on web page, here is the link

Direction

I’m quite disappointed with the direction. If I were a tourist, I’ll be totally lost even from the beginning. Even someone who are familiar with that location, will take time to digest the map and its direction.

First, it didn’t mention where you are at, and where you are currently at. Secondly, clicking on each points will show meaningless ‘detailed map’ without telling the road name you are in, the housing estate or landmark around you. What would you expect from this kind of map and direction??

Unlike Google Map, it lists out the distance from one point to another point in minutes instead of the distance itself which is more accurate.

But one thing that I like is that, when you hover your mouse over the direction section, and start scrolling the middle mouse button upward and backward, the points will move accordingly on the map. Why is it that Microsoft didn’t put more map details representing each points along with more accurate directions??

Detailed map representing each points

Summary: The first glimpse looks promising. But the lack of details on directions and the detailed map representing each points will easily keep users away from using this map. When someone like me looking for directions on any maps, we want simplicity and at the same time ease to understand the map, hence correctly finding the way to the destination.

But anyway, we’ll still bring along printed map and got a brief advice from my father in-law, who happens to be from Kemaman as well.