Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' note: The 756K downloadable file is a stub installer from Google that requires you to stay online during installation and download the full Google Earth program via the Google Updater.
CNET Editors' review
The latest version of Google Earth continues to set the mapping paradigm. Accessible enough for casual users, Google has added features that make it a necessity for those whose topographic desires are more serious. Although Google Ocean is the big newsmaker in version 5, you can also check out the surface of our nearest neighbor, Mars, as well as incorporating historical Earth maps.
If you'll forgive the pun, the oceanic maps are pretty cool. They provide the capability to plunge to the floor of the sea, view exclusive content from the BBC and National Geographic, and explore shipwrecks like the Titanic in 3D. Exploring the Martian surface is limited to data provided from NASA, but that's not much of a limitation considering that it's unlikely that most of us will ever get to visit the Red Planet. Switching between Google Earth, Sky, and Mars can be done from the menubar or from the planet icon on the toolbar.
Most of the interface's real estate displays a rendering of the globe, which can zoom in on a satellite image of your destination once you've keyed it in. Controls live on a top toolbar and a left-side navigation window that lets you quickly jump between different views and locations. Google's Street View, real-time illumination of the Earth, roads, restaurants, and even crime statistics can be displayed. Smooth integration with Google's 3D rendering program SketchUp means that you can design buildings and see how they'd interact with their surroundings on the fly.
The only downside to the program is that it can consume a large amount of RAM, so older machines might experience performance issues, but even that can now be configured through the Options menu. Everyone else is bound to love Google Earth, both as an entertaining novelty and an informational tool.
Google Earth - View satellite pictures, maps, terrain, buildings and other global imagery - Download Video Previews:Publisher's Description
From Google:
Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop. View exotic locales like Maui and Paris, as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, and schools. Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps, and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. With Google Earth you can fly from space to your neighborhood--just type in an address and zoom right in, search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions, tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings, save and share your searches and favorites and even add your own annotations.
What's new in this version: Version 7.0.3.8542 fixed various issues with balloons no longer flicker while playing tours, SSL certificate revocation errors appropriately, appearance of image and polygon overlays for users running some families of Radeon GPUs, and included stability improvements for users running Earth for extended periods of time.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 1,779 votes
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Current version:
2.5 starsout of 15 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Version 7.0 is Horrible!!!"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
None: Completely unusable as a route map. Can't transfer information from Google Maps online.
Cons
7.0 runs with the globe missing (transparent with yellow lines). After trying many suggestions to fix it, I downgraded back to 6.2,
You, also, cannot alter the route such as Google Maps -AND- you cannot transfer any information back and forth between the two. All I wanted to do was plot a trip and it was impossible!! Google's extraordinarily lame answer was to plot each section of the trip separately. If I wanted to plot it all by hand, I'd by a real paper map and a highlighter.Summary
v7.0 terrible.
v6.2 barely usable as long as you don't need to do anything crazy like include side trips. -
"Does not work with Fedora 17"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
Well, it is Google Earth.
Cons
Does not work with Fedora 17 by default.
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"would not install"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
none, never worked
Cons
had previous version which worked great, so I thought a newer version would be even better, it downloads, but either doesn't install correctly or completely, I have uninstalled and re-download several times and tried googles tests and fixes
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"would not install after download"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
none observed
Cons
would not install
Summary
could not get it to install
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"works very good for what I neat"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
it does all that.I neat for maps and finding address
Cons
so far I have not found any
Summary
very good softwhar
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"everytime I go to use it ,it crashes"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
used to work fine until I downloaded the updated version, stil works fine sometimes
Cons
Helps me to find places and view places I'm looking for but then it will crash and become useless
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"After downloading would not open properly."
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
see 2 above!
Cons
See 2 above!
Summary
Will attempt another download. Worked fine before new download.
Unable to make it work properly with XP SP3 after downloading latest version.
Updated on Mar 19, 2013 -
"Superb pictures"
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
It's easy to navigate down streets and locate the place I have to go.
Cons
The "zoom" could be a bit sharper, so we can pick up address numbers.
Summary
Far superior than Mapquest for locating and looking at places. Armchair travellers should have a ball with this.
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"The best of a well liked series."
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
Ease of use, great street level control.
Cons
Some hold ups in speed of reload.
Summary
Another excellent program development from Google.
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"It would be nice if it worked with XP."
Version: Google Earth 7.0.3.8542
Pros
Works with Vista.
Cons
Doesn't work with XP.
Summary
See above.
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