Ok, there are enough "OMG Google Has Made My Life Complete and This is Perfect!" posts out there. I will take a different look at it as a non-fan boy that has not been drinking the Google Kool-Aid.
System..
First off, memory usage. 10 minutes of use and 560MB of my 2Gigs was being used solely by Google Earth. I had all the default Google Earth stuff on as well as the 3D buildings. Turning off 3D buildings and I was down to only 300MB. Since I have no use for 3D buildings, they will always stay off. Checking WorldWind and GISExplorer, they use less memory. WorldWind maxes out for me at 200Mb GISExplorer at 220MB.
CPU use is about the same.. with 3D buildings on, 50% of the DualCore CPU most the time. 3D buildings off, 48% is the average. The same for all the other Virtual Globes.
Now lets look at some of the stuff that people just can't stop talking about.
Navigational Widget...
I don't like it one bit. I had just gotten use to how it had been, now it is something almost completely different. I can figure stuff out fairly easily.. but to be honest.. I find the new controls to be almost haphazard. A simple zoom in, pan and rotate around something is no longer simple. I had a very hard time figuring out how to do basic tasks.
I just want to TILT the bloody view.. let me do that easily.
With use I would probably do better, but I would rather hook up and use my SpaceNavigator first. Or have an option to switch back to the other controls.
Imagery Dates..
A nice start, but really hit or miss. But just because how the globe is patchwork put together, you are going to have to put some serious time in to figuring out what exactly is "April 2005" when the copyright statement says three different data sources.
Day/Night Lighting..
Ok, again this is another nice first go at something. But it needs improvement. The sun rises and sun sets are unnatural looking. When you click the forward button you get only high speed, would be nicer if it was two or three different speeds, otherwise you are grabbing the slider and doing it manually.
In General..
Well, to wrap up what I think.. looking at all the new content layers.. Google Earth really is starting to remind me more and more of the AOL of the early 90's. Loaded with tons of crap you have to wade through to find the good stuff. But that IS what Google Earth is for, it is the AOL of the Geoweb. And this release is meant for them and I think it performs that task just great.
Ok, hope this isn't my second post. Received an invaild code error. Anyway.
I assume, when you talk about GISExplorer, you are talking about ArcGIS-Explorer?
KoS
Well, thought that would be a given.
Very fair review. The SpaceNavigator is a MUST.
Regarding the speed of the sun, you can adjust the speed of it by clicking the little clock icon just to the left of the slider. I agree that it's much too fast, so I've turned mine down to a much slower speed.
With ArcGIS Explorer memory usage limits are configurable.
I like the lightning, it looks almost the same as in WW. In GE sky color also affects terrain and buildings (they're red/orange/yellow during sunsets/sunrises), in WW you have to change light color manually (in a plugin). I didn't like edges between shadowed areas (see: pic) and lack of configuration (I want nightside to be completely black, without any ambient light...)
RAM usage was higher in GE, but only by 10 or 20MB (no buildings, just distant Earth view).
Control widget... mouse navigation is better/faster. And you can change the view without changing your position in GE, you can't do this in WW
[...] Non-Google Fanboy Look at Google Earth 4.3 Google Earth really is starting to remind me more and more of the AOL of the early 90’s. Loaded with tons of crap you have to wade through to find the good stuff. [...]
m_k: But you can do that in WWJava... need that moved into WorldWind.Net as well.
My two pennies to your post - compare sky images google and wikisky...
[...] Non-Google Fanboy Look at Google Earth 4.3 Google Earth really is starting to remind me more and more of the AOL of the early 90’s. Loaded with tons of crap you have to wade through to find the good stuff. [...]
Some hints..
>> "First off, memory usage."
Tools - Options - Cache - Memory Cache Size...
>> "Or have an option to switch back to the other controls."
Tools - Options - Navigation - uncheck "Automatically tilt while zooming"
>> "..some serious time in to figuring out what exactly is "April 2005".."
Copyright notice is for all tiles visible on screen, Date follows mouse cursor.
>> "looking at all the new content layers....tons of crap you have to wade through.."
Most of the recently added content is under the Global Awareness folder. Human rights, Unicef, WaterAid etc. are "crap" to you?
>> "First off, memory usage."
Tools - Options - Cache - Memory Cache Size...
>>> Cache != Memory Usage
That just limits the amount of local cache. I am up to 70GB of WorldWind cache.. should purge my cache and speed up WorldWind.
>> "Or have an option to switch back to the other controls."
Tools - Options - Navigation - uncheck "Automatically tilt while zooming"
>>> Thanks, can't right click and tilt at all now, even more useless
>> "..some serious time in to figuring out what exactly is "April 2005".."
Copyright notice is for all tiles visible on screen, Date follows mouse cursor.
>>> Ok, so.. what copyright goes with what date then?
And I also see something like this:
2008 DigitalGlobe, 2008 Tele Atlas, 2008 TerraMetrics and finally "Image of State of Arkansas" and you have an image date of April 20, 2007. WHAT is April 20, 2007?
Sorry, that just makes things messy and confusing and almost useless.
>> "looking at all the new content layers....tons of crap you have to wade through.."
Most of the recently added content is under the Global Awareness folder. Human rights, Unicef, WaterAid etc. are "crap" to you?
>>> Believe it or not, yes. I like to pick and choose what *I* want to see as I know better than Google.
This is why I will always relate Google (Earth) to AOL of the 90's.
[...] Non-Google Fanboy Look at Google Earth 4.3 - Earth is Square [...]
>>Cache != Memory Usage
Indeed, but as it happens the "memory" cache is stored in memory. If you don't want your Google Earth client to use 560MB of your 2Gigs then change the memory cache down from 500mb to 128 or similar..
>>Thanks, can't right click and tilt at all now, even more useless
Right-click was always zoom only. Tilt is middle click.
>>WHAT is April 20, 2007?
April 20, 2007 would still be exactly the tile your mouse is hovering over. If you want more info about the copyrights try Spot Image/DigitalGlobe under Layers-More.
>>I like to pick and choose what *I* want to see
..hence the little checkboxes next to each layer
Nice job, trust me to get sick when it is google bashing time
[...] seems, I was looking forward to bashing GE as usual, especially after reading Chad’s review Non-Google Fanboy Look at Google Earth 4.3, I was actually surprised though, I kind of like the new style and [...]
Um, no.. Right click, up to now, was tilting. Both buttons was zoom in and out. And I have no middle button on this notebook.
Control is still a sloppy mess, I only get the control I want using the Space Navigator.
"April 20, 2007 would still be exactly the tile your mouse is hovering over. If you want more info about the copyrights try Spot Image/DigitalGlobe under Layers-More."
Ok, you are skipping the point.. how does one know WHAT copyright is with the tile you are hovering over if you have three or four copyrights being shown?
Like I said, it is a nice, basic start. But "almost" useless. The problem goes back to GE's un-natural looking (never did like how the GE globe looked), patchwork quilt of a globe.
jijijiji you really had a bad time with AOL
You have some very good points, I think comparing GE to AOL is spot-on.
Overall, I really like Google-Earth and I'm looking forward to seeing what it evolves into.
The new ui in 4.3 is an abomination, and it's using far more RAM (much more than the cache option) and CPU cycles that previous verions. My system halts after only a short period of use.
And yes, the "patchwork quilt" globe looks terrible. That's the #1 reason I stick with WorldWind.