Google Earth rocks!

Alright, alright. So Google Earth has been out for years. I've played with it here and there, but haven't seen it lately. I use Google Maps all the time, so I figured there was nothing special beyond that. I hate to admit that technology is quick to pass you by if you are indifferent to it.

Today I came home from work and was trying to explain to my roommate how to get to Best Buy from Blockbuster. I said, "Hey, wait a minute while I grab my computer." I quickly ran upstairs and brought it down to the living room. I easily found what I was looking for on Google Maps, and realized the directions weren't all that tough now that I was looking at a map. Ain't that always the way.

I started thinking, "Self, having maps without an internet connection would be a pretty cool thing." I have been meaning to see if there was a way to download Google Maps, but just haven't been in front of a computer or had an internet connection at the same time the thought hit my head. (Yes, sometimes thoughts actually hit my head like a hefty bag full of vegetable soup hits the pavement when dropped from a 3-story building. Yuck!)

Anyway, enter Google Earth. This nifty little 100MB program actually has all that Google Maps has to offer, roads an all. Plus there's some additional features like a 3-D view of the Grand Canyon. And once you download it you no longer need to connect to the internet to find out how to get places... as long as your laptop is charged and working.

Watch out world, I will no longer be lost and wondering how to get somewhere. That is unless I don't know where I am. Then finding directions takes on a whole new challenge. Marco...

UPDATE: So, my excitement is short-lived. You have to be connected to the internet to see the road maps, unless you view them before you logout. The cache fills up quickly, so as of now I'm still looking for an offline solution. Anyone?