Around the World with Google Earth
By: Armando Ricardo J. Aguado

Many people have dreams of going on a trip around the world. Such an experience would certainly be quite fulfilling; meeting different people, understanding various cultures, it is indeed a pleasant fantasy. But let’s face it, not everyone can afford to go on such a trip. Luckily, in the computer age we live in, seeing the world just isn’t that expensive anymore, especially with Google Earth.

Google What?

Google Earth (GE) is a free-of-charge, downloadable virtual globe program. It maps the earth by collating and superimposing images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and a Geographic Information System (GIS) over a 3D globe. The Japanese Imperial Palace, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris are just a few examples of the many sightseeing landmarks you can view in high-resolution imagery over GE.

Then and Now

Formerly known as Earth Viewer, Google Earth was developed by Keyhole, Inc., a software company Google acquired in 2004. The product was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and is currently available for use on personal computers running Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP, Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above, Linux, and FreeBSD.

Presently, there are four versions of GE, namely Google Earth Free, Google Earth Plus, Google Earth Pro and Google Earth Enterprise Solutions. Exempting GE Free, the rest are paid versions which give users more functionality and power, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) support and access to voluminous high-end imagery. The latest release of GE Free is its beta version 4, available for download at their website.

The Power of GE
GE’s global imagery mapping software is a marvel in its own. Many large cities are available in a resolution high enough to see individual buildings, houses, and vehicles. In large cities such as Washington DC, Seattle and London, even individual people can be easily seen. In a test-run of GE Free ver. 4, Metro Manila’s infrastructures came out clearly visible and distinguishable at approx. 1200 feet max. Of course, the images you’ll get won’t be as sharp as that of US and European locations, but they’re good enough for civilian purposes. The program allows users to navigate the world in three ways: searching for addresses (for the USA, Canada, and Europe only), entering coordinates, or simply using the mouse to browse to a location.
Google Earth also has digital terrain model data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Essentially, one can view the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest in all its three dimensional (3D) glory, instead of plain old 2D. The images and terrain models GE uses were not all taken at the same time, but are current up to within three years, and updating is regularly conducted.
The Specs You’ll Need

GE, being the broadband-dependent, 3D application that it is, may not run on all computers so before you get all excited about installing it, below are the minimum requirements to run the program.

Minimum configuration for PC:
• Operating System: Windows 2000 or Windows XP
• CPU: Pentium 3, 500Mhz
• System Memory (RAM): 128MB
• Hard Disk: 400MB free space
• Network Speed: 128 Kbits/sec
• Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 16MB of VRAM
• Screen: 1024x768, "16-bit High Color"
Minimum configuration for Mac:
• Operating System: Mac OS X 10.3.9
• CPU: G3 500Mhz
• System Memory (RAM): 256MB
• Hard Disk: 400MB free space
• Network Speed: 128 Kbits/sec
• Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 16MB of VRAM
• Screen: 1024x768, "Thousands of Colors"

Worth the trouble
You may ask, “Is it really a program worth my time?” The answer is a resounding yes. Google Earth goes a long way to proving its usefulness and fun factors, offering top-of-the-line features and service for the lowest price in the world: free. Overall, GE gives new meaning to bringing the world to our doorstep, one click at a time.