Google needs to hire you for its booth.

Also, for a presentation, I am of the opinion that eye candy IS practical, because as long as it conveys the needed information (it did, in the cases where I’ve used it) AND looks impressive at the same time (it does), your presentation comes off all the better.

I fully concur with you that it’s useless for the purpose you outlined in your question to the Google techs, and possibly MOSTLY an eye candy product, but it’s (a) very useful in certain instances (such as presentations, as we agreed), and (b) quite a lot of fun. So I hope they keep supporting it and don’t drop it, unless they somehow merge the capabilities into the web product. (Including the offline usage Google Earth offers, which is also critical for presentations when the internet is not available, such as at a restaurant.) It’s all about the right tool for the right job… don’t use it when the web version will do better, but when you need (or want) the flash and eye candy, then Google Earth is the way to go.

Nick, yes, many times there are PR folk in the booths, but with all my meetings with dozens of vendors there, everyone, save one or two people, were actual employees. Granted, not all were engineers, but employees just the same. As for the Google booth, all three were employees (I asked).

Kalani, I could see Google Earth as a great presentation resource, but again, is that practical or just eye candy?

Jimfg, the terrorists could have used Google maps for the same research.

Netcl1, as for the GPS integration, I don’t think the Mac version supports that. I’ll have to look into. Now THAT, could be practical.

Ya I think it is pretty easy to come armed with some questions to do this at any trade show. Having worked a few in the past I’ve met people like you. You demo a product but they use the competing product and are really only interested in justifying the purchase of the one they own and that is why they are sitting in your demo. They usually have about 3 bullet points they can use to pull out of the sale irrespective of what the merits of your product is.

So, you can’t think of a reason to use Google Earth. Neither can the demo guy. Well move on and use the web app instead. Or did you want your money back?

I used the elevations and when I arrived I recognized the surroundings having never been there.

I also used it to get a before picture of a house destroyed by a plane for a news story.

I’m sure if you really thought about it you could probably come up with at least one practical application. That’s the kind of tool it is. It is your job to find a new use for it.

Even if it is a hog, it works on my iPhone as well.

• or used kml extensively

• try synchronizing paths on your gps unit

etc.