Google和Microsoft的地图服务--李开复

As mobile usage becomes more prominent, one technology thatdramatically rises in value is Maps.  Mobile devices becomelocation-aware, which can provide much end-user and commercial value. It's interesting to compare the Google and Microsoft vision for maps.

随着移动终端的越来越流行,地图服务的价值正在急剧的提升.移动设备可以感知所在的地点,这个给终端用户提供了更多的商业价值.比较一下Google和Microsoft对地图应用的看法非常的有趣.

Google started early with the Keyhole acquisition that augmented maps with satellite images.  Then Google Street View captured ahuge number of photos alongside the streets.  As the photos are captured,so are the maps, so Google essentially owned a mapping company.  The recent Google car that drives itself undoubtedly leverages this accurate mapping. Maps have also become the center for finding places.  So Google's map vision might be "precisely map the earth, and take you anywhere".

Google以增强型的卫星地图在地图领域开始.Google街景的自动拍摄车沿街拍摄了大量的图片,在照片拍摄的同时,地图也完成了采集,渐渐的Goolge拥有了一个地图公司.最近Goolge发布的无人驾驶汽车无疑会更加增强地图的准确性.地图主要功能是寻找地点,所以Google对地图的观点应该是”精确的做地球的地图,带你到任何地方”.

Less known is Microsoft's maps organization.  It is apart of the "Information platform and experiences" unit.  Inaddition to maps, this unit also includes conversational understanding, maps,imagery and apps, augmented reality and information discovery.  This looks more like an intelligent, agent-based delegation interface, which shows you allthat is around you, helps you discover and find things, also understand the things that you see, and allow you to interact with them, all using a natural spoken interface.  This vision might be “conversational interface that is knowledgeable about all that is around you."

我们对Microsoft的地图部门了解的不多,它是”信息平台以及体验”事业部的的一个部门.除了传统的对于地图的认识,这个部门将地图加入了很多互动性的体验,把地图,图像,以及应用结合在一起提供了很多信息发现的增强功能.这个看起来更像一个智能的,基于客户端的接口,将你周围的一切信息发现并且告诉你,并且让你和他们互动.他们的观点是”地图是你周边信息与你的互动接口”.

Google's future is more like Batmobile in Batman. Microsoft's is more like theTerminator's user interface.  And both visions are in the Minority Report.Which do you prefer?

Google地图的未来看起来像一个蝙蝠侠,而Microsoft的看起来是一个用户接口的终结者.两种观点都还在发展当中,你更喜欢哪一个呢?