The three basic things I love about the Nokia Ovi Maps are:
- It's functionality
- Attention to detail
- Beauty (more for the 3D maps)
As for functionality, off the bat, the 2D map site is extremely user friendly. The homepage shows you the major features of the site, mainly:
- Adding a place to your favorites list
- Sharing your experiences
- Add a public place to Maps
- Use your current location
- Share places
- Chang your perspective
What separates the Ovi Maps from the rest of the maps is attention to detail. This is a screen cap of my home city, Baguio.
What you see here are the names and general locations of our Barangays, the Philippine's equivalent of a district. No other map has this data. Not even our local paper maps. So this is a big help not only in navigation but the general education of the community. I also noticed that on the national highways of the Philippines the map indicates the towns that you pass by. Again, a detail overlooked by other maps.
And lastly beauty. If you think the world in photos is awesome, Ovi Maps 3D takes you up another notch.
Give your imagination a boost by exploring Ovi Maps 3D. Currently with 20 major cities in full 3D and the rest of the world in partial 3D. You can pan, zoom, rotate and change the angle of viewing of your favorite land marks. It gives you an opportunity to experience the world right in the comforts of your home. And if you're planning a trip, looking at the intricately rendered maps will just build up your excitement for it.
The only cons I see for now are:
- You would need a fairly powerful computer and a fast internet connection to efficiently use the maps
- Some features are not yet available (add public place) to all areas
- No search function for Ovi Maps 3D
Understandably, Nokia has to prioritize development in areas that have more end users. Also 3D rendering is a programming nightmare so all we can do is wait for Nokia to catch up. All though I must say that with the current features in place, I cannot wait to see what we could do with the maps once they are complete.
**The Nokia Ovi Maps has a lot more features that have not been discussed in this blog post. I will try my best to blog about each feature in detail. For the mean time, I encourage you to sign up for an Ovi Account and try out the Ovi Maps 2D and Ovi Maps 3D yourself.