

Google Earth Pro is now free - Transisto
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2015/01/google-earth-pro-is-now-free.html
... Has tools to measure 3D buildings and other locations, print high-resolution screenshots, view demographic and traffic layers, and even record your virtual trips.
======
superdude
Years ago before I started at my current job some people had Google Earth
(free) on their PCs. But then someone read an updated Terms of Use and
determined that we actually needed to be using the paid version of Google
Earth so many people had their copies removed from their PCs. Then around the
time I started someone read an updated Terms of Use and it was determined that
there was no problem using the regular version of Google Earth. So it became
part of the standard build. Then about a year ago someone read another updated
Terms of Use and determined that we were out of compliance and so we removed
all copies of Google Earth from all computers. And then we purchased licenses
for Google Earth Pro for only those users who really relied on it. For a
yearly per-user fee. And now apparently we can install it for everyone once
again. For free.

I wonder if Google realized that a lot of companies and government
organizations were confused about licensing or ignorantly non-compliant or
just gave up and tried some other program. I know in my department we already
installed alternative software for most people. Although nothing is as nice or
easy for exploring or creating KML files as Google Earth in my experience.

~~~
TeMPOraL
> _(...) tried some other program. I know in my department we already
> installed alternative software for most people._

I've never heard of Google Earth alternatives. Any recommendations?

~~~
bane
For a while before there was a free GE, Nasa World Winds had a pretty active
community around it.

It would need lots of work to become a real alternative though.

[http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/features.html](http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/features.html)

------
tga_d
Linux support is pretty ambiguous. The download link says "Download Google
Earth Pro for PC or Mac," the minimum specifications link gives specifications
for Linux, the actual download gives you a binary called GoogleEarthLinux.bin,
but when installed gives you an outdated (3 years) and non-pro copy of google
earth.

~~~
ianlevesque
Which, if I recall correctly, is wine based too. What a mess.

------
chrissnell
Good, but it's still missing the one key feature that I really need: offline
satellite imagery. I guide off-road driving adventures in the western deserts
for groups of friends every year. Trip planning is done primary in Google Maps
and USGS topos but I occasionally find myself out in the desert and needing to
scout a route for a last-minute change but with no way of doing it without
Internet and satellite imagery. Yes, it's possible to (legally) cache small
amounts of imagery with the stock app but I really want the ability to cache
larger areas at high detail. I would pay for this feature, up two a few
hundred dollars.

~~~
maxerickson
There's a whole ecosystem of software for building tile databases and viewing
them on phones/tablets:

[http://mobac.sourceforge.net/](http://mobac.sourceforge.net/)

There's also a bunch of "WMS Viewers" that you can point at National Map
endpoints (which shouldn't have any licensing issues):

[http://raster.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services](http://raster.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services)

I've never had a use for them so I don't know if one works well and has nice
caching features.

~~~
chrissnell
Interesting but it looks like the one iOS client for Mobac is geared towards
vector maps, not the satellite imagery.

~~~
stevesearer
I use Gaia GPS for my backcountry hikes which is available for iOS/Android.
You can download a variety of topo maps and aerial photos ahead of time in a
particular area and load them when out of cell service.

[http://blog.gaiagps.com/](http://blog.gaiagps.com/)

[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gaia-gps-topo-maps-
trails/id...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gaia-gps-topo-maps-
trails/id329127297)

[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailbehin...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailbehind.android.gaiagps.pro&hl=en)

The only issue I'm still trying to figure out when using my phone is how to
disable the cell antenna with the GPS antenna still activated to conserve
battery.

There is also Backcountry Navigator which has similar features but is only
available for Android devices:
[http://backcountrynavigator.com/](http://backcountrynavigator.com/)

------
glhaynes
This page has some info on the differences between the regular edition and
Pro.
[https://www.google.com/work/mapsearth/products/earthpro.html](https://www.google.com/work/mapsearth/products/earthpro.html)

------
userbinator
I notice the link "grab a free key" leads to a URL ending with free_
_trial_.html, and that page is a form that asks for plenty of information. The
lack of any justification for why something that used to be $399 is now free
also feels a bit odd to me... like it's somehow implying that giving Google
your name, company, phone number, and other information is, to them, worth
more than $399?

~~~
atian
no. what if you were making a product free that you no longer wanted to
support?

remember: paying users expect support

a. make free without knowing who is using your project

b. make free with knowing who is using your project

~~~
CamperBob2
a.

------
dang
Discussed earlier today:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8973020](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8973020).

------
zx2c4
Can we get proper Linux support, please?

The current Linux situation with Google Earth is a joke -- 3 years old,
crashes, based on wine, no pro features.

~~~
RobSis
Fortunately, the Windows version of Pro works perfectly in wine.

~~~
zx2c4
Great to know, thanks. Was there anything fancy needed to get it running or
did it just run?

~~~
RobSis
Nothing fancy. Wine 1.7, glsl, gdi & fbo.

------
mden
This sounds really awesome, but does anyone have an explanation as to why they
are doing it? Building something like Google Earth Pro must take many millions
of dollars, so why would a company release it for free?

~~~
ghshephard
Google Earth cost on the order of 10s of millions of dollars to write, with a
couple of the key companies, keyhole and Where2, being acquired for approx.
$40mm. [1] . Google Earth Pro is a small, but very useful addition to the base
Google Earth - I know a lot of network designers who get by just fine with
Google Earth, and have never availed themselves of Google Earth Pro.

The real cost, of course, is maintaining and serving all that data. I expect
that Google, in offering Google Earth Pro for free, ensures that no other
competition can slide into this space, and, I also expect the incremental
revenue associated with the Google Earth Pro licenses probably wasn't worth
the cost of not owning that market 100%.

This is going to make life for a lot of the other GIS vendors even more
miserable than it already is - I can see MapInfo being annoyed by this
decision. Just spitballing, but perhaps Google is looking at acquiring them
(or a competitor?)

[1] [http://www.quora.com/How-much-did-Google-acquire-
Keyhole-(Go...](http://www.quora.com/How-much-did-Google-acquire-
Keyhole-\(Google-Earth\)-for)

~~~
7952
Google Earth has never been a serious competitor for GIS. If they had added
more features 5 years ago it may have gained traction.

It is great for viewing and creating small datasets. Viewing larger datasets
required a surprising amount of effort in terms of tiling and converting. The
tools built into Google Earth were never very good and people were pointed at
server products. This was completely at odds with the simple ethos of Google
Earth and often lead companies to invest in expensive ESRI products that
offered Google Earth support!

Google are concentrating on server products with web interfaces and GE never
fit into that. It is fantastic for professional users but Google have no idea
how to sell to those kind of people.

~~~
ghshephard
I am aware of at least approx $500mm company that extensively uses Google
Earth/Google Earth Pro for its modeling, analysis, and data presentation
needs. In terms of data set sizes, typical sizes range up to approx 3mm-5mm
data points per project. The engineers that use GoogleEarthPro also have
experience with MapInfo, but frequently chose to use Google Earth, simply
because it's easier.

I'm not suggesting that Google Earth will ever replace MapInfo/ArcGIS - but
don't underestimate how much of the "lower end" GIS market that GoogleEarth
took away from them.

------
UserRights
Anybody knows a good alternative to this that runs without trouble on Ubuntu
and Arch 64 bit Linux machines? Nothing in AUR and I do not feel like hunting
for PPA right now.

Meanwhile it would be great if Google could provide a repository with a linux
version that runs flawlessly.

Thanks!

------
sorenjan
How worried should I be that Google will discontinue Google Earth? It hasn't
been updated in a long time, Google prefers web apps, and now this. I prefer
native apps, and Google maps can't do everything Earth can do.

------
irq
The picture in the page, btw, is of downtown Portland, OR. That's the
Willamette river. A fun place to look at in Google Earth.

------
neindanke
Registration is failing for me at the moment.

~~~
ghshephard
I registered, but got the following when I tried to download:

[http://dl.google.com/earth/client/advanced/current/GoogleEar...](http://dl.google.com/earth/client/advanced/current/GoogleEarthProMac-
Intel.dmg)

 _Access to this site is currently restricted_

~~~
ghshephard
Waited a bit, got the email, tried again - Everything worked! I've wanted
GooglePro forever - and now I have it - to the point of almost ponying up the
$400 of my hard earned money for it.

A _really_ nice post-christmas present from Google.

------
jhansen858
glad i just paid the $400 like a month ago.

~~~
uptown
Request a refund, or see if you can dispute the charge with your credit card
if they offer any type of price-protection.

------
gulfie
yes, but when will it stop crashing?

~~~
barrkel
Indeed, I got a pure virtual function call within 3 minutes of zooming around.

------
oori
are google dev working on PC machines? what's up with Retina support?

------
Negative1
Beware -- this feels like an email fishing expedition. Sadly, I fell for it
and got to the same screen everyone else gets too; poorly worded error with no
key.

