I have spent entirely too much time using Google Maps today. I've been ranging all over the country (er, USA that is, Australia isn't very well covered) looking for recognisable landmarks. The resolution in some of the images is fantastic - you can see individual cars. The city resolution is often better than the country, but I identified rocks and the tunnels in Colorado National Monument, bridges in Oregon, the Boeing factory in Everett, buildings in Vancouver and Seattle, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in San Francisco, several airports, the Hollywood sign in LA, Old Faithful and the Midway Geyser basin in Yellowstone, Devil's Tower and the surrounding prairie dog mounds in Wyoming, Mt Rushmore under a light layer of clouds, and get this, a *toilet* that I remember going to in Badlands National Park, South Dakota!! I could relive my entire trip from last year from space!
In two and a half weeks it'll have been a year since I left. And I *still* don't have my pictures online :( It's so close to being done though, I should just *do it*.
JC
Try Keyhole. http://www.keyhole.com/ It is from Google as well, and I found the 7day trial more than adequate. I know that Google Maps is free and doesn't require any software, etc, but Keyhole is a blast, and the resolution is better even that what Google Maps has. Sadly, the resolution over Australia isn't very good either, (I'd looked), but I was able to find my new house.