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For online experts, much of the information found on the Web is, to put it mildly, unimpressive...thin, irregular collections of data that stand out mainly by virtue of their hypertext stunts: clever, but ultimately superficial. Nevertheless, there are some genuine achievements on the Web, which combine databases of unsurpassed quality with the distinctive advantages of the Web environment.
Two of the very top Web achievers are MapQuest and Maps On Us. These two map research and travel planner services are unlike anything found on the professional online services. They are legitimate reference tools, with enormous graphic databases, supported by powerful search and display capabilities. They incorporate the best Web trickery with their linking and graphics features. They are free, but still offer registered members with permanent profiling capabilities. And best of all, they are great fun.
MapQuest (http://www.mapquest. com) is one of the most successful and high-profile sites on the Web. Since its appearance in early 1996, it has received many "Best of Web" awards and has a million registered members. It is produced by GeoSystems Global Corp., which provides electronic mapping services to businesses and publishers.
Maps On Us (http:/www.MapsOnUs. com) is a relative newcomer that is rapidly building its own reputation. It was introduced in February by Lucent Technologies, the now-independent Bell Labs research wing. It is produced by Lucent's Maps On Us division, which also provides commercial map services.
Perhaps not by accident, both services resemble each other very closely in content and design. Each provides three service clusters:
Map location, in which a userspecified address or location is displayed on a map. The original search location and map can be modified, customized, and displayed in several ways.
Route planning, which charts the specific road travel steps between two user-selected points. The original route can also be redrawn according to several criteria.
Business establishment location, for obtaining the addresses and map placements for commercial and other establishments within a specified area.
In each of these three components, the two services are so alike that most points of comparison are minor. Maps On Us...