I recently decided to check up on Bing Maps to see how the service offering differed from Google Maps and to see if there was anything compelling in it.
As you can see from the screenshot comparison of these two online mapping services, I think it’s fairly clear which one was a better fit for me whilst I’m living in Phnom Penh.
Left - Google, Right - Bing. Which would you use?
Clearly whoever Bing are using to get mapping data from aren’t bothered with places like Cambodia. Not only is it missing pretty much all detail relating to Phnom Penh (the city might as well not exist), even it’s roughly approximated roads are fundamentally flawed with magical bridges that don’t actually exist.
I noticed a similar situation on Ovi Maps when I still had a Nokia phone (E71). Ovi Maps had been pretty handy in Ireland and Italy when I could avoid data costs due to pre-downloading of maps. However they just didn’t offer maps of Cambodia.
When it comes to mobile though, I’d still appreciate the ability to pre-load maps for a country where you might not have roaming options. When I was in Kuala Lumpur last year I actually just bought a pay-as-you-go SIM and used that for cheap Google Maps usage to help me find my way around. It was quite invaluable.
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