Some of Microsoft’s offerings, such as Music, arguably work best as dedicated apps. Others, such as Maps, should probably be passed over in favor of a website, at least on a Windows 10 PC. Maps is a Universal app that spans both desktop PCs and phones, and is downright elegant to boot. The black motif of the app presents the maps and Streetside streetview images to best effect. But the app lacks depth. You can view a map in either an aerial or live traffic view, and chart directions from place to place.
But directions aren’t sent to your phone, as if it were OK for you to consult your laptop as you drive. Other aspects of the Maps app feel a little flimsy. There’s no context given for locations, such as hours of operation, phone number, or nearby attractions. Once you’re viewing a 3D city, there’s no obvious way of backing out into a 2D view again. Unless you type in a given address, it’s seemingly impossible to figure out how to trigger the Streetside view option. (My son loves to pick a random country and just roam from street to street, soaking up what life is like in, say, Belgium.) Finally, I would like the option of clicking a restaurant on the map and pulling up a sidebar with contextual information. Microsoft offers all this—on its Bing Maps website (or Google Maps, if you’re so inclined). You may as well visit there first.
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