The online mapping space is a As of October, Google remains second to MapQuest.com overall among U.S. end users, followed by Yahoo Maps as third and Microsoft's Live Maps/Virtual Earth a distant fourth, according to

However, according to investment bank Cowen and Company, as cited by Search Engine Land, Google and Microsoft are rolling out more features than Yahoo and , and are the only choices for programmers deciding upon which

Google gained momentum two months ago with the which will provide superior-resolution satellite photos of the Earth to U.S. defense agencies and in the commercial space, exclusively to Google.

Microsoft's Virtual Earth, however, which are far superior in clarity and size than satellite photos.