Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, Bing Maps - Which One The Most Update?

After read article about development GIS on wikipedia, I've tried to use some open layer site called SAAS like Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Virtual Earth, Yahoo! Maps, and World Wind servers. SaaS (Software as a Service) sometimes referred to as "on-demand software", is a software delivery model in which software and associated data are centrally hosted on the cloud. SaaS is typically accessed by users using a thin client via a web browser.

And I've just tried Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps and found some differences among both. In this case I choosed my hometown Singosari, Malang City to compare. This is the result for sightseeing.

Yahoo! Maps Image and Google Maps Image

On the Google Maps, not all areas on satellite images are covered in the same resolution; less populated areas usually get less detail. Due to the small city which isn't a priority area for mapping, so the resolution of the image on this case is not as better as an area within much more population.

About how update the image satellite, as we see that there are significant differences between two image. On the google image we can see a group of big buildings that seems a school, yeah actually. That place is on my hometown so I do know what or how the lastest condition at that place :D. That school is a big school that build kindergarten until junior high school. On yahoo image there was just kindergarten and a half of elementary building on it, while on google maps there were a complete buildings like nowadays.

According to my memory, the kindergarten and half of elementary building was built at the time when my sister was school there, and she is attending senior high school now! So we can conclude that yahoo image was taken around 4 years ago.

Google Map, Singosari, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

Yahoo Map, Singosari, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

And recently I've tried do the same way on Bing Maps. There are 2 type of Aerial Image, Bird's Eye and Aerial detail look from above.

Bing’s 45-degree aerial images have been around a long time — Microsoft partnered with Pictometry for those images way back in 2005. While Aerial look from above displays more update image than the bird's eye.

Bing Map (Birds Eye), Singosari, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

Bing Map (Aerial), Singosari, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

If we look at the right bottom corner we can see source of image, GoogleMaps - Geoeye, Yahoo! Maps - Nokia with Digital Globe, Bing Maps - Digital Globe with Microsoft. And in this case the maximum resolution for that open layer sequences : 20 m, 5 m, 10 m.

At least we know that Google Maps had update images than the other except Bing with Aerial Mode. The imagery of Yahoo Maps and Bing Maps Bird Eye's mode much more detail, smooth and have a good resolution than the others.

At the end of this article I can't conclude more. I did this practice less detailed because of the weak internet connection so I wish I could do write the more details on my holiday next week..:D