The idea is simple. It's a globe that sits inside your PC. You point and zoom to anyplace on the planet that you want to explore. Satellite images and local facts zoom into view. Tap into Google search to show local points of interest and facts. Zoom to a specific address to check out an apartment or hotel. View driving directions and even fly along your route.

Use it for: Planning a trip, Getting driving directions, Finding a house or apartment, Finding a local business, Exploring the world

Google Earth Features
Sophisticated streaming technology delivers the data to you as you need it.
Imagery and 3D data depict the entire earth - Terabytes of aerial and satellite imagery depict cities around the world in high-resolution detail.
Local search lets you search for restaurants, hotels, and even driving directions. Results show in your 3D earth view. Easy to layer multiple searches, save results to folders, and share with others.
Layers show parks, schools, hospitals, airports, shopping, and more.
KML - data exchange format lets you share useful annotations and view thousands of data points created by Google Earth users.