In a great post at PC Pro, blogger Jonathan Bray covers the greatly improved OpenStreetMap website. I know that we are all used to Google Maps, but Bray provides some great reasons why mapping enthusiasts should also start looking at OpenStreetMap as well.
Different from having a pile of cash and corporate funding to create accurate maps and satellite imagery, OpenStreetMaps relies on you and me to donate GPS traces and imagery.
One of the great things about OpenStreetMap is that the underlying map data is free to use and manipulate in anyway you want. As a result, many other mapping applications have begun to use OpenStreetMap as a way to create different mashups of bike routes, hiking paths, and more. In addition, OpenStreetMaps can interface with Garmin devices, so you can download free maps to your handheld GPS device, or upload GPS traces directly to the site.
The result, says Bray, is an application that in most instances is a good as Google Maps and is sometimes even more accurate.
Source: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/07/29/why-open-street-map-is-brilliant/
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