I kind of always thought it would turn out like this. I mean-- they have all the data anyway, right? Except you used to have to download Google Earth as a separate desktop. Not any more. Just like Traffic, Terrain, or Satellite, Google has now added 'Earth' as a data layer to maps. It's actually more than that, taking the swoopy functionality of Earth and using it in maps. My favourite feature is using a scroll-mouse to do a tilt on the view.
