atlrus - 12:42 pm on Oct 5, 2012 (gmt 0)

Google has always used 3rd party providers in their map product. They've bolted on a few goodies (street view) but are still reliant on others for the lions share of the product

Of course, I never assumed that they sent their own satellite into space and charted their own maps. But they are paying for it, while getting nothing in return. They can keep doing this for as long as there is money coming from somewhere else. If people stop using Google The Search Engine they will stop using anything else google, I guarantee you that. There is not one Google product that makes me think "I would pay for that!".

[edited by: atlrus at 12:52 pm (utc) on Oct 5, 2012]