I’m using Windows 8 and find most of the apps easy to work with after some fiddling, but I’m still a bit stymied by Windows Maps (or is it Xbox Maps or Maps 8, or something?) It’s cool but I can’t figure out how to enter addresses nor can I get directions. But I know it can do both. Can ya help a brutha out with some basics for Win8 Maps?
As I’ve explored all the nooks and crannies of Microsoft Windows 8 (well, 8.1 early release now) I too have found that there are some Metro UI apps that are just confusing to work with. Maybe I’m conditioned by the easy of use of Google Maps (though, ironically, the latest redesign makes it harder to work with in my opinion), but – dare I say it – I actually like having controls show up on a screen rather than have everything hidden until I press the right magic key combination or make the right mystery touch gesture.
The Bing Maps team – and I believe it’s properly called “Bing Maps for Windows 8”, not “Windows 8 Maps” or “Maps 8”, though the latter has a certain ring to it – has done a great job of mapping and integrating satellite data to its system, along with points of interest, eateries, and even traffic data. All good stuff, and all available in Bing Maps for Windows 8 (can we just call it “Maps” from here on?) if you know how to find it.
To start, you’ll need to find the Maps tile on the Start screen.
For me, it looks like this:
Easy enough, tap on “Maps” to continue.
The first thing that Maps does is ask if it can use your current location to center or orient the displayed map:
I always click “Allow” since I’m almost always looking for things nearby, but it’ll all work fine if you prefer not to tell the Bing team your current lat/long by clicking “Block”. Your call.
Now it starts up with a map of your current location or the entire USA. Here’s my starting view today:
Recognize it? You will in just a second, I’m sure!
As you have already shared, this is a rather frustrating view because there are no buttons or controls of any sort. It’s just a map.
Right click, however, and controls show up all over the place:
Want to change to a satellite view? That’s easily done through the various controls on the lower right. Let’s zoom in:
Notice the buttons: Add a pin, Map style, My location, Directions and Search.
For this next image, I’m switching to “Arial view” and zooming in a bit by double-clicking. Now you should know where I am:
As with many other Metro UI Windows 8 apps, in Bing Maps you can actually just start typing in something you want to search for and it’ll bring up the search panel and catch up.
I’ll type in “1600 pennsylvania av” and here’s what happens:
Can you see the Search box on the top right? And how the fragment of address I’ve typed in has shown up?
So the answer to the question of “how do I enter an address?” is that you can either right-click to bring up the buttons then click on “Search”, or you can simply start typing in the address you seek.
I’ll finish entering the address and press Return. The result:
Hey! That’s the White House. Nice. Big yard, too, eh? Lots of mowing.
Let’s say that I’d like to invite the President of the United States to meet up with me at my home base of Boulder, Colorado, but am curious how long a drive it is for him and his family. To get directions, easiest is to click on the first of the three circular buttons under the mini-map on the left panel, but you can also right-click the map and click “Directions” too.
That brings up something like this:
Enter the start and end addresses, choose which form of transportation (I can’t see the Prez walking, somehow) and a new map shows up with distances, driving directions and an overview map:
24 hours. That’s a long limo ride!
Those are the basics of working with Bing Maps for Windows 8. Hope that helps you out and don’t forget that if you prefer, you can always use the Web-based interface to either Bing Maps or Google Maps. Lots of data, just a matter of figuring out which is easiest for you.
And as for me, I better start cleaning up my house if the President of the United States is on his way!
At the end of your explanation of Bing Maps you did not include how to close the app. In my particular case my question is on a touchscreen with Bing Maps in fullscreen. The multi touch screen allows manipulating the image with touch but has obfuscated how to close the app. The Windows 8 Metro original drag-from-top-throw-off-bottom does not work. Inquiring minds want to know.