I just posted this in the land forum.
http://countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Lnd_stories;action=display;num=1122677020;start=0#0
You should have a fast Internet connection and a modern computer to run this properly.
The person I know using still Windows ME with a lovely Wi-Fi service complained that the Google Earth crashed her system. Actually the first page of it said it might.
I've got XP, so I don't know if there's a problem there, but this one works, but good grief, it's SLOW on dial-up. And it tends to leave unaccountable areas blank--they should be labeled "here there be monsters!" although I suspect that my immediate area might really not be photographed. And you can go from a map to a photograph with wherever you want to see marked. A big help if you get flummoxed by the photos the way I do.
http://virtualearth.msn.com/
Yes, Google Earth is for broadband Internet on a fast computer. In fact it will probably work best on a 2008 computer! ;)
They are definitely looking down the road when there are much higher resolution photos available. Then, in 2008, you will be able to swoop around the globe at different elevations all with the mouse. When you see something interesting you can drill down to the buildings level and find a coffee shop. Or, probably, you can locate the owner or Realtor of property that is for sale. That owner or Realtor will have paid Google a fee to have a link to their photos or video of the property. Zoom up a little higher to see the route to the freeway and how close the sewage treatment plant is to the place.
Google Earth (or something like it) will be both a great video game and an invaluable research tool.