Google Earth
 

Why is Google Earth a standalone implementation? Does the g.earth platform have a layer which Mozilla (or IE) don't? Just trying to understand architecture and what really (techwise) makes it so unique? Unique, beyond KML, and beyond handling multi-resolution images... Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

Maybe it's easier to put that sort of a thing into one package if it's standalone, rather than try to write it so that it works on every browser on earth (knowing that IE, Mozilla, Safari and Konqueror - among all the others - work surprisingly differently in some situations). Sort of why you use OS X on Macs and not on regular PCs.

Thanks b0uncer.

google earth doesn't go through a browser.
it is standalone.

it was when i tried anyway.