BMap Kit has been discontinued.
The original program here was GMap Kit, which provided a way to get maps, satellite and Streetview
images, as well as driving directions, from Google, without needing to use their website or allow javascript. The program
accessed free maps. If the generous free limit was exceeded, map access would be cut off for that period.
Then Google began requiring an account with a credit card, so GMap Kit
was changed to BMap Kit, getting maps, satellite images and directions from Bing. As of June 2025, Microsoft also is
now requiring a credit card to access their maps.
We can no longer offer free software with the possibility of receiving an unexpected,
unknown charge from Microsoft. Google and Microsoft have both been generous with free maps, but both
now view the free giveaways as marketing to acquire more commercial customers. To use their maps is to risk unpredictable charges.
It was hoped that an open source map provider might work. We tried OpenStreetMap
and Maptiler. But while there are free maps available, the quality of them is very poor. What the free access
map servers don't explain is that one must pay for usable quality maps. After some research it was
decided that no free maps worth having are any longer available. Thus, BMap Kit is discontinued.
The online, browser-based version of OpenStreetMap works well, for people concerned about
privacy issues with Google and Bing.
The image below demonstrates the poor quality now available with completely free maps online. This image
shows a Maptiler map vs a Bing map retrieved by BMap Kit, for the same area, at the same zoom level.
OpenStreetMap free maps are even worse.
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