By doing some thing like the following, I need to by-pass google-earth's
[or similar] redundant interface:-
 to eg. use google-search to  find out about "satelite images" & "direct
access", you don't need to wade through pages of google's  'in your
face' routing.

I just use lynx to fetch:
<the template>%22satelite+images%22+%22direct+access%22
while I'm fetching my email, and read it off line.

Similarly there must be more direct access to the google-earth
& other data-base/s of map-images.

Besides, not every one is prepared to install non-open-source
applications, to access the internet.

Thanks for any pointers,

== Chris Glur.