The Greatest App of All Time Day 28: Google Earth vs. Calculator

If you’re just tuning in, you can read all about our selection criteria for this historic contest right here. Check out the full bracket of contestants embedded below. And as always, if you think we missed your personal favorite app of all time, yell at us in the comments. Now, let’s get into today’s challengers.

When the web-based version of Google Earth launched in 2001, it felt like everyone in the world had been handed the keys to a satellite network straight out of Enemy of the State. The ability to start in space, pick a spot on the globe, and zoom in to street level was astonishing. Users like myself immediately went to find their own house and experienced the queasy feeling of being watched.

The mobile app of Google Earth made all of this even more satisfying with a touchscreen interface and the app has only gotten better over the years. The addition of Street View, 3D imagery, the ability to zoom underwater, and tons of Easter eggs have made Google Earth an extremely robust app and it’s still available to all for free. It’s certainly one of the best examples of a big tech company creating a public good just because they can.

The Calculator app. Not a specific calculator, just whatever calculator is on your phone. We all have one. Calculators were even on dumb phones, but the arrival of the smartphone absolutely wiped out the need for most people to own a dedicated number-crunching device.