How to still access Classic Google Maps (as of 06/26/15)

[mrsman]

nuff said

Allow me to retort:

Personally, I never look at my history so it doesn't bug me.

I know, but it just really bothers me. Even if you don't look at your history, it still shouldn't be like that. But I'm sure programs do things that shouldn't be done, it's just how it is.

Why does Google Maps' paper trail bug you so much? Do you enjoy reading through your history tab for fun or something?

Occasionally, I'll want to look for something I found earlier such as that YouTube video I watched, or that link that you didn't bookmark, but need, and you accidentally closed it. Plus, if I reboot my computer, I'll want to quickly reload the pages I had up before.

It's just me.

No, not just you.  That's the function of history to keep track of what you've seen before and be able to access it again.  I try to do that as well.

[iBallasticwolf2]

There's gotta be another way in.  We'll find it...

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html

This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

[Roadrunner75]

This site has had steady updates on links to Classic Maps:
http://techforluddites.com/bring-back-classic-google-maps-campaign/

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html
This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

There is also a small list of sites that incorporate Classic Maps, similar to iBallasticwolf2's comment above.

The Google Mapmaker link still works, but at least on my computer it splits the screen for Streetview but does not actually show it.
https://www.google.com/mapmaker

[iBallasticwolf2]

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html
This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

There is also a small list of sites that incorporate Classic Maps, similar to iBallasticwolf2's comment above.

The Google Mapmaker link still works, but at least on my computer it splits the screen for Streetview but does not actually show it.
https://www.google.com/mapmaker

It also manages to start me in Vietnam even though I live in America. I thought the starting point was Tusla............

[hotdogPi]

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html
This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

There is also a small list of sites that incorporate Classic Maps, similar to iBallasticwolf2's comment above.

The Google Mapmaker link still works, but at least on my computer it splits the screen for Streetview but does not actually show it.
https://www.google.com/mapmaker

It also manages to start me in Vietnam even though I live in America. I thought the starting point was Tusla............

It starts you wherever the most recent edit was.

[iBallasticwolf2]

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html
This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

There is also a small list of sites that incorporate Classic Maps, similar to iBallasticwolf2's comment above.

The Google Mapmaker link still works, but at least on my computer it splits the screen for Streetview but does not actually show it.
https://www.google.com/mapmaker

It also manages to start me in Vietnam even though I live in America. I thought the starting point was Tusla............

It starts you wherever the most recent edit was.

Strange. I never edited outside the US.

Also for me the streetview works but barely. It switches locations randomly and at one point Pegman completely vanished.

[SignGeek101]

I know this is really limited but some news sites with locations give a little window with classic maps. That is the only thing I could find.
http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/02/09/Ohio-fuel-tax-hike-targets-road-bridge-maintenance.html
This is an example of that.
It can do streetview, map panning, zooming in and out, it can also even do Satalite. It can't do anything else and it is permantely tiny.

There is also a small list of sites that incorporate Classic Maps, similar to iBallasticwolf2's comment above.

The Google Mapmaker link still works, but at least on my computer it splits the screen for Streetview but does not actually show it.
https://www.google.com/mapmaker

It also manages to start me in Vietnam even though I live in America. I thought the starting point was Tusla............

Puts me in Prague. I've never edited before.

[hotdogPi]

The last edit of anyone, not your last edit.

[iBallasticwolf2]

The last edit of anyone, not your last edit.

How historical.

[Mr. Matté]

For those who had this idea: The use of an Internet archiving website (such as Internet Archive) to see the old maps doesn't work too well.

for example

While the map displays at first, zooming in is slow and/or spotty, plus directions and StreetView do not work.

[iBallasticwolf2]

For those who had this idea: The use of an Internet archiving website (such as Internet Archive) to see the old maps doesn't work too well.

for example

While the map displays at first, zooming in is slow and/or spotty, plus directions and StreetView do not work.

Also it is slower than the modern maps.

[iBallasticwolf2]

http://www.us41wisconsin.gov/map
WDOT has Classic Maps up for The I-41 project.

[stormwatch7721]

The Classic google maps is gone. Nothing we can do. 

[iBallasticwolf2]

The Classic google maps is gone. Nothing we can do. 

We can get the links from random websites but we can't get full links so everything is limited.

[jakeroot]

The Classic google maps is gone. Nothing we can do. 

We can get the links from random websites but we can't get full links so everything is limited.

It's pointless. The functional gain was lost a long time ago. We have to move on.

[US 41]

A lot of these maps everyone is coming up with from these random websites seems to run more like Lite Google Maps rather than the Classic Maps. I actually like the Lite Google Maps. As long as you can read a compass on street view then you're good to go and it runs pretty fast.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Lite Google Maps actually seems very similar to Classic Maps.

[stormwatch7721]

I can't find the lite google maps.

[Rothman]

I can't find the lite google maps.

Isn't it just clicking on the lightning bolt in the lower right?

[vdeane]

I can't find the lite google maps.

Isn't it just clicking on the lightning bolt in the lower right?

It doesn't always appear for me, so that could be why he can't find it.  It seems like Google can't decide what interface to give me from day to day.

[wxfree]

I've about found my footing with the loss of the classic version.  To just look at maps, I use the ACME Mapper site.  The Street View interface is difficult there, so I use Street View with Google Earth.  The new Google Earth is slow to start (can Google never leave a good thing alone?) but is okay after that.  I use either ACME or Earth for aerial views (the new Maps doesn't give me an option to turn off labels in satellite mode, and I never want the labels on).  I get routes (something I do infrequently) from Bing Maps (each route change sets a different URL in history, but that's much less troublesome than having an entry for each map view).  The only thing I need the new Google Maps for is viewing old Street View, which is about what I do the least of.  I use the new Maps in a private Chrome window, and that eats serious amounts of RAM, so I avoid it as much as I can, but with everything else available, I rarely need it.

[dfwmapper]

Use https://www.google.com/maps/?force=lite to force Lite mode.
Use https://www.google.com/maps/?force=tt to force full mode.

You can also add &force=lite to the end of an existing URL to go to the same location but in lite mode.

[hotdogPi]

Use https://www.google.com/maps/?force=lite to force Lite mode.
Use https://www.google.com/maps/?force=tt to force full mode.

You can also add &force=lite to the end of an existing URL to go to the same location but in lite mode.

I tried "force=classic". No luck there.

[Michael]

I was playing with ClassyGMap a few minutes ago, and I noticed two new features.  The first one is that the size of the Street View part of the screen can be adjusted now (which was the only reason I didn't use ClassyGMap all the time).  The options are 25%, 50%, or 75% horizontal split, side by side, full screen, hide Street View (it goes back to a map with Pegman so you can drag him to another location, but it's glitchy), and a minimap in the bottom right corner (my favorite).  The other new feature is that the URL updates in real time like the new Google Maps, so it can be copy/pasted.  The URL structure is almost identical to classic Maps.  It's not currently possible to copy/paste Street View links, but hopefully, that gets added sometime.

There's still some things to be done, but ClassyGMap keeps getting better.  As for RAM usage, using just the map uses a bit less than classic Maps.  While using Street View, it maxed out at 175 MB of RAM for me, but classic Maps would use that for just the map.  There's only a few bugs I can see.  One is that if you drag the cursor to the bottom of the screen while panning the map or Street View, the page scrolls down a bit, and you need to scroll up using the middle mouse button (not the wheel).  Another one is when using the minimap, Pegman doesn't stay centered on the map.  Instead, he moves to the edge, and on the next move, he's recentered on the new map.  Also, the date is not shown for Street View imagery, but that's the case with all maps that use the Maps API.  The only way to get the date is to go directly to Google Maps.

Lastly, I've read that some people don't like the auto updating URL of new Google Maps, which as I said above is now in ClassyGMap.  If that's the case, you can always go to the GitHub page, and download an old version.

[kkt]

I've been happy with ClassyGMap too.  The formatting of the outside-the-map areas is a little clunky, but the map part works very well indeed.  Going to a location from the search bar ends up there at maximum magnification, which is a little odd if you were going to a city or state.  There's a bug where if you put pegman where there's no streetview, it opens a blank streetview with no close button so you are stuck with it.  But those things are small.  It's fast, fast!  And it works!