News 

The company describes the software as akin to a Web browser, but for the earth. The Mac version offers the same features as its PC equivalent, such as animated driving directions, zoom in and out capabilities and 3D buildings view, and more.

''We're happy to finally have some good news for the, ahem, vocal Mac enthusiasts we've been hearing from,' said Chikai Ohazama from the Google Earth Team. 'Let's just say that we have gotten more than a few "requests" for a Mac version of Google Earth. '

Google Earth is a free download for OS X 10.4 or later from earth.google.com. The paid-for applications, Google Earth Plus and Google Earth Pro, are not yet available for Mac.

To coincide with the release of the Mac version, the PC release comes out of beta and can also be downloaded from the link above.

'We feel like proud parents around here,' Ohazama added. 'Our eldest, Google Earth for the PC, is officially leaving beta status today, and we couldn't be more pleased. For those of you who downloaded early, upgrade to the latest and discover Google Earth all over again.'