Virtual Earth 3D offers a photorealistic view of downtown Dallas.

If your budget is limited, there's nothing better than letting your keyboard whisk you away to far-off places (or even some places that might be just around the corner).

I've flown in a helicopter a couple of times, and I am here to say it can be both exhilarating and a little scary. There's no question, however, that it is a majestic way to travel, and it offers a viewpoint that not many of us ever get in person.

But now, you can put yourself in the pilot's seat. You don't have to worry about rudders or rotors; no pilot's license is required, and the price is right.

Welcome to Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D, a free online service that requires a software download (Windows computers only; sorry Mac users!).

Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston are among the 15 U.S. cities now available with three-dimensional imagery.

The innovation here is that a number of the most prominent buildings in each city jut up from the landscape in an eerily realistic way. And these aren't just blank polygons—the structures are all realistically detailed. If you know what a building looks like in real life, you'll likely recognize it immediately on the Virtual Earth 3D screen.

Even buildings with distinctive shapes—like American Airlines Center and Fountain Place (the one that looks like a rocket ship) are faithfully represented.

And these images are detailed; you can see the AT&T logo on top of its downtown Dallas tower.

Virtual Earth 3D does have its quirks, however. One look at the landmark Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas and you'll notice that it's misisng the distinctive ball at the top; the software renders it only as a tall column.

And Channel 8 was slighted by the mapmakers; the WFAA-TV building along with nearby Union Station appear as pancakes, while the adjacent Dallas Morning News building pops up in three-dimensional glory.

If you've been to Las Vegas (or even if you haven't), you won't want to miss Virtual Earth's breathtaking rendition of the Strip.

And a virtual visit to San Francisco offers a hint of how Microsoft might be bankrolling all this: A "billboard" for a real estate firm floats over a portion of the map, inviting you to click for properties in the area.

Virtual Earth 3D is a free download from Microsoft, and it's definitely worth a look. But I still like Google Earth better for general exploration.

The groundbreaking (and free) application can also render some 3-D buildings in some cities (although it doesn't yet share Microsoft's incredible ability to accurately display the look of the sides of a building).

Google Earth, on the other hand, has an unparalleled and very intuitive user interface that appears to work much more smoothly. It has also engendered a very active user community that contributes valuable mapping information you won't find elsewhere.

You should try both products; they are fun, they are free, and they give you a fresh new way to look at the world around us.

INFO: Virtual Earth 3D is from Microsoft for Windows computers; Google Earth software is available in versions for Windows and Mac computers.

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