Google Earth hits Apple iPad

You can now experience the glory of the earth on your “magical” Apple tablet, as Google has just released Google Earth for the iPad.

While it has been available since the launch of the iPad, that was just the iPhone version scaled up. The latest version has been optimized for the tablet and it should perform much better, Google said in its Lat Long blog.

Google Earth for iPad is one of the best ways yet to experience Google Earth. With the combination of an intuitive touch interface, a large screen, and the snappy A4 processor, you a great new way to explore the globe and share your adventures with your friends.

The iPad version features full-resolution imagery of multiple locations, and there’s a toolbar on top that can open up various viewing “balloons” without having to hop out of the 3D view. Of course, there’s full touch support as you’ll be able to rotate the globe with your fingers and you can double tap to zoom in. Multitouch is also included and you can use a two-finger double tap to zoom out.

Because it’s a Google product, there’s an integrated search feature that can pinpoint businesses and geographical features. You can also view various data layers on top of the earth, including Wikipedia articles, photos, roads and various other information.

Read on after the jump for a few more beautiful screen shots.

– Download Google Earth for iPad (free) [iTunes Link]