It seems like google earth no longer shows the maximum resolution data at all zoom levels. It shows a horrible low res version. I know google has more data to show than that because when you zoom in you get the extra data.
crappy google earth resolution
proper full google maps resolution
I am sure google earth used to show the full res image like the google maps version.
I don’t know, but I’m annoyed with the low resolution of some of the photos on Google maps. For example, the downtown and eastern portions of Peoria, Illinois. MS Live Search Maps have really sharp photos for this area, though.
Google has never shown high res images of my area. I check in regularly to see if they’ve updated it, but they never do.
And now finally more and more folks are discovering that, as they try to zoom in on the flood damage in central Wisconsin.
So I go with mapquest, whose satellite images are quite nice & recent & high resolution.
But google has the high res data for the area I’m looking at. My gripe is that it won’t show it unless I’m zoomed right in. Zoomed out it looks shit.
They just updated the UP in the last… I dunno, whenever. I don’t check all that often, but I checked last week and there’s high-rez in my area. 6 months ago, there wasn’t. Maybe there’s hope for WI.
Then you still got more than I do. 
Hope’s a fine thing.
The poor resolution is patchy. 3 miles north of me, they have high res photos, added about a year ago. But due west is low res, at least to Baraboo.
In my testing (Aroab, Namibia), Google Maps has by far the best resolution of their photos, even if it’s not the resolution you’d see in the states.
I just downloaded it at work on an XP Pro machine - The resolution is ok - I guess it must be something to do with Vista (GRR!)