recently, i write a program about Virtual Earth. when i invoke its API, i can get 20 results once. if i need get more than 400 results, i need loop invoke 20 times and need serveral seconds. it is so slow that users cannot accept. i want to use MapPoint Web Service, i don't know whether it will be faster than before. In addtion, i donn't know how to get a MapPoint Web Service ID? Is the ID free?

You can get free developer credentials at MapPoint Web Service (http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint/products/webservice/default.mspx)
along with further details. My experience is that it is not very fast, but there is no substitute if you are looking at routes outside desktop Mappoint's range (Google does not). My impression is Microsoft is very unsure/confused about what it is doing with web service if you are not an existing enterprise customer (maybe even then). But you can get the developer credentials to generate several 100 requests before it blows out.

thanks John.Sewell (http://www.mapforums.com/john-sewell-member.html), i will try the mappoint. i hope it faster

i have a question. if i use the mappoint to search something(such as restaurant), we need specify a DataSource. But we don't know its datasource, what should i do?

There is a good article in the Mappoint web service help (link on from previous link) on which data source covers which geography and range... the highest level (& least detail) is Mappoint.World or Mappoint.WorldRoutable. I think to get restaurant data you will need either to upload it yourself (which is possible) or be in Western Europe (.EU) or North America (.NA) (poss. Australia - .APAC - too). Please note these are comments from struggling with this over the last month, so many others will have more knowledge!

thanks John.Sewell (http://www.mapforums.com/john-sewell-member.html), i have tried these two datasource names, but they cann't work. are there any other aproach?