It gave me a map code that was longer than my postcode. I'm not sure how postcodes work everywere else in the world, but in the uk they point to a specific road, so it's pretty good for navigating to a place with.
I do know that in belgium they point to an area, so they're not as good as a navigation aid.
I live in quite a big block of maisonettes. At the maximum map zoom level, trying to pin down the exact location of my particular house gave me about three options to choose from –just by moving the cursor a few mm in any direction. So what happens then? Do I pick the mapcode I like best? Does some central body decide which is my 'official' mapcode?
Living in the UK, I don't see what this offers over my postcode, which identifies my location to within a couple of houses. The houses across the street have a different postcode to me as do my neighbours three doors away. Theoretically* all anyone needs to find me is my house number and postcode. Try it. Send me a postcard:
madra
84A <----- house no.
M15 6FD <----- postcode
England
*Actually, it's not theoretical. I have as an experiment in the past sent someone a letter addressed just to their house number and postcode and it got there. In spite of that I do tend to write out fuller addresses though. It just seems a bit too 'minimalist' relying on only the postcode.
I do know that in belgium they point to an area, so they're not as good as a navigation aid.