ArcGlobe looks like a useful tool for working with 3D data. However, it is frustrating to use - the navigation controls and rendering speed does not compare to Google Earth. I don't have the patience to wait for ArcGlobe to pan or tilt (especially when I sometimes pan/zoom the wrong way becuase I'm used to the simplicity of Google Earth). For viewing 3D data, I'd rather use Google Earth Pro.
For ArcGIS Explorer, I like the different base maps available (much better than Google Earth). But again, when it comes to navigating and rendering the data, ArcGIS Explorer is too slow and frustrating. Google Earth wins hands down here. When people in my office ask me to recommend a good GIS viewing application, I always recommend Google Earth because it's fast and easy to navigate around (it's very intuitive). The only downfall for Google Earth is the lack of availability of different base datasets. But I cannot recommend ArcGIS Explorer due to it's slow navigation.
More work needs to be done on both ArcGlobe and ArcGIS Explorer to make the navigation and rendering faster and smoother. Google Earth and Google Earth Pro are the best products for data visualization. When I need to use ArcGlobe or ArcGIS Explorer, I prefer to get in and get out as quick as possible, saving Google Earth for most of my visualization of GIS data.
