Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[moo083]

I generally agree that the frustration over Maps is overhyped. I have used turn by turn way more with this than I ever did with Navigon. The reason? Siri. Totally works.

My only complaint? I listen to audiobooks and I want Siri to pause my audiobook rather than talk over my book.

 

[Popinbottles]

Very relevant to, err, nothing at all because it's a $500+ product being sold in 2012 with clear deficiencies as compared with the 2012 version of Google Maps being shipped as we speak on millions of devices.

Sounds like you have made your choice. You should go get an Android phone.

 

[slineaudi]

I think this was a really silly thing for Tim to write. Apple owes no one an explanation for this. Maps is better than it was and will continue to get better. The navigation interface is amazingly well integrated into the rest of the phone. We've all know this change was happening for months. Best of all, you can always use a third party app if you don't like what apple has done.

 

[CausticPuppy]

He would have written a note no more than a sentence long and make everybody feel happy and Apple stuck would skyrocket... but that was Steve.

Steve wouldn't have written an open letter, he would've just given a terse response via email:


So don't travel then.
-Steve

 

[adbe]

Do you understand that the real objection is that Apple wants your location data vs giving it to Google. Which is their right. But let's not make Apple out to be any less wanting of your info/privacy.

Yes, and i also understand why both companies want that data. Google sees me as a product, Apple does not (yet). Should Apple ever forget themselves and become to greedy, I'll move right along. But currently Apple don't sticks ads on everything I do, they allow me to opt out of any tracking I don't want to be a part of, and make doing so *easy*.

Google values customer privacy too.

Of course they do. That data is their cash cow, they aren't going to give it away freely. Are you seriously equating the data that Apple collects with the range and depth of data that Google collects?

At this time Apple is not interested (and does not appear to even have the nous) to guess what I eat for breakfast. Google could probably give a damn good run at estimating my future health based on my current diet. There's the difference.

 

[theSeb]

I wish Steve was still here. Hey, didn't he have a son?

This is getting old. Steve allowed the release of the iPhone 4 with the antenna gate and Steve allowed the release of mobile me. He also allowed the release of many flawed products and various broken OS releases. It's time to move on now.

Steve Jobs was a brilliant, yet flawed, genius. He wasn't perfect. No person is. How would Steve have handled this? Probably in a similar fashion to the antenna problem... "You're holding it wrong". And then a couple of weeks later Apple had to admit that it was a problem with an official statement and give out free covers. That did not make Apple look like a professional company.

Tim Cook has my utmost respect for releasing this statement instead of arguing with users over email or keeping quiet and pretending the problem does not exist. Having said that, I think the problem has been blown way out of proportion.

It's time to grow up, remove those rose-tinted glasses and move on. Trying to pretend to know what Mr Jobs would have done in this situation is pointless and disrespectful.

 

[polterbyte]

I've said it on twitter and I'll say it again: I have had better experience with Apple's new Maps app on iOS 6 / iPhone 5 in the last week than any other time using a GPS prior.

I am new to turn-by-turn directions, late to the party - yes, but I put it to good use in Maps on iOS 6, driving through DC and into MD and it felt like magic. Truly.

Maps on iOS 6 is one of my favorite new features.

That's my experience.



bp

I totally agree.it's true down here in Brazil as well (at least for the whereabouts I usually traverse, in the São Paulo/Campinas/Sorocaba region. I've been using it for the past week, and haven't experienced anything remotely as bad as has been reported.

 

[stefanb0626]

Thank you for being sorry...now let me downgrade to 5.1.1

 

[daneoni]

Oh Tim, open letters are great but naming the competition is a no no mate. Old Stevie would have erred on the side of caution.

Things like that don't matter as much when you have a $117bn cash reserve.

 

[Qfic]

Dear Tim,

Biking and public transportation directions, please! iOS devices are disproportionately popular in cities where your users get around without driving.

This, this, and this x10!

 

[theSeb]

It doesn't work too well where I live.

Where are you? Seems to do the job down in Dorset and in London. I have to go to Basingstoke sometimes too and it works there.

 

[chrisd1974]

I'm in London and it's fine. Try again, troll.

If London is fine could you check something for me. Is the naming of Blackfriars and Southwark underground stations consistently applied? Do the names and positions of the labels at Waterloo station make any sense to you? Can you find any details about bus stops? Is there a petrol station on the eastern side of Kennington Lane? (it doesn't exist) Are the roads correctly coloured and are the aerial photos as new as a side by side comparison with Google maps? Is street view working?

If I'm wrong on the above I'll stand corrected!

 

[bse3]

Not to sound like an (a), but I honestly don't think Steve would have allowed Maps to be released in its current form. Steve would have never apologized like Tim. That's one way you can tell those two apart.

So that's why MobileMe wasn't a complete disaster at launch, right? Everything was perfect under Steve.

 

[myrtlebee]

I've said it on twitter and I'll say it again: I have had better experience with Apple's new Maps app on iOS 6 / iPhone 5 in the last week than any other time using a GPS prior.

I am new to turn-by-turn directions, late to the party - yes, but I put it to good use in Maps on iOS 6, driving through DC and into MD and it felt like magic. Truly.

Maps on iOS 6 is one of my favorite new features.

That's my experience.



bp

One would expect them to be up to par in the nation's capital and its suburbia. The real test comes when I test them in rural western MD, for which Google has been less than impressive for me over the years.

 

[bpaluzzi]

Keep rolling those eyes. He was previously at Compaq. That's right the people with the GUI that looked like a Filofax drawn in primary colors. I guess that wasn't his fault either.

#1 - he's been at apple since 1998.

#2 - Compaq was PHENOMENALLY successful for the things that Cook had any influence over.

So, uh, what's your point?

 

[DotCom2]

Tim Cook:
WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS BUT WE HATE GOOGLE MORE!

 

[theSeb]

Steve wouldn't have written an open letter, he would've just given a terse response via email:


So don't travel then.
-Steve

Spot on.

 

[celo48]

At least they apologize and not hiding behind anything. Yes, they messed up. Yes, a company like Apple should have done it better but at least we know that they will do everything to make it right.

 

[bpaluzzi]

If London is fine could you check something for me. Is the naming of Blackfriars and Southwark underground stations consistently applied? Do the names and positions of the labels at Waterloo station make any sense to you? Can you find any details about bus stops? Is there a petrol station on the eastern side of Kennington Lane? (it doesn't exist) Are the roads correctly coloured and are the aerial photos as new as a side by side comparison with Google maps? Is street view working?

If I'm wrong on the above I'll stand corrected!

Are you serious? You're a troll. It's known that there are no public transit or street view.

 

[maustin1979]

Can everybody maybe **** off???

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


Image

Apple CEO Tim Cook has published an open letter to customers on the company's website addressing the criticism over the new Apple-powered Maps app in iOS 6. In the letter, Cook apologizes for not meeting expectations and mentions a number of alternative mapping solutions customers may wish to use while Apple is refining its Maps.

Article Link: Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

Personally I haven't found any issue using Apple Maps in iOS6... I'm not saying it's perfect, but it is a fledgling app that has further development requirements before it is perfect - so like any other app out there then as none of them are perfect. The 3d element is really good (even though they haven't gotten around to mapping the town i live in yet) and the satellite pictures need to be taken on a day that you can actually see through the clouds, but again, this will come in time, and probably not too much of it either. I'd rather have this app than the risk of having a ton of personal data sent to google (and wherever else) just so the internet can pretend to know me and keep trying to sell me ***** i don't want.....

Really can't see why so many are making such a big deal about this, get a ****ing life!!!

 

[adbe]

Keep rolling those eyes. He was previously at Compaq. That's right the people with the GUI that looked like a Filofax drawn in primary colors. I guess that wasn't his fault either.

OK, you iz trollin. I wasn't sure[1].

[1] Actually I'm still not 100%, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[nfl46]

So that's why MobileMe wasn't a complete disaster at launch, right? Everything was perfect under Steve.

I never once said Steve was perfect. We all know Steve was arrogant and aggressive. Tim comes off the complete opposite.

 

[theSeb]

#1 - he's been at apple since 1998.

#2 - Compaq was PHENOMENALLY successful for the things that Cook had any influence over.

So, uh, what's your point?

He thought he had a point, but he left it on the bus seat.

 

[canadianpj]

Are you sure, Tim?

Ooooo sarcastic snotty response. Clever.

 

[chrisd1974]

Sounds like you have made your choice. You should go get an Android phone.

I have both.