Apple Acquires Web Mapping Firm Poly9

[inkswamp]

i like google maps

So do I but they're not the only game in town. In fact, I'd say Bing's map site has surpassed Google in recent months. The bird's eye view alone is worth checking out and is far more useful for giving you a real sense of the street level of things than Google's street view--which is fun to play with but feels like more of a novelty than a real tool. And it helps that Bing has my town available now while Google Maps is still struggling to catch up.

Personally, I like that Google knocked down the pretense of not competing with Apple. I'm eager to see what Apple can do to force Google to improve and it's good that Apple isn't going to feel obligated to keep itself tied down to Google. Lately, Google has been letting their core products languish to the extent that I've been moving on to other sites. Their recent changes to their news page is abhorrent. That's the one upside to Microsoft copying everyone else. I can still get the old Google news layout by going to Bing's news site.

a lot of Poly9's work was done in Flash, by the way.

Key word: was.

 

[afireintonto]

And Steve said: let there be iMaps!
Seriously though, I HOPE they don't called it iMaps. That would be confusing.

 

[DougB541]

You think? Just try for instance zip 84647 and look at Bing Maps. Compare Bing and Google imagery. Great if this was 1988 or you love black and white photos. There are many areas like that where Google maps and particularly Google Earth are much better.

Wait what...i just looked up both?

Google:

Bing:

 

[lilo777]

The problem with Apple developing everything in house is that with time Apple ecosystem will be full of internally developed inferior products. They just can not be the best at everything. It will also make it more and more difficult to integrate Apple hardware an software with the rest of the World and you can not win the war against the whole World.

 

[dsyntax]

So do I but they're not the only game in town. In fact, I'd say Bing's map site has surpassed Google in recent months. The bird's eye view alone is worth checking out and is far more useful for giving you a real sense of the street level of things than Google's street view--which is fun to play with but feels like more of a novelty than a real tool.

Not debating your overall point (I don't use Bing maps enough to compare the two), but you might be interested to hear that Google is starting to enter the bird's eye view space. It's only in limited locations at the moment, but I'm sure they'll expand: http://mashable.com/2010/07/10/google-maps-45-degree-aerial/

 

[Shin3r]

From a few threads surrounding Google's IO announcements, I learned that companies who bought other companies as a way to develop products were doing something bad. I can't wait for those same MR members to jump in here and rip Apple over this ...

I have never heard of this being that big an issue. I think this is a little different though, in that Apple hasn't purchased a company just so they can use the program that the company made, like "Coverflow" for instance. In most of the recent Purchases, Apple is looking at the talent of the employees and what the company focus is and snatching them up. Now, they are Apple employees. Nothing wrong with this..let's move on.

 

[pmjoe]

There are quite a few mapping sites out there between Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, etc. I'm not sure why Apple does not just regularly put this mapping stuff out for bid. Once you have the underlying architecture, the rest of it is not rocket science.

 

[Eye4Desyn]

Seriously, there was a time when MapQuest was the coolest tool on the web (before Google Maps even existed). To bash something that was given to you for free and then hope that it dies seems a little malicious. Furthermore, when Google Maps gets the location wrong or cannot identify and/or parse a valid established address, then MapQuest can be a life saver.

To quote Steve Jobs in his exchange with Ryan Tate: "By the way, what have you done that's so great? Do you create anything or just criticize others work and belittle their motivations?"

Really? Does the fact that your 'holier than thou' rhetoric contribute anything more meaningful than what I said initially? I guess you're out creating and doing great things yourself, no? Do you work for MapQuest? Does your mom or dad, brother or sister, best friend, etc. work for MapQuest? Sorry I offended man - I was only exercising my freedom of speech. But I'm sorry my comment ruffled your feathers...I mean maybe this ain't gonna work out between us two - maybe we should just break up.

 

[prmclau]

http://web.archive.org/web/20080404004926/http://poly9.com/

 

[BC2009]

Really? Does the fact that your 'holier than thou' rhetoric contribute anything more meaningful than what I said initially? I guess you're out creating and doing great things yourself, no? Do you work for MapQuest? Does your mom or dad, brother or sister, best friend, etc. work for MapQuest? Sorry I offended man - I was only exercising my freedom of speech. But I'm sorry my comment ruffled your feathers...I mean maybe this ain't gonna work out between us two - maybe we should just break up.

exercise your freedom of speech to your heart's content. and no, i don't know anybody who works for mapquest, nor can i remember the last time i used mapquest -- must have been over 2 years ago. i'm betting some hard work went into creating that website even if its not the best of breed for what it does. and i'm betting some people make their living off what AOL pays them for that work. if you want mapquest to "die" that is your right. it just seems like you could just as easily never enter the URL in your browser instead of hoping that they cease to exist.

as far as us breaking up.... its not you.... it's me -- i just need my space.

 

[BC2009]

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

i'm hard to read sometimes.