Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Maps Software is the Best

MonstaMash

MonstaMash

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 24, 2011
206
82
Playing around with Maps on my iPad, the software is the best I've ever used. It's smooth as butter, and the vector graphics are perfect. I love the text scaling and easy rotation. You can easily zoom and rotate the maps canvas as if you were holding a paper maps.

That being said, the DATA is not good. And I agree 100% with the criticism relating to the map related data (flyover images and point of interests).

But I do think Apple developed an amazing software platform for Maps. But the data sucks. I don't blame Scott Forstall for that.

So as long as the data can improve with time, I think Apple has something going for them with this.
 
No, he's right.

The app itself is pretty good technically. However, its backend just isn't up to google's level of quality yet, both in terms of the quality and amount of data and in terms of search accuracy. But, neither was google's maps either back when they released it. Unfortunately, that was a large amount of years ago so I hope Apple can catch up in less time.
 
I agree with the OP. The foundation is in place for an amazing maps experience, and in certain US locales it's already pretty darn good. I have no doubt Apple will become a serious competitor in the maps space.

But they have a ways to go. A long ways. I hope they staff up and get with it.
 
The vectors are extremely low resolution. A lake near me practically looks like a triangle on Apple maps.
 
The app is lacking. It doesn't have night mode. The next direction covers up too much of an iPhone 3.5" screen. You can't interact with the map aside from zooming on the iphone. It doesn't tell you speed or speed limit. You can't use a satellite overlay. Etc etc.

There is plenty I like about it like the way roads are labeled and its smoothness but I don't think it's all that great.
 
It's missing a Night Mode - something most navigation apps have had for years.

Contrast is not nearly high enough as, at a quick glance, many roads easily fade into the background.

I shouldn't have to zoom in all the way in order to get many street names to appear.
 
cynics said:
The app is lacking. It doesn't have night mode. The next direction covers up too much of an iPhone 3.5" screen. You can't interact with the map aside from zooming on the iphone. It doesn't tell you speed or speed limit. You can't use a satellite overlay. Etc etc.

There is plenty I like about it like the way roads are labeled and its smoothness but I don't think it's all that great.
Click to expand...

Also, it doesn't have the ability to save map data.
 
Night mode aside, I buy into the "no distractions" philosophy. Keeps your attention on the road instead of playing with the map, zooming, looking for stuff. And if you are stopped and need to look around, you can switch to overview (though I haven't done much of this, I assume you can search, browse, and resume directions).

Not perfect, but much better than anything else out there.

Just add night mode and overlay traffic info.

----------
DaffyDuck said:
Also, it doesn't have the ability to save map data.
Click to expand...

Do you mean cache? Check this out:

no data needed

That was certainly my experience earlier this week in Korea, where on a visit to Samsung I had an iPhone running iOS 6 which had no data contract. One evening I looked at the overview of North and South Korea (it turns out Apple’s Maps offer more detail than Google does for North Korea; the latter’s is just a white blank). The next day, with zero data coverage, we were taken on a coach trip to a Samsung production facility.

The phone tracked our entire journey, with street-level data including the names of shops, all the way. And all the way back. And then, later, out to the airport. All that, without getting a single extra drop of data.
Click to expand...
 
I'm rooting for Apple, but I have doubts that Apple will be able to pull off the mapping application. It really is all about the data.

Apple can be described as a hardware company, a marketing company, I actually consider them to be a design company. Data isn't in their DNA, at least at this point. Assembling the kind of data necessary for maps takes more than just lists of points of interest and cobbling together maps from different vendors. It takes a lot of folks who are very creative at engineering data solutions. Those folks are hard to find.

It's no surprise to me that Apple came out with a great looking app, that's what they do. It's no surprise to me the data quality is lacking, especially in outlier areas. Data just isn't a product Apple has ever managed before.

They've got the resources to make it happen, but I think it's going to be more difficult than just hiring folks, they need to change their DNA.
 
I love the new maps too

Dont understand all the rage and fury about a version 1 product. What data did google have when they released the maps? Just road names.

Apple maps looks great, is significantly smoother to interact with and seems to use less data. POI will be there within a few months of aggregation but whiners will keep whining and nothing can change that. :rolleyes:
 
spydr said:
Dont understand all the rage and fury about a version 1 product. What data did google have when they released the maps? Just road names.

Apple maps looks great, is significantly smoother to interact with and seems to use less data. POI will be there within a few months of aggregation but whiners will keep whining and nothing can change that. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Well...I'm having a great experience as well....so far! But the first time it sends me to the wrong place an dim late for an appointment, I'll be mad as well.

I'm extremely happy with the added "non-data" enhancements...graphic interface, Siri inclusions for hands free, turn by turn speed and accuracy....

I agree that POI's, where incorrect, will be fixed, but I think people are concerned that it may take longer than they want...and yes, some will whine if it takes longer than one day to fix...:p
 
MozMan68 said:
Hmm...unlike other threads, this one seems to be one of the few on here that actually states correctly what is actually working or ways to make it work better if it isn't.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what is going on in this thread, the original intention of it was to reverse troll. There is clearly another thread of the same ilk where you could have expressed your opinion:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1447276/

There was no need to start this thread when one expressing your views already exists. And calling Apple Maps "the best" is pure flame baiting when the shortcomings of Apple Maps are clearly documented, even by Tim Cook himself.
 
I have to agree that Apple has a solid platform to work from. The integration with Siri is perfect. Prior to getting my iPhone 5 last week, I used the Tom Tom app for navigation. TomTom is wonderful. It always got me where I needed to go. It had search. It was easy to use. But with TomTom I had to unlock my phone, go to the TomTom app, click the menu, navigate to where ever I wanted to go, then get started. Yesterday I told Siri, without even unlocking my phone, "Take me to my aunt's house," and I was on my way. I personally haven't had problems with the data. I would like to see the addition of a night mode and a the ability to say, "I need to go to Place X and Place Y, it doesn't matter in what order."
 
kas23 said:
It doesn't matter what is going on in this thread, the original intention of it was to reverse troll. There is clearly another thread of the same ilk where you could have expressed your opinion:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1447276/

There was no need to start this thread when one expressing your views already exists. And calling Apple Maps "the best" is pure flame baiting when the shortcomings of Apple Maps are clearly documented, even by Tim Cook himself.
Click to expand...

Read the actual title and original post...not me by the way...this thread is about the SOFTWARE interface and particularly precludes any data issues.

OP even states that there are data issues....I was a Garmin user my whole life and agree with the OP that Apple is onto something here with the interface and it is much better than the Google interface.

Data will come...just lucky I guess that it has worked will for me based on where I live and where I have traveled so far.
 
kas23 said:
It doesn't matter what is going on in this thread, the original intention of it was to reverse troll. There is clearly another thread of the same ilk where you could have expressed your opinion:
Click to expand...

I can't wait until the double-reverse-secret-trolling begins~ :rolleyes:
 
MozMan68 said:
Read the actual title and original post...not me by the way...this thread is about the SOFTWARE interface and particularly precludes any data issues.
Click to expand...

The title is misleading then. The term "software" is an all inclusive term. The general term software would include all facets of the app; content, UI, ease of use, performance, etc. A more appropriate title would have been "Apple Maps Interface is the best". Interface, btw, is a term you just used.
 
kas23 said:
The title is misleading then. The term "software" is an all inclusive term. The general term software would include all facets of the app; content, UI, ease of use, performance, etc. A more appropriate title would have been "Apple Maps Interface is the best". Interface, btw, is a term you just used.
Click to expand...

No argument there, but the original post is pretty clear....doesn't seem to be trolling IMHO.
 
MozMan68 said:
No argument there, but the original post is pretty clear....doesn't seem to be trolling IMHO.
Click to expand...

Trolling threads always begin with an outrageous, inflammatory title. That's taught in Trolling 101.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back