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Apple Reportedly Had Over a Year Left on Maps Contract with Google
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Actually you do have a choice. Google Maps web app which sucks just like the Google powered iOS maps app. I personally like the new version better. Street view isn't a plus and with google blocking turn-by-turn, apple made the right choice.
The problem with crowdsourced bugfinding is that it goes against Apples philosophies completely, and Im amazed at how the cognitive dissonance has caused peoples opinions to change so rapidly. Apple was always the "Well released it when its ready" company, and the new Maps seems to show the exact opposite.
Does nobody remember the downsides of on-unit turn-by-turn navigation? Does nobody remember the complete decimation of TomTom and other GPS device manufacturers after the advent of smartphones? All of those downsides still apply, but now that Apple has rolled out their new solution, everyone thinks its the best thing since sliced bread.
Not to mention, this solution screams of outright cheapness and laziness. Rather than negotiate the use of Googles more advanced APIs and provide their customers with the very best mapping solution while they worked on their own, they decided that the consumer should work out the bugs for themselves and become their own cartographer. In densely packed cities, mapping is key, especially when finding meeting places, restaurants, or events. There can be almost no margin for error.
This seems to show, more than anything, Apples first step on its slide to mediocrity without Steve behind the wheel.
Does nobody remember the downsides of on-unit turn-by-turn navigation? Does nobody remember the complete decimation of TomTom and other GPS device manufacturers after the advent of smartphones? All of those downsides still apply, but now that Apple has rolled out their new solution, everyone thinks its the best thing since sliced bread.
Not to mention, this solution screams of outright cheapness and laziness. Rather than negotiate the use of Googles more advanced APIs and provide their customers with the very best mapping solution while they worked on their own, they decided that the consumer should work out the bugs for themselves and become their own cartographer. In densely packed cities, mapping is key, especially when finding meeting places, restaurants, or events. There can be almost no margin for error.
This seems to show, more than anything, Apples first step on its slide to mediocrity without Steve behind the wheel.
Sometimes I don't understand how these kinds of decisions are made.
Yeah, ok guys lets just go ahead and release a mapping program that's not ready for prime time, no one will notice.
Probably the same guy made the design decision on the slate back that scratches easily.
Good looking you bet, if your going to keep it in a display case, and not use it every day.
Whatever, we'll get the map program at some point until then we will survive somehow.
Yeah, ok guys lets just go ahead and release a mapping program that's not ready for prime time, no one will notice.
Probably the same guy made the design decision on the slate back that scratches easily.
Good looking you bet, if your going to keep it in a display case, and not use it every day.
Whatever, we'll get the map program at some point until then we will survive somehow.
So far, Apple maps has worked great in my Area. I don't miss Google maps.
Apple Maps iOS integration is super tight as well, which is nice.
Apple Maps iOS integration is super tight as well, which is nice.
I've used it to drive through Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee. My friend used it to drive 12 states from Texas to Chicago, then New York, and then back through the South.
Except for a couple POI issues (this was during beta 4), it worked flawlessly. I also used it in Scotland and Croatia where it also worked flawlessly.
Its not as bad as you make it out to be.
I prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps.
I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who felt this way too. I can understand some people might have some complaints, but it honestly seems like some people are complaining for the sake of it, and not because they've actually used it for any substantial length of time and it caused nothing but problems. I've been using this exclusively since iOS6 beta 1, and I have had virtually no troubles with it. Found plenty of points of interest, gave me excellent directions, and I've enjoyed the beautiful uncluttered cartography design.
Apple needed to get this out, it's that simple. They can't find every single inaccuracy in a lab testing it, it needs to be put in the real world. They probably felt that iOS 6 was the ideal time to do it, since this would be a very ambitious and resource-intense undertaking. iOS 6 has really felt like its setting the stage for the future, and getting Maps out of the way. 6 has a lot of redesigns and nips and tucks, but nothing major. Refinements, and Maps. Just seems like they're getting this stuff out of the way for bigger things to come in iOS 7. So they really wouldn't have the resources and time to launch Maps other than now, while they can.
For a company with more than 100 billion USD in cash, that is a pathetic defense. The data that they need can be BOUGHT from other companies who have it - they should just have kissed their check book and there wouldn't be this mess. (Yeah, I know that they bought data from TomTom. But there are more and better sources available.)
Besides, I doubt that it's just the data that is lacking. Those screwed-up 3D images look like real software bugs.
And good ole' fashioned PAPER MAPS. The ones that crinkle when you open them and are a hassle to close.
I'm just glad Apple took the first step toward innovating that Maps app. I for one think that having such a basic app as pre-iOS6 Maps gets tiring after a few years.
Ummmm MobileMe?? Right. Lol
Siri wasn't ready for prime time either. Apple just wants things out. Let users use them and then mold them.
3 months is not a very long amount of time for devlop, test and prepare it. Something like making Google maps for iOS takes several months to get from start to finish and that is if they are completely done with the design side. Chances are it was still on the to do list and not even in design. Kind of hard to start programming for something when it is still in the design phase. Yes you can program while stuff is being designed but you need some stuff off the drawing boards first. Design needs some lead time over development. This followed by testing. Testing for something for the maps would more than likely be a few months as well. It would need fair amount of real world testing, bug fixes, and more testing before shipping and making it ready for prime time.
Would not be surprised if they could of.
I hope this is not a serious answer, or it's the most ignorant thing I've read all day.
It may have been better to have Apple Maps and Google maps side-by-side, and have the Apple maps be an App store download like iBooks, Find my iPhone, etc.
Clearer in the original article, but they were caught "off guard" since they were only told a short period before WWDC. Which means Google weren't doing the prep work for a replacement app months beforehand for a seamless transition like they did with Youtube, but started their efforts in June. 4 months isn't nearly enough for a project of that scale.
Money Makes the Rules
I'm really getting annoyed at some of these negative posts about Maps. Yeah... because you know that Apple rarely, if ever, gets it right. Like when they created:
- iTunes
- iPod
- entered the smartphone market
- basically created the tablet market
ALL FAILURES. What was Apple thinking. OR ... maybe ... we should just give Apple a chance considering:
#1 Google's map stuff is really really old and was in need of an update anyway
#2 Apple is projected to be worth 1 trillion dollars and is currently building a "spaceship" (do you realize how many companies--and their patents--Apple could buy overnight).
#3 Apple continues to be the innovator with companies like Google and Samsung playing either catch-up or copycat.
I'm really getting annoyed at some of these negative posts about Maps. Yeah... because you know that Apple rarely, if ever, gets it right. Like when they created:
- iTunes
- iPod
- entered the smartphone market
- basically created the tablet market
ALL FAILURES. What was Apple thinking. OR ... maybe ... we should just give Apple a chance considering:
#1 Google's map stuff is really really old and was in need of an update anyway
#2 Apple is projected to be worth 1 trillion dollars and is currently building a "spaceship" (do you realize how many companies--and their patents--Apple could buy overnight).
#3 Apple continues to be the innovator with companies like Google and Samsung playing either catch-up or copycat.
I wholeheartedly agree about the desktops issue. But I don't think they're necessarily wasting money on the maps app.
There is an untapped fortune in tracking user locations, which can be aggregated, filtered, etc to more effectively target ads to individuals. They'd really be dropping the ball if they just let Google take that whole business without so much as a protest.
Yeah, that's the whole thing; a classic catch 22. Without that all-important user input, it would take them way longer to get to a near flawless, polished product, which is what we're all hoping/waiting for.
MapQuest app is not available here outside the USA, where the Apple Maps fail the most.
Bing maps don't have any POI data.
Google Maps in browser is ok, but still just a cheap work around. We still have to use Apple Maps in every other app.
CoPilot Live is a navigation app and just for Europe it costs $42.99. No thanks.
I haven't been personally affected by the new maps app, but obviously a lot of people have. I don't think Apple should have released the app yet and especially if they had another year left with Google.
Being so well known for releasing amazing products, perhaps they should have lived up to that and waited another year and released it with iOS7 - but a version of maps that actually is 'perfect'
Being so well known for releasing amazing products, perhaps they should have lived up to that and waited another year and released it with iOS7 - but a version of maps that actually is 'perfect'
You've obviously never looked at Japan in the new map app. Satellite imagery is fuzzy/useless, train stations are either located in the wrong place, non-existent, or mislabeled, and vast areas of Tokyo - Tokyo, one of the largest cities in the world! - appear to be large, empty fields. It's obvious that nobody at Apple bothered checking here, either.