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This seems to show, more than anything, Apple’s first step on its slide to mediocrity without Steve behind the wheel.

Really? Releasing Maps is a sign that a nearly 1 trillion dollar company is on a slide toward mediocrity? Okay... yeah, because the Maps application is Apple's signature product. [sarcasm]
 
As far as I see it, you can only test something like Apple maps for so long in Beta. At some point it had to be released, and what better than 100 million users to help fix up your data.
10 million, 1 million? It seems ridiculous to roll it out to everyone in place of a working app when it is so unpolished. There must be far more 'issues' rolling in than Apple can hope to process.


Why not deploy it as an option? "Turn by Turn" and Apple announcing the old maps were going away in a future version of IOS would give people incentive to curate data for their home town etc without the pain of being stuck with substandard maps.


If it were an option then I'd happily help Apple improve their maps. Because it's an either-or choice I am sticking with IOS 5.
 
Maps will be improved much faster with customer feedback than they could have been in private.

Being a software developer doesn't have anything to do with it. The software is done. It's the data that's lacking.

Thank you. It's so simple, yet so complicated. Apple wrote the front end for Google Maps on iOS. Google provided the data. In a year it will be as accurate as Google. Google would not let Apple have Turn by Turn for iOS 6.

Ok, see ya. :)
 
Really? Releasing Maps is a sign that a nearly 1 trillion dollar company is on a slide toward mediocrity? Okay... yeah, because the Maps application is Apple's signature product. [sarcasm]

"Find a gas station. Find a restaurant. Or find yourself looking down on the Empire State Building. Beautifully designed from the ground up, Maps will change the way you see the world."

This is why they get the scrutiny. They pump themselves up and then release a dud. I happened with SIRI and its happening even worst with maps..

Hell on there iOS6 page its the FIRST thing they talk about.. "MAPS"

----------

Thank you. It's so simple, yet so complicated. Apple wrote the front end for Google Maps on iOS. Google provided the data. In a year it will be as accurate as Google. Google would not let Apple have Turn by Turn for iOS 6.

Ok, see ya. :)

you are delusional if you thing Apple will have as much data as google in a year. You are assuming Google sits on their behinds and waits... They are behind google in data and features... it will take more than 1 year.
 
For all of you giving Apple so much grief about the maps app, how many of you have actually used it for anything useful? Like work related? I just went to Philly yesterday and drove around the city and the suburbs for about 50 miles--the app worked flawlessly and was superior to both Garmin and Navigon (both of which I have).
 
Android phones have had far superior native maps/navigation since day 1, and I agree with the article that the gap was widening with each release. Apple made the right move. They'll get maps right eventually.

I was time to move on awhile ago, since google was holding back and making android maps better. Apple maps is working fine for me, but there is still a long way to go.
 
I need Apple to place a "Reset Maps" button in Settings so that my "trusted :rolleyes: " friends don't look through my history and recent places.
 
And wasn't it Steve who decided to go thermonuclear on Google? Steve deserves a lot of the blame for this IMO.

Um, didn't Google go thermonuclear on Apple first? Remember "A Future We Do Not Want?"

Google fired the first shot by ripping iOS. Apple would be a fool to let them continue to mooch off the iOS platform now that they have a competing platform of their own that they're willing to give to any 2-bit Korean knockoff artist.

Now Apple, get working on a search service.
 
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Amid widespread complaints over Apple's new iOS 6 Maps app, which replaced the Google-powered application that had shipped on iOS devices since the iPhone debuted in 2007, some observers have wondered how much of the shift was due to Apple's desire to reduce its reliance upon on Google and how much might be due to other factors.

Image


In particular, there has been some speculation that demands by Google could also have played a role in Apple's decision, with the suggestion being that Apple may have been forced to roll out its own mapping solution a bit sooner than it had planned for if its contract with Google had been running out.

The Verge now reports that such speculation is unfounded, with Apple and Google having had over a year left on their contract for Google's Maps app. Consequently, Apple could presumably have continued using Google's app in iOS 6 as it worked to improve its own mapping product for a launch with iOS 7 next year.Apple's decision apparently caught Google off-guard, as Google is reportedly still several months away from having a standalone maps app ready for submission to the App Store.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Had Over a Year Left on Maps Contract with Google

good, f$&k google and Android.
 
Another year without native Turn-by-turn directions is a long time in Smartphone land.

I'm guessing Apple wanted that happening now (especially as a much needed perk to Siri) and bit the bullet on releasing Maps when they could.
They take the heat for several months, lose a few customers, absorb as much data correction and new hires as they can and then fix the issues.

Come iPhone 5S I doubt the Maps problem will be all that significant, and it will be a great feature that Apple has total control over.
 
If Google insists on offering an inferior product for iOS, even after Apple offered reasonable license fee, just to advance Android platform, Apple should drag them to court.

Now not only Apple has a bad product, Google can still offer standalone app, drag Apple to court to allow iOS integration, provide offline capability just to stick it to Apple.

Even the best GPS/Navi apps like TomTom($49) has no search functionality. You have to enter address or pick from Places/POIs. So even Apple take over one of these companies, they still need a search engine.
 
For all of you giving Apple so much grief about the maps app, how many of you have actually used it for anything useful? Like work related? I just went to Philly yesterday and drove around the city and the suburbs for about 50 miles--the app worked flawlessly and was superior to both Garmin and Navigon (both of which I have).

New York City... 3 meetings today - over 5 people tried to navigate using Apple Maps, none successful. I asked it to guide me from my home to a Thai-restaurant two blocks away, could not find the place through search even though it's there as a POI, had to type in the COMPLETE address including state before something happened and then it tried to send me via Battery Park and Water Street - on a 4 mile round-trip...

The app sucks - it's as simple as that.
 
...and then this comes out. Well this news certainly shows some degree of arrogance on Apple's part. I for one, vastly prefer Google's mapping even without the turn by turn because of the extreme goes-with-out-saying superiority of their mapping data.
 
That's good, because you don't have any choice.

Yes he does. There are plenty of apps and also the Google Maps web app. It would just be better if the default Maps program was good. It's great in my area, so I have nothing to complain about here.
 
Android phones have had far superior native maps/navigation since day 1, and I agree with the article that the gap was widening with each release. Apple made the right move. They'll get maps right eventually.

I totally agree! So far, I'm happy with the TbyT on my iPhone 5. I think the Flyover feature is fun to show friends, but its not a feature that I use for anything beyond entertainment (for now).
 
Me as well. And it will only get better from here on out.

Yea but Google Maps is already better.

Screw Schmidt and Girgle.
As good as Girgle maps is I would never do business with a company who stabs be in the back and offers features to their own OS first. Apple had no choice but to develop their own maps.
Schmidt looks and acts like a sleaze bag.

What are you 12? Get a clue dude.
 
Yes he does. There are plenty of apps and also the Google Maps web app. It would just be better if the default Maps program was good. It's great in my area, so I have nothing to complain about here.

It would be better if I could set the default Maps app myself - until then I'm applying a fix/work-around because Apple screwed up my phone.
 
What a frigging boneheaded move. The person responsible should be questioned closely. And I daresay that Steve would never have released a new service that was worse than the old.

Final Cut Pro X, anyone?

you "Steve would never..." people are a joke. you didn't know the man and he wasn't infallible.
 
The Google Maps app has been on the iPhone since 2007. It can't be that difficult for Google to bundle it up as a standalone app.
 
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