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Apple's New iOS 6 Maps App Drawing Significant Criticism
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A lot of people are saying its only natural that it will take to get these maps up to speed as its their first release.
Which is fair enough up to a point, but as I said earlier, the one thing that I really don't get is the lack of road classification. Sure, the data may not be perfect in that respect either, but with the data they have its almost non existent. And then there is the question of why some A roads randomly seem to change between yellow and white, or are mostly white, but have little bits of yellow.
Whatever data they got from TomTom, it almost seems that it would have required some effort not to show road classifications, or show the same A road partly in yellow and partly in white.
Which is fair enough up to a point, but as I said earlier, the one thing that I really don't get is the lack of road classification. Sure, the data may not be perfect in that respect either, but with the data they have its almost non existent. And then there is the question of why some A roads randomly seem to change between yellow and white, or are mostly white, but have little bits of yellow.
Whatever data they got from TomTom, it almost seems that it would have required some effort not to show road classifications, or show the same A road partly in yellow and partly in white.
I use maps a lot. I like flyover .. but in the words of lazy sunday - google maps is the best.
You all forget that Jobs HATED Google with a passion. I doubt that he would've wanted to keep these Google products around. From what I understand, the deal Apple and Google signed expired in 2012, and that's why the Youtube app and Google Maps are no longer in iOS 6.
I highly doubt Jobs would've gone back and tried to renew the agreement with them. It isn't like Apple made mistakes. He was around for Siri when it was released, and it was pretty much useless for the better part of a year.
I highly doubt Jobs would've gone back and tried to renew the agreement with them. It isn't like Apple made mistakes. He was around for Siri when it was released, and it was pretty much useless for the better part of a year.
Google may decide that it's worth losing a bit of feedback from Apple devices because of the competitive advantage that Apple's awful maps give them. They will still get plenty of feedback from Android devices, which massively outnumber iPhones anyway. And their maps are so far ahead that making their maps 110% better than Apple's instead of 100% isn't worth losing the opportunity to watch lots of Apple users jump ship and head in their direction.
And people will definitely be put off iPhones by the new maps. I am an Apple fan through and through but I would have looked around if I weren't an iOS developer. Lots of people rely on the maps app, strange as that clearly seems to some people on these forums.
Do you remember when Google Maps was introduced back in 2006. It didn't have subways for any city. NONE.
It took a whole year just to get partial subway for NYC, DC and San Francisco.
What I'm saying is that we are "primed" to look critically at Apple's take on mapping. Understand and realize that to get where Google Maps is today required 7 years of innovation. Apple just got in the game.
I am not excusing the flaws within their mapping division, but for a first time foray into public release it's beats the living crap out of what Google released back in 2006.
OH, and if you can't remember what cities were even mapped by Google in 2006 - only a handful.
Citation: (for those who are source happy): http://news.com.com/2061-10812_3-6160719.html
I thought he meant buy full licensing for Google Maps and overlay their UI on top of it - That way they could get rid of the 'Google' logo in the corner and the average user wouldn't know that it is Google maps.
OMG. Examine your car analogy and you will find that car analogies are old and idiotic. It's almost a meme at this point.
Why doesn't EVERYONE know this by now?
There's no benefit for Google to not have the latest and greatest on the iPhone. The whole Android exercise would never have existed if Google felt Apple wasn't going to lock them out.
Hello sir. Please go into your mac, open up the ugly orange leather Calendar app, and check the year. It is 2012. Do not hold a product up to a 6 year old standard. Geez...
Aaaarrrrrghhhhhh...!!
Unless there was a licensing issue with Google you are not forgiven - Cook or Forstall whoever made this decision... I have a feeling it was Forstall... Even if Google was asking for a ludicrous sum to renew it would have been worth it... Losing your brand image like this is ********... It takes years and years to build it... And 1 crappy decision to ruin it...!!
People who desperately need maps and can afford a 700$ phone can definitely afford a 30$ third party maps app.... Like Sygic or Navigon or Tom Tom...
Unless there was a licensing issue with Google you are not forgiven - Cook or Forstall whoever made this decision... I have a feeling it was Forstall... Even if Google was asking for a ludicrous sum to renew it would have been worth it... Losing your brand image like this is ********... It takes years and years to build it... And 1 crappy decision to ruin it...!!
People who desperately need maps and can afford a 700$ phone can definitely afford a 30$ third party maps app.... Like Sygic or Navigon or Tom Tom...
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Hello sir. Please go into your mac, open up the ugly orange leather Calendar app, and check the year. It is 2012. Do not hold a product up to a 6 year old standard. Geez...
That's EXACTLY the "6-year old standard" people are sticking to when criticizing Apple ONE day after the launch of the new Maps app...
The relative state of Google Maps when it was first released is a total irrelevance. What matters is what is state of the art and expected by consumers now. And that is something that is way, way more refined than Apple Maps.
It's not as if we would give Apple any slack if they came out with say a TV that was 3 inches thicker than a current LED one on the basis that flat screen TVs were much fatter when they were first released. What matters is what the competing technology is now. And in this regard, Apple is so far behind with Maps that it is embarrassing.
It's not as if we would give Apple any slack if they came out with say a TV that was 3 inches thicker than a current LED one on the basis that flat screen TVs were much fatter when they were first released. What matters is what the competing technology is now. And in this regard, Apple is so far behind with Maps that it is embarrassing.
Luckily, Google Maps has never had glaring errors:
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2010/11/08/oops-google-sparks-invasion/
If you're bored, use the search term "google map errors", switch to image view, then sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
And Google's had years to perfect their application. Hmm.
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2010/11/08/oops-google-sparks-invasion/
If you're bored, use the search term "google map errors", switch to image view, then sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
And Google's had years to perfect their application. Hmm.
1. Google will almost certainly release iOS Google Maps. Just to keep the eye balls for their ads. People will have options.
2. Apple had to sever ties with Google maps. It's not a choice. Google proabably won't allow Apple to have navigation capabilities so Android can trump iPhone.
3. Competition in Map industry with Apple will only be good for Map industry. Anything Apple participates they raise the bar. Sure version 1 may not be all that but anyone remember Android version 1? so many bugs...
4. I wish Apple create a iOS user submitted data base to update it's Map app. iOS users can take photos upload photo and information for Apple to use to improve it's Map app. I bet this will speed up the process 100x.
2. Apple had to sever ties with Google maps. It's not a choice. Google proabably won't allow Apple to have navigation capabilities so Android can trump iPhone.
3. Competition in Map industry with Apple will only be good for Map industry. Anything Apple participates they raise the bar. Sure version 1 may not be all that but anyone remember Android version 1? so many bugs...
4. I wish Apple create a iOS user submitted data base to update it's Map app. iOS users can take photos upload photo and information for Apple to use to improve it's Map app. I bet this will speed up the process 100x.
But, you see, the difference there is that the thickness of the TV could be remedied over time with software updates, whereas this map debacle is set in stone and immutable. Oh...wait...
If a company was willing to give money that would take you 30+ years to make... I'm sure a serious discussion would go down about selling the asset. It just would not make sense to keep it. That money could be invested in something just as creative and possibly better. All I'm saying is, anything is possible with a certain amount of money. Will it ever happen, probably not...
That is a terrible argument. 2006 was a very long time ago in technology terms.
As an analogy if Samsung decided to produce their own mobile phone OS instead of using Android and came out with a crap first attempt next year that was far worse than Android is now, then would you be saying that it was ok because it was much better than the original Android OS was in 2007/2008?
Maybe it was Google that do not want to license it out? it takes two to tango.
iOS and Android are competing head to head. Anyone running business on one side CANNOT be relying the otherside to give you breaks. Simple business.
Apple will be fine. The Map app will be fine. Competition to make Mapping better will be good for us.
This. Also, are all the Apple apologists expecting Google to stand still while Apple tries to catch up? In 7 years, Apple Maps will maybe get to where Google is now, but by then, Google will be lightyears ahead, having mapped the whole world through street view, down to the last village in the forests of Guatemala. They have an infrastructure of regional offices in place, they have the vast search databases, there is no way in hell Apple can come close to that.
It does. Click the blue arrow on the banner above a map pin, scroll down on the next page to report a problem.
But Apple Maps is not 7 years behind. The map data is server side and can be updated 24/7. Features such as Transit maps didn't appear until less than two years ago and for all we know it could be added very shortly to Apple Maps. But, by all means, overreact just like people do to any quibble that is found with each iteration of iOS.