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Apple's New iOS 6 Maps App Drawing Significant Criticism
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Apple's current anti-google turn is really hurting them. I really hope google gets their dedicated maps app out soon.
I think we need to prepare for things to get much worse... what if Apple adds Bing search.
I think we need to prepare for things to get much worse... what if Apple adds Bing search.
The maps don't contain building numbers and public transit stops. I use these everyday.
This deserves to be quoted again, just for everyone who wants to string up Apple for "ruining" Maps:
You want to be angry at someone? BE ANGRY AT GOOGLE. Everyone who is whining and crying about the Apple Maps app are the same ones who griped at Apple about not offering turn-by-turn navigation. Apple was basically left with three options:
1. Keep using Google's neutered Maps app, and piss off their customers.
2. Build a new Maps app from scratch, and piss off their customers.
3. Buy an existing mapping / nav company, which may not have been financially feasible (and would likely piss off THEIR customers).
Those images above are a disgrace to cartography.
The first one is better, it has all relevant information and street names. The second is a ***** joke. A two year old could do better. If this is what Apple thinks is an acceptable cartographic application, then are mental. Who ever they employed doesn't know his arse from his elbow.
To those saying be angry with Google are you for real? Apple had plenty of choices. They knew when the license would run out. They have had plenty of time to sort something out. For god sake you can by complete world mapping from Ordnance Survey for £500,000. It wouldn't have cost them anything to get this right. It was yet another half baked lazy job. Something that is becoming all to common.
The first one is better, it has all relevant information and street names. The second is a ***** joke. A two year old could do better. If this is what Apple thinks is an acceptable cartographic application, then are mental. Who ever they employed doesn't know his arse from his elbow.
To those saying be angry with Google are you for real? Apple had plenty of choices. They knew when the license would run out. They have had plenty of time to sort something out. For god sake you can by complete world mapping from Ordnance Survey for £500,000. It wouldn't have cost them anything to get this right. It was yet another half baked lazy job. Something that is becoming all to common.
Actually manual forward/back is in the new maps. To go between landmarks just swipe across on the green boxes.
Which is completely justified.
If there had never been maps on the iPhone before, then most people would be reasonable and expect that the functionality would not be perfect from day 1.
However, the iPhone has had an excellent mapping solution for the past 5 years, which has now been taken away and replaced with something vastly inferior. People are right to be up in arms about this downgrade.
And the "Google has had 10 years to perfect their data" excuse doesn't wash. Apple didn't release the original iPhone as a cord phone because Alexander Graham Bell had a 100 year head start.
That pic of the Brooklyn Bridge is priceless...
Apparently this, like Siri, is just a 'beta-state' product. And I thought only Microsoft continually released 'beta-stage' products... (Perhaps the pictures are beta?)
They should have allowed people to choose Google/Apple, but to Apple's defense, this is a 'Big Old Goofy World', and checking ALL of the map pics would take a whole lot of time...
Remember the 'finds' on the street views of Google Maps? Fires, naked people, crashes, all that stuff...
Apparently this, like Siri, is just a 'beta-state' product. And I thought only Microsoft continually released 'beta-stage' products... (Perhaps the pictures are beta?)
They should have allowed people to choose Google/Apple, but to Apple's defense, this is a 'Big Old Goofy World', and checking ALL of the map pics would take a whole lot of time...
Remember the 'finds' on the street views of Google Maps? Fires, naked people, crashes, all that stuff...
4. Keep Google Maps available, but build a separate Maps app. Or bribe Google to overlook the "no navigation" provision - I'm sure Apple would still have plenty of change from their $100bn cash pile.
Well, it is missing my streets address but when I ask it to locate me and then given driving directions it does a good job of that. I like being about to flick forward and backward on signs. So far for me in my area it looks about the same as google maps but not polished up yet. I wonder if the old data maybe with issue with Apples servers having errors and what not. I kinda hope Apple will say in the next few days that some of the maps issues was a server sending out old data error.
I do believe we are beta testing this app for all those iPhone 5 new users out there and Apple is probably scrambling to get a head of the issues before the new iPhone 5's hit the street fri. I think we are beta testing this app just like we were beta testing Siri last yr. Heck is Siri even out of the beta phase yet?
I do believe we are beta testing this app for all those iPhone 5 new users out there and Apple is probably scrambling to get a head of the issues before the new iPhone 5's hit the street fri. I think we are beta testing this app just like we were beta testing Siri last yr. Heck is Siri even out of the beta phase yet?
Arrogance
Apple apparently believes that significantly degrading an established product is fine because demand is so high.
Google Maps is one of the most integrated apps on the current platform, countless apps open it to show directions, etc. I rely heavily on the realtime traffic to make my commute easier and figure out where I need to adjust my route. Any reduction in functionality is a significant hit to the utility I get from my iPhone.
I know a lot of people who look at it the same way. People who were very excited for iPhone 5, and had assumed Apple's Maps would be as good or better than Google Maps (overly optimistic IMO); now they are going to wait it out to see what happens.
If Google cannot (due to Apple) or will not (to pump up Android) publish a standalone Google Maps app, it significantly damages the iPhone platform. But even this will not fix the fact that we will have to cut and paste links to get accurate mapping across apps since Apple's solution will remain the system default.
I need a device I can rely on for this functionality and if it is a phone I don't like as much as the iPhone, but it does what I really need, then so be it.
Apple will find that once you lose a customer, not only is it hard to get them back, but it actually costs money to do so. Unfortunately, of all the things about Steve Jobs that Apple has internalized, it seems that someone feels a need to let petty inter-company fights reduce functionality for the customers.
Not a long term winning strategy. Since Apple's demand is at an all-time high, these concerns might not seem important. But dismissing the need to deliver as good or better performance for features customers actually need will cause them to look elsewhere. Apple will learn.
Apple apparently believes that significantly degrading an established product is fine because demand is so high.
Google Maps is one of the most integrated apps on the current platform, countless apps open it to show directions, etc. I rely heavily on the realtime traffic to make my commute easier and figure out where I need to adjust my route. Any reduction in functionality is a significant hit to the utility I get from my iPhone.
I know a lot of people who look at it the same way. People who were very excited for iPhone 5, and had assumed Apple's Maps would be as good or better than Google Maps (overly optimistic IMO); now they are going to wait it out to see what happens.
If Google cannot (due to Apple) or will not (to pump up Android) publish a standalone Google Maps app, it significantly damages the iPhone platform. But even this will not fix the fact that we will have to cut and paste links to get accurate mapping across apps since Apple's solution will remain the system default.
I need a device I can rely on for this functionality and if it is a phone I don't like as much as the iPhone, but it does what I really need, then so be it.
Apple will find that once you lose a customer, not only is it hard to get them back, but it actually costs money to do so. Unfortunately, of all the things about Steve Jobs that Apple has internalized, it seems that someone feels a need to let petty inter-company fights reduce functionality for the customers.
Not a long term winning strategy. Since Apple's demand is at an all-time high, these concerns might not seem important. But dismissing the need to deliver as good or better performance for features customers actually need will cause them to look elsewhere. Apple will learn.
I don't think age is the issue. The sat image of my home is probably mere weeks old, judging by the state of an unfinished building next door. On the other hand, maps cannot find about half the coffee shops in downtown Boston, including ones that have been there a log time. It's not age, it's completeness.
Your iPad 2 did NOT have: Siri support or Passbook, so why are those on your "downgrade" list.
The Map App supports 3D, which it did not, and finally full turn-by-turn Navigation which it did not. So "downgrade" is really arguable.
The You Tube App is coming for the iPad, and even without, the web-site works, and supports full screen, so I don't see the issue.
And nothing has changed in Apple's handling of iOS updates in older hardware either. The iPhone 4 did not get the 4S Siri in the iOS update either. Hardware in the iOS world that is more than one generation old has always lacked some feature or capability of the newest. (such as 3S compared to 4S, or 3 compared to 4). The processor speeds have nearly doubled with every iteration, so two generations back on any iOS device is hobbled by being 1/4 the current Gen speed. So your claims that: "One major draw of the iOS ecosystem was that you were supported with easy access to new OS features for years" falls flat
With this technology, if you own a piece of portable electronics older than 18 months, you might as well donate it to the Smithsonian Institute.
This is not to absolve Apple, but Google had similar problems 18-24 months ago. Missing towns, locations in the wrong place, unable to find addresses, it was so bad I was considering switching some of my clients to Bing which was more accurate for their needs.
That being said this was a big mis-step by Apple, so much so I wonder if Google opted not to license Apple their maps data.
Still this will all stabilize soon; map data is user generated so starting yesterday Apple will start getting millions of data points to improve their data. I think well start seeing changes happen pretty rapidly now. So tap that Report a Problem and be part of the solution.
That being said this was a big mis-step by Apple, so much so I wonder if Google opted not to license Apple their maps data.
Still this will all stabilize soon; map data is user generated so starting yesterday Apple will start getting millions of data points to improve their data. I think well start seeing changes happen pretty rapidly now. So tap that Report a Problem and be part of the solution.
Let's not kid ourselves here, the new maps app needs a lot of work...a lot! However I am confident that Apple will get it right eventually. The world is a big place so I can't imagine all the time and effort that goes into accurately mapping the whole thing.
And to the people who support Apple on this no matter what, try to remember that before noon yesterday we had a maps program that pretty much worked perfectly. Granted it didn't have turn-by-turn and flyover, but the stuff it had did work.
And to the people who support Apple on this no matter what, try to remember that before noon yesterday we had a maps program that pretty much worked perfectly. Granted it didn't have turn-by-turn and flyover, but the stuff it had did work.
Are you kidding me?? Google maps is used DAILY by millions of users. I can't think of everyone I know that didn't use maps on their iPhone regularly.
Google maps is so superior to everything els, it's sad Apple is switching to something else.
This may hurt Apple fanboys, but the truth is that while Android is indeed a rip off of iOS, it's grown into a vastly superior mobile experience and Apple has not done anything to become #1 again. I want both Samsung and Android to get their asses handed to them, but iOS 6 is another step in the wrong direction.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19659736
link above shows four more examples - all a bit more revealing than the two chosen for this MacRumor's article.
Apple appears to be very, very far behind google in this area.
link above shows four more examples - all a bit more revealing than the two chosen for this MacRumor's article.
Apple appears to be very, very far behind google in this area.
It had to be done to give us turn-by-turn directions due to Google's limitations. If you were one of those that whined about no turn-by-turn directions, then you have no room to criticize the maps app... It WILL get better, but it will also take some time.
However, it is working fine for me, I haven't had any problems yet. I'm sure it depends on where you live.
However, it is working fine for me, I haven't had any problems yet. I'm sure it depends on where you live.