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Everyone needs to calm down about Apple maps.

CrAkD

CrAkD

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Feb 15, 2010
3,181
257
Boston, MA
Now I don't know about Googles Map app on android devices as I have never used it. However I have used the stock map app on iphone and ipad since 07. I was worried like most of you when I installed the beta that apples maps simply wont be ready for prime time....

Im now on beta 3 and I can't be happier with apples maps. The Yelp and Open Table integration is fantastic. yes theres no "streetview" but I hardly ever used it and the overhead view or yelp pictures of the business your looking for more then make up for it!

Turn-by-turn is glorious. Me and My gf both have indash gps units in our cars yet we find ourselves using the turn by turn on my phone because it recalculates before you even finish taking the wrong turn. searching for an address is instant rather then searching on your phone and then typing it into the car.

Overall I think everyone will be more then happy with apples maps. Recreating your own map service is a HUGE undertaking and it will take time to get every little thing people are used to from google maps right but it will get there. I also think apple devoted so much to making the map service perfect thats why its one of the only big new features to ios 6.
 
My issue is inaccuracy. It was many blocks off finding my house in the Chicago burbs. I'm hoping this works itself out closer to GM. I won't be getting rid of Navigon anytime soon.
 
I too love Apple Maps so far on my 4S I use the turn by turn every chance I get. I love the look of the maps and I love how the points of interest show up without even having to type in anything. I mean how am I supposed to be interested in an interest point if I don't know it is there! I used Google Maps before all the time and it was notorious for being inaccurate especially in my little college town in south Georgia. My neighborhood down there was new only 2 years old. I lived there for a year and then graduated and it wasn't until 6 months after that that it finally showed up in Google Maps so 3 1/2 years it took Google to put it there. Yes, it is a small town but it is worth noting. When I had the iPhone original and I used Google Maps for the first time to get me somewhere in Kennesaw, Ga. it said the address was somewhere that wasn't even close to where the actual place was that I was going to. There were several other times over the years that it Google was off sometimes not by enough to really get upset over but still the point is even the King can be wrong.

Also I would like to note that Apple Maps tells you what side of the street your destination is on when you get close! GOOGLE NEVER DID THAT!!! It drove me crazy that Google Maps wouldn't tell me what side of the street I needed to be turning into. Which when you are on a 4-6 lane road like some in my area having to dart across traffic to get to the correct side often isn't possible and could kill someone forcing you to miss your turn and have to turn around.

Apple Maps will continue to improve with time and now that it is Apple's own thing and not at the mercy of their rival, they can do virtually anything they want with it coming up with all kinds of new handy things that could put Google Maps to shame.
 
ben824 said:
I too love Apple Maps so far on my 4S I use the turn by turn every chance I get. I love the look of the maps and I love how the points of interest show up without even having to type in anything. I mean how am I supposed to be interested in an interest point if I don't know it is there! I used Google Maps before all the time and it was notorious for being inaccurate especially in my little college town in south Georgia. My neighborhood down there was new only 2 years old. I lived there for a year and then graduated and it wasn't until 6 months after that that it finally showed up in Google Maps so 3 1/2 years it took Google to put it there. Yes, it is a small town but it is worth noting. When I had the iPhone original and I used Google Maps for the first time to get me somewhere in Kennesaw, Ga. it said the address was somewhere that wasn't even close to where the actual place was that I was going to. There were several other times over the years that it Google was off sometimes not by enough to really get upset over but still the point is even the King can be wrong.

Also I would like to note that Apple Maps tells you what side of the street your destination is on when you get close! GOOGLE NEVER DID THAT!!! It drove me crazy that Google Maps wouldn't tell me what side of the street I needed to be turning into. Which when you are on a 4-6 lane road like some in my area having to dart across traffic to get to the correct side often isn't possible and could kill someone forcing you to miss your turn and have to turn around.

Apple Maps will continue to improve with time and now that it is Apple's own thing and not at the mercy of their rival, they can do virtually anything they want with it coming up with all kinds of new handy things that could put Google Maps to shame.
Click to expand...

Apple maps are terrible compared to Google at this point in time. And Google nav does tell you what side of the street your destination is on.
 
alex2792 said:
Apple maps are terrible compared to Google at this point in time. And Google nav does tell you what side of the street your destination is on.
Click to expand...

This. And what about me, with an iPhone 4 and no turn by turn or flyover? All Apple Maps gives me is a new interface, but far inferior maps. The colors are dull, the text is difficult to read, the data is wrong, it is far less detailed, and the routes are tedious and just plain dumb sometimes. Apple Maps is awful, I can't believe they just foist it onto all of their users.
 
No public transport or walking directions means you did it wrong.

I'm also not crazy about the lack of public transport information in Apple's maps. This is a HUGE deal to anyone living in a major city, where it just doesn't make a lot of sense to have a car. Turn by turn is not a good trade off for not having public transport. Google's in an interesting position. If they don't make their maps application available on the iOS app store, then I'm far more likely to buy an android phone next. I don't want to, but public transportation and walking directions are two things I use each and every day.

I get that Apple is new to the mapping game and this is just stage one. But that's not my problem; it's Apple's. I need what I need and if they don't provide it, then I might have to go. I'm even willing to part with street view, despite using it often. That's the level of sacrifice I WOULD make to stay on ios.
 
Jordan921 said:
Did you forget that it's only in beta 3 and has improved a lot since beta 1?
Click to expand...

My issue is not even as much with the amount of available data but that incorrect data is being added knowing full well that it's not correct. Take the boundary of a lake as an example. You can switch to satellite view and see that the lake continues on the other side of the road but it stops at the road on Apple's map. If you are going to draw a lake, draw it correctly or don't add to the map at all it until it is correct. It's not like Apple to do things this way. We didn't get any form of cut and paste until they felt they had perfected it.

OK, the amount of data is an issue for me too, as is losing street view but I digress.
 
zbarvian said:
This. And what about me, with an iPhone 4 and no turn by turn or flyover?
Click to expand...

You can't blame Apple for you not having the latest hardware.

All Apple Maps gives me is a new interface, but far inferior maps.
Click to expand...

They're vector based, that alone makes them superior.

The colors are dull,
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Who needs dazzling colours?

the text is difficult to read,
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False. The Text is much clear and less crowded.

the data is wrong,
Click to expand...

Errors can easily be corrected if reported.

it is far less detailed,
Click to expand...

Maybe at the moment. Easily improved.

and the routes are tedious
Click to expand...

Go to more exciting places then. :p

and just plain dumb sometimes.
Click to expand...

Reflection of the user maybe. :p
 
CrAkD said:
Now I don't know about Googles Map app on android devices as I have never used it.
Click to expand...
You haven't used the competing maps that everyone is comparing it to, yet you think people should calm down about Apple's maps?!?!?

The problem isn't that Apple is doing its own maps because it might work out in the long run. The problem is that, similar to how people claim(ed) Apples iOS is years ahead of the competition, Google Maps is years ahead of Apple.

Just because its Apple doesn't mean its "better".
 
KittyKatta said:
You haven't used the competing maps that everyone is comparing it to, yet you think people should calm down about Apple's maps?!?!?

The problem isn't that Apple is doing its own maps because it might work out in the long run. The problem is that, similar to how people claim(ed) Apples iOS is years ahead of the competition, Google Maps is years ahead of Apple.

Just because its Apple doesn't mean its "better".
Click to expand...

They're only years in time, not necessary in functionality.
 
KittyKatta said:
You haven't used the competing maps that everyone is comparing it to, yet you think people should calm down about Apple's maps?!?!?

The problem isn't that Apple is doing its own maps because it might work out in the long run. The problem is that, similar to how people claim(ed) Apples iOS is years ahead of the competition, Google Maps is years ahead of Apple.

Just because its Apple doesn't mean its "better".
Click to expand...

Er, he's talking about the Google Maps app on Android.
 
KittyKatta said:
You haven't used the competing maps that everyone is comparing it to, yet you think people should calm down about Apple's maps?!?!?

The problem isn't that Apple is doing its own maps because it might work out in the long run. The problem is that, similar to how people claim(ed) Apples iOS is years ahead of the competition, Google Maps is years ahead of Apple.

Just because its Apple doesn't mean its "better".
Click to expand...

Hey genius. I have used the google maps app on iphone for 5 years. Thats what I see everyone complaining about losing.
 
Google Maps should've stayed as long as the Apple Maps is in beta at least. This isn't a gimmick like Siri, it has some serious uses. A shame to see a polished app get replaced by a beta.

I think most people who are using the 'it's a beta' argument have never really needed a map/navigation application extensively. Betas don't excuse removal of something as essential.
 
im pretty sure i read that google was going to make a map app for the iphone, so you can all calm down actually, as you will have your google maps back at some point
 
alex2792 said:
Apple maps are terrible compared to Google at this point in time. And Google nav does tell you what side of the street your destination is on.
Click to expand...

Google never once told me what side of the street my destination was on. I have had an iPhone since 2007 with the birth of the iPhone and have used every rendition of Google maps and used it constantly to look up information on businesses as well as navigation.

buddybd said:
Google Maps should've stayed as long as the Apple Maps is in beta at least. This isn't a gimmick like Siri, it has some serious uses. A shame to see a polished app get replaced by a beta.

I think most people who are using the 'it's a beta' argument have never really needed a map/navigation application extensively. Betas don't excuse removal of something as essential.
Click to expand...

I seriously use my maps app for navigation on almost a daily basis for personal use as well as for business. I look up places and share locations with my colleagues regularly. Apple maps as been very accurate so far and a complete pleasure to use. Native turn-by-turn is a dream! I was using the Waze app before if I needed a REAL turn-by-turn nav app since Google maps was so useless in that area. But Apple Maps turn-by-turn is a even more wonderful to use than Waze. The only thing I like about Waze compared to Apple Maps is it would show where other users marked where a cop was sitting on the highway.

A product being in beta not fully public ready is an absolutely legitimate argument to give it a chance to work the bugs out and improve data bases. Not to mention Google Maps on the iPhone had no hope for improvement or addition of new features with the current Apple vs. Google rivalry. Now the iPhone has the ability to improve on a native Maps and navigation app that was once before extremely unlikely of ever doing.

Nobody is saying Apple Maps is better than Google Maps, we are saying it IS GOOD and has potential to be a great app for the iPhone for now and into the future.
 
Google may have been a little over confident with their product and Apple a little ambitious but I think this move has more upside to Apple in allowing them to better control their own destiny/direction. They need to deliver though.
 
infinity12402 said:
im pretty sure i read that google was going to make a map app for the iphone, so you can all calm down actually, as you will have your google maps back at some point
Click to expand...

you can just access it through safari even now. might not be the most elegant, but its functional. i don't quite understand the big deal but whatever.
 
Daremo said:
My issue is inaccuracy. It was many blocks off finding my house in the Chicago burbs. I'm hoping this works itself out closer to GM. I won't be getting rid of Navigon anytime soon.
Click to expand...
Why would you "get rid of Navigon"? Are you out of space? Navigon will continue as an excellent regardless of how good or bad the new maps are.
 
ARH1956 said:
Why would you "get rid of Navigon"? Are you out of space? Navigon will continue as an excellent regardless of how good or bad the new maps are.
Click to expand...

Because if Apple Maps work well, and serves my needs, why wouldn't I use the one that's integrated into my phones OS? I'm only interested in what works best for me overall. If I find Maps does this, no need to keep an app on the phone I never use. I'm not an "app hoarder."
 
I've been lurking around here for a bit watching the progress on Maps but decided to sign up to ask a question.
As I'm in Tokyo the transit stuff doesn't concern me so much as there 1000% better apps than the google stuff for getting around, actually the google stuff is useless. Even the street view isn't a concern as long as we have the flyover(at the moment I don't think Tokyo has flyover with any real detail), what is a major concern is that the train stations need to have the exits labeled. For example Shinjuku station probably has 50+ exits all labeled and labeled on google basic 2d maps. This is crucial to be able to exit at the right exit colse to destinations and joining stations etc. The amount of time wated and risk of being seriously lost without this data is very real. From what I have seen so far the Apple maps doesn't include exit numbers, or maybe nobody has zoomed in enough to tell. Can one of the beta testers zoom in on Shinjuku Station to see if there are exits defined, i.e. A-1 A-2 B-1, B-23, etc.
Thanks
Paul
 
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