Google Maps for iOS Downloaded More than 10 Million Times

[samcraig]

Really? for you maybe, since you think so. As for me, I began using it the first week it came out and I have not found an issue with it yet. I like the Siri integration and how it uses my address book to pull up the address of the people I visit. I had never been to Chicago and the Apple map app led me directly to my relative's current address. This is my personal experience with the app.

Try leaving the country and see how great it is. No. really. Try.

 

[iSlicer]

Why no rational feedback?

I just get labeled a Fan Boy, but my comments are not responded to.

[Moderator note: Please don't repeat the same post. The previous post is here for those who want to reply to it.]

 

[NOS2U]

Try leaving the country and see how great it is. No. really. Try.

you also have to understand that its difficult for Apple to map out on its first try city streets that were carved out by donkey and mule trains.

 

[tatonka]

So, again: Why are you elated that google maps is back?

1) Apple Maps integrates well with your contacts, Google maps does not.
2) Apple Maps shows way more points of interest.
3) Apple Maps integrates (obviously) very well with Siri.
4) Apple Maps shows you road islands and where you are able to u-turn, Google Maps just show a road.
5) Apple Maps rotate smoothly when turning, Google Maps does not.
6) Apple Maps has an excellent and clear voice system, Google Maps (Sorry Americans) sounds very nasal and unclear.
7) Apple Maps is more clear and beautiful HOWEVER, Google Maps street names are slightly more legible.
8) Apple Maps get me from the city to my home without asking me to turn right at a NO RIGHT turn and Apple Maps didn't ask me to re-route around 3 kilometres due to the failure of the NO RIGHT turn.

I am going to film this, side by side on my dash, because the Google Fans will not believe me that Google Maps is giving me false directions.

LASTLY: Apple came out of the gates with a product that was not perfect, but was very very useable and clean (better on some accounts, worse on others when compare to googles offering). Difference, Apple as had their product out for a couple of months. Google has had theirs out for 10+ years. I love how comments have said "Good start and solid app out the gate for Google". WANKERS.

There is one thing that Apple maps is terrible at and that is finding the place I am looking for. The best routing doesn't help one little bit if the destination is never found or wrong. To give you an example of how bad the search algorithms are, when I search for my home address abbreviating the Road to Rd., the search fails. Of course I can correct that spelling myself, but often enough I get an Address dictated over the phone and don't necessarily know the correct spelling, Google almost always finds me the place I am looking for in no time, whereas with Apple maps I needed multiple tries to find places I sort of already knew.

And honestly, I don't care if it is hard to develop a map app. I don't care that Google has had a 10 years head start. I am not an Apple guinea pig and I am not a beta tester. I am a customer who paid a premium price for my iDevice and I want it to work now, not in a couple of years when Apple fixed their problems (and they don't seem to be to eager to do that at the moment).

T

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you also have to understand that its difficult for Apple to map out on its first try city streets that were carved out by donkey and mule trains.

You have to understand that sarcasm conveys really badly over the internet, even with the smilie face. And it is not even funny given the current state of the US infrastructure, but that is besides the point.

 

[Renzatic]

And it is not even funny given the current state of the US infrastructure, but that is besides the point.

What? It isn't that bad around here. I haven't seen anything remotely resembling a mule train in, like, weeks.

...since they got hijacked by all those highwaymen. WELCOME TO OBAMA'S AMERICA, PEOPLE!

 

[Analog Kid]

I love it when people try and be pedantic.

Stats 100: different samples of the same population can have different probabilities.

Of course, we both know he's just making up numbers.

I suppose I should have put a smiley face or something, but those always feel so obvious...

Please, take this as an interesting diversion, not a serious argument, because this is really meaningless, but measurably less meaningless than "Google Rocks Apple Sucks!".

Yes, he was making up numbers. I just found it entertaining that he couldn't make up a set that was self consistent.

Different samples of the same population have the same underlying probabilities, but different sample statistics. In this case the underlying probability is unknown. He has one sample statistic. Since we're judging by success or failure alone, it's basically a binomial distribution. Maximum likelihood (as in, "there are likely") estimator for the probability of success in a binomial distribution is the sample mean-- in this case 1 in 5, not 1 in 51.

There's maybe a 15% chance (I can't find a t table with enough resolution), given that sample of 5 trials, that the true success rate is 1 in 51 or worse, but there's really no support for that particular point estimate in the empirical data.

I know pedantry and you, sir, are no pedant.

 

[Macist]

I'm not downloading this sticking with Apple Maps as it can only improve.

But then I think the toilet seat iBook was the best design ever and thought Ping was amazing.

 

[psxp]

Waiting for iPad version.. or does this work with iPad?

 

[tfa8rva]

Now if there were a way to make google maps the default mapping software......because when I use my Geocaching app to locate caches, it uses Apple's maps....which does not allow me to zoom in as tight as I could under iOS 5, which used to use google.

 

[Swytch]

People understand a new service will take time to perfect, particularly one with such a massive data set as a global maps app.

The reason Apple is getting such flak is because we already had a fine, working maps app which - for political/business reasons - was replaced with an inferior service. People don't expect a backwards step in quality, particularly when it was unnecessary.

Yeah we had a working maps app, but it was lacking features, yes to some people it was inferior in some ways, but it is superior in others, and again in my area it was not inferior in any way. its all a matter of opinion.

Im not sure why you call it unnecessary to add new features, fact is if Apple didnt make their own maps app in order to add turn by turn, people would be giving Apple flak about that. Why should Apple have waited even longer, when the sooner they released their own maps the sooner they can perfect it?

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...says the guy who probably has never developed an app (for free or for a fee) in his life. You realize that Google's "free candy" is a result of years and years of refining their mapping technology and probably a few months of working very quickly to create a new iOS map app, right? I wonder where you were 8 or so years ago when maps.google.com was just released to the world. Did you use it and think "bah... this free candy is crap and represents a total failure" or did you think "hot darn, this is pretty neat.".

the fact that he has never developed an app has nothing to do with his comment. And I doubt 8 years ago he would have called google maps a failure, but that does not mean it was a success either. His point was that 10 million downloads of a free app does not indicate success. In fact many failures are given away for free because they are a failure. does that suddenly make them a success?

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That's some stretched logic right there. No matter how you cut it, how you spin it, how you frame it, how you dismiss it, you just can't get around the simple fact that 10 million downloads in two days is rather impressive.

Some may say that 10 million downloads in 2 days is impressive, I never argued that. But it does not make a free app a success. If that were the case it would be far too easy for an app developer to make something a success through marketing. I could easily write an app that does absolutely nothing, and use social media hype and marketing to get more than 10 million people to download it less time.

 

[KnightWRX]

Some may say that 10 million downloads in 2 days is impressive, I never argued that. But it does not make a free app a success. If that were the case it would be far too easy for an app developer to make something a success through marketing. I could easily write an app that does absolutely nothing, and use social media hype and marketing to get more than 10 million people to download it less time.

Yes, and it would be a success in marketing. Success is not a measure of quality or anything other that popularity really.

 

[S3R6i0]

After all this I still use the default maps app over Google. The truth is Apple's app is more useful to me. Google has a more advanced mapping system, but their app has a problem with looking up places. iOS Maps keeps every search entry saved in the way that bookmarks work. Looking places up while on the road is difficult with Google. Not being biased, I think Android is an excellent platform. I just never had much of a problem with Apple's app.

 

[alfistas]

I honestly don't understand why people spend so much energy defending Google maps. I have an Android phone running 2.3.7 gingerbread and I've never had a good experience with maps. It doesn't crash or anything but it always brings back spaghetti results. I remember on one occasion it asked me to drive around the block just for the hell of it!!!

If you want decent navigation from your smartphone then invest in one of the paid apps out there like Garmin, Navigon or Destinator. I got Navigon Europe and I'm never looking back.

 

[samcraig]

I've used google maps all over croatia and tuscany. They were excellent. That being said - it was interesting that when cross comparing Garmin to Google Maps to whatever was in our rental car in the dash (I forget now) - only about 80 percent of the time were they in "sync" (meaning - giving the same driving directions/exits to use). Ultimately they were all correct.

 

[JAT]

They all have problems for me. You guys need to relax. I have:
Garmin
TomTom
Apple
Google
paper maps from local companies
other meaningless map apps

They all have occasional issues. Even the local mappers that only handle my city. Heck, even the maps I can pick up at city or county offices can be behind. Just the other day I had to go to a street, it's been there a few years, not on Google maps. Didn't really slow me down, found it no problem. Didn't even open another map.

I will say that I am impressed with the new Google app's turn by turn. What it says and how it says it is more useful than TT or Garmin.

 

[CQd44]

I'm still wondering how in the world is 10 million downloads not a success.

If Apple isn't on top it doesn't count to some of you people.

 

[adder7712]

Now just waiting for the iPad one.

Same here!

In Australia, Apple Maps still misplaces some towns and my own country is a barren wasteland.

 

[Born Again]

I just get labeled a Fan Boy, but my comments are not responded to.

[Moderator note: Please don't repeat the same post. The previous post is here for those who want to reply to it.]

What is the moderator email?

I have an issue with a mod who banned me

 

[53x12]

Some may say that 10 million downloads in 2 days is impressive, I never argued that. But it does not make a free app a success. If that were the case it would be far too easy for an app developer to make something a success through marketing. I could easily write an app that does absolutely nothing, and use social media hype and marketing to get more than 10 million people to download it less time.

Bet you couldn't.