You raise a good point, why did Apple allow its own crappy Maps application into iOS?
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Google Maps for iOS in Alpha Testing, Partial Screenshots and Details
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You raise a good point, why did Apple allow its own crappy Maps application into iOS?
By the time that it's released people will just complain that it doesn't meet their standards. People have always complained that Google Maps did not offer turn by turn navigation. When Apple got sick of hearing the complaints and turned their back on Google (since they weren't willing to do turn by turn navigation) people now complain about Apple's alternative offering. Instead of helping improve Apple maps they complain and what a product that has been in existence since 2005.
And you've already forgotten how s***ty the Google Maps application for iOS was? No turn-by-turn directions of any type? Tile-based maps? No offline mode of any type? Sponsored links? Sorry, I'm not buying all the hysteria.
What do you need from Google Maps that you can't already get from maps.google.com?
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Competition on iOS for maps = brilliant. We get the best of both worlds. I really like Apple maps, but I do want to see google jump in the mix to keep things moving.
What premise would you cite for this "easy case against them from the justice department"? If Eric Schmidt claims of 1+ million Android activations a day are accurate, how do you make the case that Apple has the monopoly? Do you even understand what antitrust means?
The beginning of Apple's downfall
This map fiasco has convinced me that Apple is on a downward spiral. You are right that Apple has shown it was only concerned with hurting Google and didn't care one bit what problems it created for its own users.
If Apple cared at all in the post-Jobs era about its user experience, it would at a minimum have kept its previous mapping app as an optional download. That would at least have provided an option to avoid a hugely degraded experience for its own users, and forced its own mapping team to have some competition. Instead, it showed that it cared only about its corporate strategies and caved to its product managers who didn't want competition. It has shown its users that it is willing to pull the rug out from under them at any time to do this, so anyone with a brain has been warned.
Frankly, the new Apple maps are worse then just bad, and have sold out to the worst of local advertising, such as the numerous Yelp links. I'm currently in London, and the Apple map doesn't even show Trafalgar Square, but instead shows hundreds of completely unreliable Yelp links to stores that are of no relevance. Every other major landmark is also missing (presumably not commercial enough), and that is just one of a million problems. Calling it a fail is too generous.
This map fiasco has convinced me that Apple is on a downward spiral. You are right that Apple has shown it was only concerned with hurting Google and didn't care one bit what problems it created for its own users.
If Apple cared at all in the post-Jobs era about its user experience, it would at a minimum have kept its previous mapping app as an optional download. That would at least have provided an option to avoid a hugely degraded experience for its own users, and forced its own mapping team to have some competition. Instead, it showed that it cared only about its corporate strategies and caved to its product managers who didn't want competition. It has shown its users that it is willing to pull the rug out from under them at any time to do this, so anyone with a brain has been warned.
Frankly, the new Apple maps are worse then just bad, and have sold out to the worst of local advertising, such as the numerous Yelp links. I'm currently in London, and the Apple map doesn't even show Trafalgar Square, but instead shows hundreds of completely unreliable Yelp links to stores that are of no relevance. Every other major landmark is also missing (presumably not commercial enough), and that is just one of a million problems. Calling it a fail is too generous.
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Are you implying that anyone outside of USA experiencing problems is lying or that anyone outside of USA isn't important?
Since when you have to be a monopoly to be investigated for practices against competition?
Looking back at the original "screenshots" I'm calling this "app" a hoax.
This is just something some bored developer mocked up, and MR linked to it to in an attempt to generate more furor because the old ZOMGWTFBBQ Apple Maps threads started to die off.
This is just something some bored developer mocked up, and MR linked to it to in an attempt to generate more furor because the old ZOMGWTFBBQ Apple Maps threads started to die off.
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That’s what we seem to be hearing from actual daily users, as opposed to bloggers seeking individual errors. (Which Google has TONS of as well. Always did, and yet it was still useful.)
What’s odd is that Google had PLENTY of warning: Apple has been buying mapping tech for 3 years. We all knew this was coming—so they knew it too.
They really should have had this ready beforehand—they would have gained tons of users (with all that user-tracking data and sponsored map results!) when the iOS 6 maps “scandal” broke. And at the very least they knew Apple wouldn’t have Street View so they could have made hay out of that.
As it is, they’re late—and that gives all those iOS 6 users time to realize that iOS 6 maps (even at the vert start!) is actually quite good. Not smart, Google: they shouldn’t have given people the chance to figure that out! Maybe they were betting that iOS 6 maps really WOULD be bad for most people. Instead, the scandal is a lot of smoke and not much fire.
I've had no issues whatsoever with Apple maps, been traveling from Las Vegas to SoCal, Vegas to Lake Tahoe and the turn by turn has been wonderful, the only thing I'd like is walking and public travel directions. Not that Apple Maps doesn't have work to do, but I'm sure the widespread wailing about it is a little hyperbolic.
The odd part to me is the Android UI elements. Could be real, could be really fake.
The flat dialog for address entry looks like ICS or later with a incomplete iOS notifications bar across the top.
I'm skeptical at this point when the iOS control dialog should be used.
The flat dialog for address entry looks like ICS or later with a incomplete iOS notifications bar across the top.
I'm skeptical at this point when the iOS control dialog should be used.
What is maps.google.com lacking that you claim you lost? Doesn't it have all same the European soccer fields that the old Maps app had?
I think there is a lot of selective amnesia, where people are conveniently forgetting how crappy the old Google Maps apps was, and how many features were missing. (Turn-by-turn directions/voice navigation being the most notable.)
Do you understand the basic principles of antitrust law? Here's some light reading that will get you up to speed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitrust#Principle
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Maps is fine
I have been using Apple maps on multiple devices since iOS6 was released and it has been a godsend in speed, ease of use, visual clarity and offline use. All these metrics are a level above anything offered in the old maps app. Even if Google brought their maps app up to par with the apple app, there would still be no reason for me to go back. My peers in my area after some initial trepidation now after more usage, seem to feel the same way.
Goodby Google, I miss you not.
I have been using Apple maps on multiple devices since iOS6 was released and it has been a godsend in speed, ease of use, visual clarity and offline use. All these metrics are a level above anything offered in the old maps app. Even if Google brought their maps app up to par with the apple app, there would still be no reason for me to go back. My peers in my area after some initial trepidation now after more usage, seem to feel the same way.
Goodby Google, I miss you not.
Google would make more money off of Maps for iOS if they released it for free.
I road-tripped throughout Los Angeles, Arizona, and Nevada, and iOS maps never got anything wrong. It found restaurants, motels, gas stations, and Bank of America ATMs.
Here's the difference:
Apple Maps - Great for navigating in a car and for use while driving. Turn by turn directions, in my experience, work great. Just used it for a day trip in Poland and was very impressed.
Google Maps - A necessity for urban living. Much, much easier to locate businesses without an address, it has walking and transit directions.
I've found Apple Maps nearly useless for navigating a city (turn by turn directions do nothing for me as a pedestrian or transit rider), while Apple Maps have yet to fail me when driving somewhere.
Ultimately, I think it's mostly urban dwellers who are screaming about it and those who mostly drive don't have much of a problem or prefer the change.
As I generally fall into the former category, I'm very much looking forward to the Google Maps release.
I understand what antitrust is, the one that doesn't understand what FTC is for is you.
No one has selective amnesia. They just have a different opinion than yours as to the quality of Apple Maps vs Google Maps to date.
Sheesh! Are you sure you threw enough Hyperbole in there? Fiasco, Downward Spiral, Hugely Degraded Experience, one of a million problems, Calling it a fail is too generous, yada, yada
Sure, maps has some serious issues that need to be resolved, but most people are using them with no trouble at all. Apple is not doomed. These issues will be fixed and they will continue to be the most valuable tech company, thank you very much. A couple of months from now, this will all blow over just like the overblown and over hyped "antennae gate" nonsense.