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New Job Listings Point to Continued Work on Transit Options in Apple Maps

2010mini said:
Funny that no one here remembers how much trouble google maps had when it first came out. Or how long its taken to get to where it is today.

Short memories I guess
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It has absolutely nothing to do with peoples memories. Google didn't downgrade all it's phone users by ditching a perfectly usable mapping solution and going with a massively inferior product.

And in the case of Apple, this time it was an apologetically inferior product!
 
sofila said:
I understand that a lot of Apple Maps users complain about the lack of feedback on their reports. I've read that many errors reported multiple times in the last year were ignored. It doesn't seem that Apple is taking this problem seriously.
Tim Cook's apologies letter may not be enough, maybe some real facts would do better.
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I love Apple Maps as Google's app is not as easy to use and does not work as well. With that said, the point of interest data does not get fixed quickly if at all. I suspect the problem is with the third parties like Yelp that Apple uses.
 
Jayse said:
Everyone whines and moans about Apple maps being 'utter crap' and compare them to Google maps.

When Google released their maps, they weren't problem-free, although over many years of evolutionary improvement, they have become so well sorted and polished they've become the benchmark for portable mapping.

Lets all quit the Apple Maps bashing and give them a chance, the same chance Google had to improve their maps. Maybe then, people might finally get off their high horse and appreciate something for once in their life.
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So you're saying "lets demand less from our product"? You are happy to sit and wait?

Frankly when I pay a premium, I expect premium, and nothing less.
 
WBRacing said:
It has absolutely nothing to do with peoples memories. Google didn't downgrade all it's phone users by ditching a perfectly usable mapping solution and going with a massively inferior product.

And in the case of Apple, this time it was an apologetically inferior product!
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Inferior is a matter of perspective. I certainly enjoyed the addition of the turn by turn directions, vector graphics, and improved maps design that was missing with the Google offering. Further, when Google released its own app, it was nowhere near as elegant as Apple's offering.
 
WBRacing said:
It has absolutely nothing to do with peoples memories. Google didn't downgrade all it's phone users by ditching a perfectly usable mapping solution and going with a massively inferior product.

And in the case of Apple, this time it was an apologetically inferior product!
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To fill the future road map they need an internal maps app that is "exceptionally valid". Using consumer development is afforded by having "zealot users". What's interesting is what's next after it works . . . .

Some people see a car based device and a wrist based device, but I see "situational awareness".
 
I've been giving Siri and Apple Maps a go lately for turn-by-turn with my 5s.

Two days ago, I was driving home from New York to Philadelphia and was on the NJ turnpike. Not exactly a backwoods, obscure route.

Siri announced that I should stay on the turnpike for 58 miles, and then immediately said "take exit for Elizabeth NJ in 2 miles." I wasn't in a hurry, so I humored her. She took me from one side of the pike to the other before telling me to do a U-turn.

Got back on the turnpike. She started telling me to take each successive exit as we approached.

Shut her off pretty fast.
 
Spetsnazos said:
what NEW feature does Apple Maps offer that isn't in Google Maps? So far Google Maps is more accurate and does a better job.

I see no reason to use Apple Maps.
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No adverts, which is a good start ;) When Google maps was in its infancy it was utter crap too and so far Apple maps is improving faster than Google maps did back then. Don't get me wrong Apple maps is still pretty unusable in a lot of areas but Google Maps needs competition and Apple are one company that may get there.
 
WBRacing said:
So you're saying "lets demand less from our product"? You are happy to sit and wait?

Frankly when I pay a premium, I expect premium, and nothing less.
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That is the thing. Before you had the choice of a crippled Apple Map program that used Google's data. Now you have a choice of two apps both of which in at least some ways are better than the app they replaced. Because of Apple's switch Google has been more aggressive with its offering, and Apple has been making steady improvements with its App. I suspect with IOS 8 we will see major improvements.

Moreover, plenty of people are using Tom Tom's data to get around without complaint or incident. Apple is using that same data and here in the US the data is pretty strong.

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apple_iBoy said:
I've been giving Siri and Apple Maps a go lately for turn-by-turn with my 5s.

Two days ago, I was driving home from New York to Philadelphia and was on the NJ turnpike. Not exactly a backwoods, obscure route.

Siri announced that I should stay on the turnpike for 58 miles, and then immediately said "take exit for Elizabeth NJ in 2 miles." I wasn't in a hurry, so I humored her. She took me from one side of the pike to the other before telling me to do a U-turn.

Got back on the turnpike. She started telling me to take each successive exit as we approached.

Shut her off pretty fast.
Click to expand...

Yes, but I have had the same thing happen with Google's app where it tells me to take a turn after I pass an exit.
 
Apple Maps in Europe sucks big time

I hate to say that but Apple Maps is really bad in terms of POI and ...general accuracy in the UK. Poland was even worse so I suspect whole of Europe is probably as bad. I'm also not keen on the design which looks like from a kids atlas.

If I was in charge of Apple Maps, I'd quickly release a robust mapping tool for general public to fill in the gaps and use all the hired mapping technicians as guardians to check for errors and any abuse. The fact that at least a page to put in your business info doesn't exist is astonishing! I've tried Yelp but for some unknown reason the information is not transferred to Apple Maps. Oh dear...
 
WBRacing said:
It has absolutely nothing to do with peoples memories. Google didn't downgrade all it's phone users by ditching a perfectly usable mapping solution and going with a massively inferior product.

And in the case of Apple, this time it was an apologetically inferior product!
Click to expand...

Apple really were given little choice by Google as most of the features that Android enjoyed such as turn by turn navigation was refused to Apple unless Google could take control of the platform and push their advertising. Apple was never going to allow that, so they had to make a move. It was painful I grant you but in the end it has worked to their advantage. The kind of integration now starting to appear could never have been achieved while they relied on Google.
 
Nevaborn said:
Apple maps is awful in the UK.

Used it to go to Cardiff other day. It got me there just but there is no lane guide unlike a proper TomTom. Once in Cardiff it was useless falling behind making me miss turns constantly with little to no helpful information. It then got me lost on a dead end trying to find my destination, a nightmare.

Also the arrow icon represent my car or myself if walking is always much further from aay junctions than I really am. It makes me think it means the next one over but it doesnt.

Add this to the fact maps havent been updatedin 7 years where I live, zoom in too far and instead of a sharp high quality image I get a grey screen of boxes.

Apple maps has a long way to go and they need to get a movw on with it.
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The odd thing is, Apple Maps kicks the crap out of my TomTom here in the UK but only in areas with new builds. My friend moved into a newly built flat in Bournemouth. The Tom Tom took me three miles away, AM took me right to his front door. Very strange.
 
avanpelt said:
I have no idea why Apple continues to keep Maps around in its present form. I think it's one of the very few (if not only) things they put their name on currently that makes them look really bad. I seriously doubt that the more Apple Maps is used, the better it gets as a result of that utilization as we were told in the beginning.

They should've just taken Apple Maps out of iOS 7, worked their butts off for another year, and released it again with iOS 8 with all the improvements they're currently working on.
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You are forgetting that Google Maps pre-Apple Maps was atrocious. Apple had to make their own mapping solution. And of course once they did it forced Google to put out a usable iOS Google Maps app.

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everything-i said:
Apple really were given little choice by Google as most of the features that Android enjoyed such as turn by turn navigation was refused to Apple unless Google could take control of the platform and push their advertising. Apple was never going to allow that, so they had to make a move. It was painful I grant you but in the end it has worked to their advantage. The kind of integration now starting to appear could never have been achieved while they relied on Google.
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This. People have short term memories...
 
Sky Blue said:
Nice.

Apple Maps is lacking many, many things, including transit.
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There are many local transit apps with interfaces much better than Google Maps has to offer and Apple has made it very easy to find them through its app. I'd rather App work on adding to POI database and fix the errors in the existing ones, instead of starting out on a new venture.
 
What's the point of "Ground Truth experts" if Apple won't even fix the errors we users are reporting in our own neighborhoods? :mad:
 
I was really surprised to see an interview with Tim Cook several months ago where he implied that most of the work to improve Maps had already been done. He accepted there was still work to do, but didn't seem to acknowledge that there is a LOT of work to do to bring Maps up to an acceptable standard. For me, if Apple are going to do Maps it needs to be far BETTER than Google maps. Google maps is so full out outdated information, such as post offices that have long since closed down - that there is certainly room for Apple to do better.
 
avanpelt said:
I have no idea why Apple continues to keep Maps around in its present form. I think it's one of the very few (if not only) things they put their name on currently that makes them look really bad. I seriously doubt that the more Apple Maps is used, the better it gets as a result of that utilization as we were told in the beginning.

They should've just taken Apple Maps out of iOS 7, worked their butts off for another year, and released it again with iOS 8 with all the improvements they're currently working on.
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That sounds like a good plan, but the problem with that is they wouldn't get any feedback for improvement from users. Without real-world usage, they wouldn't be able to make the product better.
 
Terrin said:
Yes, but I have had the same thing happen with Google's app where it tells me to take a turn after I pass an exit.
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That is nothing. Google told me to take an exit, go to the next traffic light, make a u-turn and get back on the same freeway in the same direction. Twice, at the same location, in FL. :)
 
As someone who frequently rotates between Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze, I can tell you that Google Maps still has plenty of problems. Where's the outrage?

I really wish Apple had stepped up and bought Waze. I hate to see another of my preferred data sources sucked into the pending Google information monopoly.
 
theBB said:
There are many local transit apps with interfaces much better than Google Maps has to offer and Apple has made it very easy to find them through its app. I'd rather App work on adding to POI database and fix the errors in the existing ones, instead of starting out on a new venture.
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Seriously? Only google maps lets me quickly select the options for cycling, walking and public transport in its various modes and read reviews for the POI. Switching apps would be a pain.
 
according to the apple maps in 10.9 and iOS 7 the pin is on my house, but i'm apparently living in a neighbourhood 6 miles to the west with the rich folks.
 
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