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Steve Jobs: We don't know how to do maps. We don't think one company can do everythin
- Thread starter gladoscc
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It's arguable that it would have been impossible to improve the maps beyond a certain point before launch.
Let's look at it this way, we're talking about a phenomenally large dataset, gathered from various sources and stitched together. And the vast majority of it is correct and complete. What you're looking for now are those several thousand needles in several million haystacks. Another year in stealth mode might not have found even half of them and, if that were the case, we'd be seeing the same level of anger and disappointment a year from now but with the added downside of having spent an entire additional year without proper turn-by-turn and vector based graphics.
If that is the case, and I'm fairly sure it is, then Apple did the only thing they could do - they bit the bullet and got the pain over with so that, a year from now, they will have a comparable quality maps product and have made a huge step in moving themselves away from one of their biggest rivals. For all the pain Apple is dealing with now it could be said that Google is dealing with more. They lost 100 million users on mobile in the space of a week. 100 MILLION! That's a big old dent in their revenue stream and a huge reduction in their ability to grab data.
I guess what I'm saying is that this could well have been Apple's least worst course of action. That isn't to say we should all be barred from criticism but rather that our criticism should take into account the viable choices rather than comparing this path to paths that were just never options to begin with.
Let's look at it this way, we're talking about a phenomenally large dataset, gathered from various sources and stitched together. And the vast majority of it is correct and complete. What you're looking for now are those several thousand needles in several million haystacks. Another year in stealth mode might not have found even half of them and, if that were the case, we'd be seeing the same level of anger and disappointment a year from now but with the added downside of having spent an entire additional year without proper turn-by-turn and vector based graphics.
If that is the case, and I'm fairly sure it is, then Apple did the only thing they could do - they bit the bullet and got the pain over with so that, a year from now, they will have a comparable quality maps product and have made a huge step in moving themselves away from one of their biggest rivals. For all the pain Apple is dealing with now it could be said that Google is dealing with more. They lost 100 million users on mobile in the space of a week. 100 MILLION! That's a big old dent in their revenue stream and a huge reduction in their ability to grab data.
I guess what I'm saying is that this could well have been Apple's least worst course of action. That isn't to say we should all be barred from criticism but rather that our criticism should take into account the viable choices rather than comparing this path to paths that were just never options to begin with.
"We didn't think we'd do well in the cell phone business. What we've done instead is, we've written what we think is some of the best software in the world to start syncing information between devices."
"We look at the tablet and we think it’s going to fail. Tablets appeal to rich guys with plenty of other PCs and devices already."
-Steve Jobs
(Oh and in the first video: "Watching videos on a tiny little screen isn't that much fun.")
"We look at the tablet and we think it’s going to fail. Tablets appeal to rich guys with plenty of other PCs and devices already."
-Steve Jobs
(Oh and in the first video: "Watching videos on a tiny little screen isn't that much fun.")
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"We didn't think we'd do well in the cell phone business. What we've done instead is, we've written what we think is some of the best software in the world to start syncing information between devices."
"We look at the tablet and we think its going to fail. Tablets appeal to rich guys with plenty of other PCs and devices already."
-Steve Jobs
YouTube: video
YouTube: video
(Oh and in the first video: "Watching videos on a tiny little screen isn't that much fun.")
Yes ..... Times do change and opinions along with them. Thanks for posting this.
Apple didn't know how to do Music...until they did it. Same thing with phones.
Look at an even more recent example - the cloud. MobileMe was horrendous in a lot of ways. I think it's fair to say that iCloud isn't that bad and given what it does it works fairly well. All this to say - it is inevitable the Apple maps will improve.
The idea that companies should stick to what they know is not necessarily good business sense. Sticking to what you know is how companies become stagnant and unable to innovate.
Look at an even more recent example - the cloud. MobileMe was horrendous in a lot of ways. I think it's fair to say that iCloud isn't that bad and given what it does it works fairly well. All this to say - it is inevitable the Apple maps will improve.
The idea that companies should stick to what they know is not necessarily good business sense. Sticking to what you know is how companies become stagnant and unable to innovate.
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No, I think they agree but there's no way to get to the point where they are without going live. The world is too big a place for that.
Google Maps sucked just as hard back when it launched, and it got better only because so many people started using it. I believe gmaps was the first large-scale slippy map on the web though, and it had satellite images of nearly everywhere. I think both of those things helped tremendously in its popularity. I remember it becoming public and spending waaaay too much time exploring the satellite imagery on it.
When you can buy out a company doing a maps app and incorporate it into your OS, then do it.
Steve was talking about the current moment of Apple diving into their own maps program. It wasn't feasible.
Maps will get better over time.
Steve was talking about the current moment of Apple diving into their own maps program. It wasn't feasible.
Maps will get better over time.
Post release apology does not mean they were reluctant to release the software initially.
Apple had no other choice. Google won't let them have turn by turn navigation which is a great thing for mobile users.
google enjoyed the fruits of iOS native applications and didn't do a thing to make it better.
People think it's all apple fault. why didn't we have a better youtube applications from 2007 ? Apple improved Calender, Mail added Reminders but had difficult time with Google.
Now to have a good maps application you need data. for better data you need users to give you feedbacks and so on. seems like apple had to do it.
google enjoyed the fruits of iOS native applications and didn't do a thing to make it better.
People think it's all apple fault. why didn't we have a better youtube applications from 2007 ? Apple improved Calender, Mail added Reminders but had difficult time with Google.
Now to have a good maps application you need data. for better data you need users to give you feedbacks and so on. seems like apple had to do it.
I miss the sonofabitch but that's bit a different. Besides, hindsight is 20/20.
Not even Google Maps is perfect. Depends where you live but when I used to live in New Braunfels, Texas it used to regularly put businesses on the wrong side of the highway. Now here in Taiwan it doesn't do addresses particularly well (neither does Apple Maps).
Not even Google Maps is perfect. Depends where you live but when I used to live in New Braunfels, Texas it used to regularly put businesses on the wrong side of the highway. Now here in Taiwan it doesn't do addresses particularly well (neither does Apple Maps).
You better not go onto Apple's support forum and complain about it too much or any other aspect of iOS 6 or you'll catch a case of BANNED.
They didn't like it cause I said they should open signing of 5.1.1 again until they get the bugs worked out for people who were displeased. And if you really wanna get'um upset just mention switching to an Android powered device.
They didn't like it cause I said they should open signing of 5.1.1 again until they get the bugs worked out for people who were displeased. And if you really wanna get'um upset just mention switching to an Android powered device.
Sorry but Steve Jobs also said that they don't think it is a good idea for third parties to develop apps for the iPhone. And web apps are good enough. Just because he said it doesn't mean he really meant it.
