Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[darkslide29]

Why would I use a crappy web app ?
I've PAID for products claiming to provide a real decent and working Map App: I have paid for them, I own themApple claims to provide this App in their ads and website etc., they just have to, especially given the fact that they used to and that they can: it was there only 2 weeks ago.

Give us Google Maps back. NOW.

Oh come on, name any phone (iPhone, android, blackberry) and there will be apps, UI skins, features, fragmentation that are broken/frustrating.

It's not even THAT bad - it's just that Google Maps is much more experienced (7 years or so?) and any competitor would have tons of catching up to do. Expectations were sky high.

It was a calculated risk to come out with Maps now, given how much Google has decided to become a comptetitor to Apple. Apple must have felt the reward outweighed the risk. They probably didn't expect people to be whining so much, but that's because they've set their own standard of near perfection.
Yes I want a perfect map app too, but in the meanwhile I am not going to let it ruin my day given there are tons of apps/other ways to take care of any problems in the meanwhile.

 

[porky]

Forget the maps.. the wifi speed issue is a bigger problem! Why isn't that being addressed?

With me the same. I have the 4s. From the moment i upgraded to iOS i have wifi problems. When i come home i have to turn of wifi and back on to get it working. When i leave home for 5 minutes, the same. Drives me crazy!

 

[Bezetos]

Lets be real. Maps is "ok" now, but give it about 6 months and its going to be all you use.

Haha, "let's be real".

Let's be real then and contact you after six months, and see where we're standing.

 

[CGagnon]

Oh because knowing what your unknown destination looks like is pointless, a bumpy aerial view will suffice. And getting your train schedule on the fly is nothing but a luxury and we should be happy they gave us what we've got? Get off it mate, 'You should know everything beforehand anyway' excuse is lame.

I have never used street view in my life. Do you really depend on that to find places? You know people were perfectly capable of navigating the world before street view, right? As for transit directions, when you want to get on a metro, go to a metro station! Crazy right? I bet if you wait long enough a train will come. And I have never been to a metro that didn't have a map on every wall and every train. It's really not that complicated, you sit on train that takes the same route a hundred times a day and wait until you get to where you want to go. It's not like there's service underground anyway so as soon as you're on the metro you can't even use the transit directions. I'm tired of hearing how terrible the maps are. People like you need to stop being so dependent on technology (and I'm saying that with a degree in computer science).

 

[0098386]

Of course it's an open letter. If it had an address on it we'd never get it.

 

[MonkeySee....]

And from, you know, using a Maps app to actually FIND the spot your looking for, or how adjacent parking lots might or might not connect to each other without going back out on the street, or where nearby restaurants or other businesses face in relationship to where you are going, etc.. etc.., Street View is far more useful than 3D Flyover.

Mark

I disagree but I guess it depends what you use it for. If i'm using the map as it it, going to Rome for example is 100000000% more amazing in 3D than it is looking at it in Google street view.

Any way, this debate isn't for this thread really.

 

[Bensalama21]

Apple Maps is to Replacement Refs as Google Maps is to Professional Refs.

At least the NFL came to its senses.

The only reason that apple got away from google refs was this:

TURN BY TURN NAVIGATION

 

[duffman9000]

So reading all the news about the new iPhone 5 and the issues/problems and thinking that is is being blown out of all porportion, until!!!

Just watched my colleague unbox his brand new Black 32GB iPhone 5 only to 2 chips (substantial) on the side band.

HOW DOES THIS GET PAST QA!?!? Unacceptable for a premium product, even if they are producing millions.

How do you fan boys continue to justify that???

I love apple too, but... WTF!?

Exactly who is justifying this? Tell your friend to return it for a new phone.

 

[hexor]

Best in world?

Best in world except for the retina MacBook Pros with LG screens which are crap. If you get one with a Samsung display then you are lucky.

 

[samcraig]

Any truth to the rumor that originally the maps app was going to be called Tim-Tim Navigation ?

 

[CGagnon]

So does Tim Cook with his letter... or wait... maybe is he admitting we have a real issue here?...

Tim is just responding to criticism. I'm sure nobody at Apple thought the backlash would be like this or they never would have released it. Apple hasn't changed THAT much without Steve.

 

[perealb]

Sorry, we have no brains for you, but you could get some from a hamster or a worm.

Have a nice day Sir.

Well, taking a peek on your posts history, it doesn't seem like having a conversation with you is a reasonable thing to do. I believe, you'd probably be better off selling your iPhone and getting a Samsung Galaxy S III. You'd be a much happier person - at least for a little bit.

 

[Frobozz]

I feel like the problems with Maps are being blown way out of proportion. It's not to say that the features that are broken are clearly worse than they were before. They are. But the new maps app is actually quite awesome aside from those issues. You can see that with another 3 months in the development shed, they could have nailed these things.

 

[Alexjones]

Maps aren't even that bad, they're actually quite good in most cases. People need to calm down.

I have no issues with maps. The distortion i experience in 3D is the image loading. If you don't have a strong wifi signal, The distorted image can last a while. Its just the image loading. Maps are Wi-Fi hungry

 

[PDE]

i have never used street view in my life. Do you really depend on that to find places? You know people were perfectly capable of navigating the world before street view, right? As for transit directions, when you want to get on a metro, go to a metro station! Crazy right? I bet if you wait long enough a train will come. And i have never been to a metro that didn't have a map on every wall and every train. It's really not that complicated, you sit on train that takes the same route a hundred times a day and wait until you get to where you want to go. It's not like there's service underground anyway so as soon as you're on the metro you can't even use the transit directions. I'm tired of hearing how terrible the maps are. People like you need to stop being so dependent on technology (and i'm saying that with a degree in computer science).

笨蛋。

 

[darkslide29]

In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations.

I wonder how many of those searches are legit vs people trying to show how bad Apple Maps is.

Keep in mind, you and I are tech nerds who visit an Apple Rumors blog (among other similar website) and are NOT in the majority of Apple consumers. With the tens of millions of units they sell every quarter, there's no way it can be that way.
The average consumer probably doesn't know of the Map "problems", or maybe briefly skimmed a headline in the news.

 

[Fishticks]

Maybe i'm the only one, but i'm just gonna use TomTom or Garmin on my iphone 5 as soon as i get it.

I would chose Navigon above Tomtom if I were you. And these are a good choice for turn by turn navigation.

But you won't have any real 2D map app, because this is the core of what will be lacking on iOS:

• there are plenty of great 3rd party turn by turn nav apps, greater that apple maps, and such an apple app was not necessary
• there is no more a decent 2D map app with a great search engine for points of interest, satellite view, public transportation, pedestrian routes: on iOS you don't and wont have such an app for years anymore it seems

Give us back Google Maps app. NOW.

 

[a0me]

I disagree. Just about every iPhone user I know bemoaned the fact that turn-by-turn was not available.

Maybe in the part of the world you live in.
There's a lot of major markets (Japan being one) where most people have no use for turn-by-turn.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

Apple Maps is to Replacement Refs as Google Maps is to Professional Refs.

At least the NFL came to its senses.

I like your analogy, but hate your conclusion.

 

[duffman9000]

I have never used street view in my life. Do you really depend on that to find places? You know people were perfectly capable of navigating the world before street view, right? As for transit directions, when you want to get on a metro, go to a metro station! Crazy right? I bet if you wait long enough a train will come. And I have never been to a metro that didn't have a map on every wall and every train. It's really not that complicated, you sit on train that takes the same route a hundred times a day and wait until you get to where you want to go. It's not like there's service underground anyway so as soon as you're on the metro you can't even use the transit directions. I'm tired of hearing how terrible the maps are. People like you need to stop being so dependent on technology (and I'm saying that with a degree in computer science).

I've used street view when looking for a new apartment. Or when I'm going to an unfamiliar place. It's been useful, but I don't consider it a must have killer feature. Turn-by-turn in the default map app is much more important to me.

 

[Traisoon]

I forgive you. Can't wait to use the new map. Hopefully soon.

 

[XW61982]

Traffic sucks, majorly!

The one feature that sucks majorly in Maps is the traffic condition display. If one is to compare this to Google's it is abysmal!

 

[chilli42]

Exactly who is justifying this? Tell your friend to return it for a new phone.

A lot of people on these forums saying what do you expect with so many being produced.

 

[jrbdmb]

Thank you Mr. Cook for some unexpected honesty.

In the Era of Steve we would have either heard (1) nothing, or (2) some admonishment that the users were not using the app correctly. I appreciate the admission that the Apple product is not up to snuff yet, and look forward to the day when it can compete with more established products.

 

[bbplayer5]

Haha, "let's be real".

Let's be real then and contact you after six months, and see where we're standing.

True.. they said Siri was beta the first year and never once updated it.