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Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6
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I live in the Tampa Bay area and the maps are just as accurate as the google maps were. I dont see any problems with locations being off or anything like that. Although i do not use public transportation.
I hope you are right.
But same thing been said since iOS6 beta. I don't think Apple will fix it soon, considering they just start to recruit some Map engineer recently.
It's just disappointing. With so many resources, Apple still failed to deliver an acceptable Maps to us. Cook's ability to keep Apple in pole position of competition is questionable now.
What does this remind me of?
Oh it kinda reminds me of Google maps when it first came out. Google maps has improved greatly over the years because of input from users, and that includes iPhone users.
I've been misdirected by google maps before, and that's not a ding to google maps. Streets are changing all the time.
I use the Tom Tom app on my iPhone which has worked pretty good for me. Last year it directed me to a freeway onramp in Denver that was for that was designated police and emergency vehicles only, whoops.
For me the bottom line is currently google maps is more accurate than apple maps. Apple maps will improve accuracy over time, just like google maps and the multiple other map programs have. We have other options for mapping on the iPhone if we choose to do so. 😎
Finale note, I used apple maps for the first time today from my house to work and received turn by turn directions in my head phones from Siri that were spot on. If I had used the most recent google maps on my iPhone, there would have been no verbal turn by turn directions. Google chose to support this on android phones, but not iPhones for obvious marketing reasons.
Apple, thanks for the verbal turn by turn.
Oh it kinda reminds me of Google maps when it first came out. Google maps has improved greatly over the years because of input from users, and that includes iPhone users.
I've been misdirected by google maps before, and that's not a ding to google maps. Streets are changing all the time.
I use the Tom Tom app on my iPhone which has worked pretty good for me. Last year it directed me to a freeway onramp in Denver that was for that was designated police and emergency vehicles only, whoops.
For me the bottom line is currently google maps is more accurate than apple maps. Apple maps will improve accuracy over time, just like google maps and the multiple other map programs have. We have other options for mapping on the iPhone if we choose to do so. 😎
Finale note, I used apple maps for the first time today from my house to work and received turn by turn directions in my head phones from Siri that were spot on. If I had used the most recent google maps on my iPhone, there would have been no verbal turn by turn directions. Google chose to support this on android phones, but not iPhones for obvious marketing reasons.
Apple, thanks for the verbal turn by turn.
The vast majority of the U.S. doesn't use, nor do they even have access to, public transportation... so I fail to see why the lack of public transport information is a problem here in the U.S.
Elsewhere in the world, it's a different story.
MonkeySee....
macrumors 68040
Good on TC for taking the time to address his customers. He like the millions around the world know the maps are sub standard - on a par with Ping!
Im sure they will improve in perhaps 2-3 years but Apple have shot themselves in the foot by obviously rushing a poor utility out that quite clearly wasn't ready for roll out, they should pull it and go back to the drawing board and then come back with a bang. 😀
Im sure they will improve in perhaps 2-3 years but Apple have shot themselves in the foot by obviously rushing a poor utility out that quite clearly wasn't ready for roll out, they should pull it and go back to the drawing board and then come back with a bang. 😀
AmpSkillz
macrumors regular
Personally the new maps works fine for me...
But if their Google maps contract had a year left, and Apple needed user data to make this app great, they probably should have just released it as a free (beta) in the app store for a year (with a statement that it would eventually become the default map app for iOS) then swapped it as the default app in a year, or whenever they felt it was really ready.
But if their Google maps contract had a year left, and Apple needed user data to make this app great, they probably should have just released it as a free (beta) in the app store for a year (with a statement that it would eventually become the default map app for iOS) then swapped it as the default app in a year, or whenever they felt it was really ready.
Err! Wrong, the people who care about my luxury are exactly the people who appropriately apologized for botching a release to a fundamental aspect of their high end mobile device.
The people who need to get off the pedestal are the people like you who view Apple as anything more than a company supplying us luxuries. If I'm paying for something that "just works" then it better well be something that just works.
Nice attempt at a troll tho, really, very cute. 🙄
How so? apple going to bar access to google maps in 6 months time?
Actually, I have a simple way to make the maps 100% more accurate overnight . They just need to delete the POI database.
They have been acquiring maps companies for years. I don't think they just went out and looked for more maps people the day they found out about the reception on the internet.
I see so many comments saying this doesn't sound like apple and is very un-apple like in the responses and seems poorly worded. Simple fact is that your comparing Tim Cook apple to Steve Jobs apple. I honestly don't think the company will ever be the same again. In my opinion probably for the better but only time will tell.
d21mike
macrumors 68040
Apple is not creating the Map Database.
Seems strange that most people feel that Apple is actually creating the Map Database from scratch. Apple is creating a Mapping Application that uses data produced by a other companies. And the main company providing that is TomTom who says their data is NOT the problem. They do not know what is going on with the App but it is NOT the data (according to TomTom CEO). So assuming that is true then this is an Application Problem with how the data is being processed. Too confirm this others that have been using the TomTom App say the data is fine. Even Google uses TomTom for some of their data.
So I suggest to all of you that are saying that Google has a 7 year head start are not looking at this correctly. TomTom and many other companies that are providing the Map Data did no just start working on this now. They have been building the database for a very long time and many other Apps are using the data. So I predict the problems with "Apples software" will get corrected sooner then expected because they do not have to Map the whole world they simply need to fix their software that uses it.
Also, some of you that are experiencing major problems in your area there are other Apps that only cost about $40. Such as Garmin, TomTom, Navigon etc. A lot of us that have needed true Navigation have already purchased one of these because the prior Map App was useless for this purpose. I personally feel that Apple made the right choice by using map data from non-Google Sources. This short lived problem will be over very soon.
Seems strange that most people feel that Apple is actually creating the Map Database from scratch. Apple is creating a Mapping Application that uses data produced by a other companies. And the main company providing that is TomTom who says their data is NOT the problem. They do not know what is going on with the App but it is NOT the data (according to TomTom CEO). So assuming that is true then this is an Application Problem with how the data is being processed. Too confirm this others that have been using the TomTom App say the data is fine. Even Google uses TomTom for some of their data.
So I suggest to all of you that are saying that Google has a 7 year head start are not looking at this correctly. TomTom and many other companies that are providing the Map Data did no just start working on this now. They have been building the database for a very long time and many other Apps are using the data. So I predict the problems with "Apples software" will get corrected sooner then expected because they do not have to Map the whole world they simply need to fix their software that uses it.
Also, some of you that are experiencing major problems in your area there are other Apps that only cost about $40. Such as Garmin, TomTom, Navigon etc. A lot of us that have needed true Navigation have already purchased one of these because the prior Map App was useless for this purpose. I personally feel that Apple made the right choice by using map data from non-Google Sources. This short lived problem will be over very soon.
Except for getting me and my boss and my boss's boss lost while searching for a restaurant thus making me, the 
fanboy, look like an idiot. Yea Maps are great! 🙄
fanboy, look like an idiot. Yea Maps are great! 🙄"Feel free to use any of our competitors' navigation apps. We get 30% of the cut when you buy it anyway."
d21mike
macrumors 68040
Just not sure why they decided to use up so much of the goodwill they've worked so hard to build w/ their customers. it's a shame.
Yes in retrospect that may have been better. However, at this point there is no going back. Plus, Google has a motivation now to produce an even better native app. It may all work out in the end.
I guarantee you that the vast majority of iPhone owners in the US live in cities with public transportation.
It goes to show you how much relations have deteriorated between Apple and Google. However, a well-played mea culpa can minimize the impact on customer goodwill.
cyks
macrumors 68020
Great... so he admitted that Apple's Maps are a joke and even recommended using their competitors' products until Apple can fix them.
Shame he didn't offer a solution on my 3rd party apps or Find My iPhone/ Friends which have also been rendered nearly useless as well thanks to the Map Kit.
Shame he didn't offer a solution on my 3rd party apps or Find My iPhone/ Friends which have also been rendered nearly useless as well thanks to the Map Kit.