Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[samcraig]

It's a single map application and it works just fine. Get over yourself.

A bunch of spoiled brats - Apple fanboys and Fandroids included.

The world isn't perfect. Apple isn't perfect.

If you don't like Apple Maps... buy an Android. But for the love of humanity quit crying like a little girl about something as insignificant as a single app.

Go do some volunteer work or something.

Lovely. Apparently the CEO of Apple doesn't think it works just fine. Or maybe you missed the very letter that starts this thread. Might want to go back and read that before you resort to calling people making legitimate complaints "spoiled brats", "fanboys", "Fandroids" and "little girls"

Apparently Maps isn't' that important to you. Which is fine. What if it were the email app? The music app? An unresponsive screen? Battery issues? Etc.

Just curious why you think this majorly touted feature in the keynote is any less worthy of concern than anything else?

 

[robanga]

Sadly, this is EXACTLY how it feels right now.

I've defended Apple dozens of times for its "our way or the highway" approach. Not this time. The Maps change is a huge debacle and Apple needs to suck it up, agree to Google's terms, and bring back Google-based map data.

Mark

..or what? Just curious do you really expect a mass exodus from the platform over to what? Android? Samsung? Which phone? Which version? Have you been to the Android forums its not all tweeting birds and music over there. Maybe Nokia and Windows? ... I'm not sure they have to do anything but continue to improve.

 

[notabadname]

No, Apple released a beta Maps and claimed it to be a finished product, just like Siri was last year.

Actually Apple publicly said Siri was a beta and never claimed it to be a finished product at its release.

 

[Geckotek]

Let me be very clear... I don't care what the terms are! The terms wouldn't be any different than if Google created its own Maps app for distribution through the App Store. And that's exactly the app I'll be using the moment Google releases it.

But if Apple were to embrace a Google-based app instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, the Google-based app could be the default app for working with Siri and (for example) touching an address in Contacts or email.

Not only is Apple reinventing the wheel, it "broke" the really good wheel the customers are accustomed to.

Mark

Not true, Google creating their own app would be bound by the privacy terms that all other apps have to follow. Google integrating Latitude, which is rumored to be one of the requirments, is a major privacy issue for some. I think if that was one of the requirements, then Apple was correct in turning them down.

I think Apple embracing "Google-based" anything is asking far too much. It's their environment to control, not Google's.

 

[satchmo]

If you don't want to read whining and crying, stay the hell out of topics about the subject of Maps (or scratched iPhones or new dock connectors).

Mark

Why? The subject of Maps doesn't have to be negative..it's always the vocal minority that complain the loudest.

There are plenty of people happy with the performance of Maps.

 

[Melab]

I actually have greater respect for a company or executive who can suggest alternatives.

 

[OllyW]

I think Apple legitimately thought it had a good and ready product. A bunch a secretive Apple employees testing an App will never find what 100 million users will distributed throughout the world.

Concerns were raised by developers as soon as the first iOS 6 beta came out. Apple must have been aware there were problems before they allowed it to be released to the general public.

 

[robanga]

Lovely. Apparently the CEO of Apple doesn't think it works just fine. Or maybe you missed the very letter that starts this thread. Might want to go back and read that before you resort to calling people making legitimate complaints "spoiled brats", "fanboys", "Fandroids" and "little girls"

Apparently Maps isn't' that important to you. Which is fine. What if it were the email app? The music app? An unresponsive screen? Battery issues? Etc.

Just curious why you think this majorly touted feature in the keynote is any less worthy of concern than anything else?

Perhaps he will followup with a free credit appstore credit for one of the third party products. Let's see $10 x the amount of people that participate...Maybe 5 million choose to do it.. yikes not a good hit on earnings.

 

[Qfic]

It's a single map application and it works just fine. Get over yourself.

A bunch of spoiled brats - Apple fanboys and Fandroids included.

The world isn't perfect. Apple isn't perfect.

If you don't like Apple Maps... buy an Android. But for the love of humanity quit crying like a little girl about something as insignificant as a single app.

Go do some volunteer work or something.

Afraid of conflict much? Parents fight a little too often as a kid?
Adults voice their discontent when something they have purchased does not live up to their expectations, it is up to the company to make that right, which it appears they are taking the steps to do.
It would seem you are a bit lost, not surprising considering the situation. If your mission is to bring peace to the world and end all arguments and conflict, then perhaps you can take your own advice and direct yourself to a forum about volunteering.

 

[renegad3]

Sadly, this is EXACTLY how it feels right now.

I've defended Apple dozens of times for its "our way or the highway" approach. Not this time. The Maps change is a huge debacle and Apple needs to suck it up, agree to Google's terms, and bring back Google-based map data.

Mark

And when they don't?

 

[AmpSkillz]

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.

wtf?...

 

[deannnnn]

The people who say that the new maps are perfect and work great are the most annoying. Of course they are equivalent to Google for some people, but for a high percentage of us they don't work right.

That's like eating a big dinner and then saying "world hunger is not a problem because I'm not hungry." Everybody needs to be full, just as Apple Maps needs to work for everyone.

 

[dgree03]

Not true, Google creating their own app would be bound by the privacy terms that all other apps have to follow. Google integrating Latitude, which is rumored to be one of the requirments, is a major privacy issue for some. I think if that was one of the requirements, then Apple was correct in turning them down.

I think Apple embracing "Google-based" anything is asking far too much. It's their environment to control, not Google's.

Latitude is still an opt-in, not to mention google has an Latitude app in the app store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-latitude/id306586497?mt=8

Apple should "embrace" the best product for the job. Google has spent years curating their maps, Apple should have just negotiated to have Google Maps turn by turn and vector maps.

 

[AliClifton]

Despite the somewhat sarcastic undertones of Cooks letter, coming out and admitting maps sucks that maps didnt meet the extremely high expectations of apple customers is at least fairly noble.

 

[THEAnonymous]

Like what? Did you stop buying Apple products because of this?

If not, then they've already apologized enough.

Uhhh I don't know...maybe like giving us the ability to roll back to iOS5 without any issues. That would be a good start.

 

[deannnnn]

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.

No offense but you live in Springfield. Any big city relies on mass transit. 8 million people live in New York City ALONE. Taking public transit mapping away from them is a big enough problem in itself, and that's just one city.

 

[djstile]

Nice to see Apple doing the right thing and (FINALLY) admitting they screwed up on something. On the other side of the coin, of course they are admitting a problem with something that doesn't cost them money. With regards to the black iPhone 5 that scuffs if you breathe on it - that's normal.

 

[tomjleeds]

Not true, Google creating their own app would be bound by the privacy terms that all other apps have to follow. Google integrating Latitude, which is rumored to be one of the requirments, is a major privacy issue for some. I think if that was one of the requirements, then Apple was correct in turning them down.

I think Apple embracing "Google-based" anything is asking far too much. It's their environment to control, not Google's.

It isn't a privacy issue at all. On Android, Latitude is integrated with Maps, but you don't have to sign up for it.

 

[msandersen]

I dunno. Have you used the Podcasts App yet?

Yes, I have. Love it.

No offense but you live in Springfield. Any big city relies on mass transit. 8 million people live in New York City ALONE. Taking public transit mapping away from them is a big enough problem in itself, and that's just one city.

It seem to have been a huge deal for many, tho personally living in Sydney I've never used the Transit maps; I only ever used a dedicated Train timetable app, as I rarely take a bus. Its features can't be easily replaced by a Transit feature in Maps. I guess I'm not the norm in this respect, hard to know.

Uhhh I don't know...maybe like giving us the ability to roll back to iOS5 without any issues. That would be a good start.

More useful; being able to reinstall the old Maps alongside the current one in iOS6. Rolling back an OS just for one app is desperate. I'm sufficiently satisfied with Maps to use it as my primary Maps app and use others for supplementing or experimenting with, like Waze. Rolling back the OS is not an option for me even if I did hate the new Maps.

Even if Google decided to release an app today, and Apple decided to approve it, google maps would still not be integrated with the iphone. It's over. No more quality maps or street view with the iphone.

Maybe not Streetview, depending on what Apple decides to do, not a big deal for me as I never used it on my phone; Saying it's over and no more quality maps is alarmist and defeatist. The maps will improve in detail as will the localisation layer and search. Personally living in inner-city Sydney, I'm not having any issues with Maps other than them not being as detailed as Google's was, but then they are the Gold Standard which will take time to match. To do that, they probably need people on the ground like the Google cars to refine maps rather than relying on their map partners to fix them. From what some are saying, the maps for parts of Europe are far worse than America or Australia/NZ due to the varying quality of various map sources they've had to use. Even Google had to stop licensing maps and build their own as they found them too unreliable. Google has been at it for 7 years and have a lot of expertise, while also being able to leverage their Search business, while Apple is new to the game and have a lot to learn.


The new maps, while not as detailed as google's maps, are good for Sydney, tho again I haven't tried searching for anything other than street names. Google is hard to beat on Search. For my usage, the new maps are fine, though I miss the details and refinement in Google's maps. Hopefully these things will come, but it will take time. Apple grossly underestimated the size of the task, and failed to take Localisation searches into proper account. All 3 companies they bought was about building the maps themselves, not the localisation data overlays or search databases. I understand their need to obtain vector maps and turn-by-turn which Google supposedly refused to license them, but surely they must have seen the quality control failures in the Betas; having great maps for Silicon Valley is not enough.

 

[macsrcool1234]

There are plenty of people happy with the performance of Maps.

And the CEO of Apple isn't one of them.

 

[tomjleeds]

I think Apple legitimately thought it had a good and ready product. A bunch of secretive Apple employees testing an App will never find what 100 million users will distributed throughout the world. And again, funny how people forget all the map issues Google had. Seems that those were easily forgiven. With literally 100s of millions of data points and locations, there is no other way to hone a global database than to get it out into the users hands.

As long as they continually update their data base, and I am betting they will, this will be just fine.

Personally, in all my use as a traveling pilot thus far, I have not had any freakish errors yet (such as restaurants located in rivers or business being closed for 20 years). I only miss the sub/city transportation feature. But used it less than I do the new turn-by-turn.

Not relevant. Google did not enter a mature market.

 

[iphoneclassic]

If Apple had one year on the Google Map deal and Google wasn't implementing turn-by-turn directions, then Apple needed to offer a product that had all the features and flexibility that Apple wanted to share with their customers.

Apple didn't have a strong Map presence but was building one. If they waited a year to make it better, it would have still been weaker than Google at launch.

So, bring it out a year early with iOS6, get the open-minded, solution-focussed users to provide feedback, then have a world-class map solution by the time the Google contract ended.

This is my "glass half-full" view of the situation.

My advice, try to use Apple Maps but have a back-up on your phone. When you run into a hiccup, feed it back to Apple. We all win!

Crowd cannot help. They have to build a data integration and validation team. They have to hire thousands of employees, which is a no no.

Also
Fought with Samsung/HTC on trivial art patents
Fought with Google on Android/Motorola/now Maps
Fought with Adobe on Flash

Now bully needs a shoulder to lean on and grow up on.

 

[mactds]

Tim Cook should have mentioned that the majority of problems are internationally, as many reports from the US show that they work great. If the Apple Maps are working great for you, post a screenshot to this Tumblr:

http://applemapssuck.tumblr.com

It's the antithesis to the humorous, but internationally skewed The Amazing iOS 6 Maps Tumblr:

http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com

I wanted to provide another option for all of us who have found the new iOS 6 Maps very enjoyable. There's no doubt that there are problems internationally, but for me in Southern California they have worked great, and I think we should show the flip side of how good Apple Maps are for many users.

 

[shahr04360]

Believe it or not, we are now relying on it (the gadget). Should any issue just hit pin > Report a Problem.

@tim&apple: complaint/criticism will move the team. BTW, I really enjoy Apple's Maps. Keep up the good work!

 

[macsrcool1234]

Tim Cook should have mentioned that the majority of problems are internationally, as many reports from the US show that they work great. If the Apple Maps are working great for you, post a screenshot to this Tumblr:

http://applemapssuck.tumblr.com

It's the antithesis to the humorous, but internationally skewed The Amazing iOS 6 Maps Tumblr:

http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com

I wanted to provide another option for all of us who have found the new iOS 6 Maps very enjoyable. There's no doubt that there are problems internationally, but for me in Southern California they have worked great, and I think we should show the flip side of how good Apple Maps are for many users.

Internationally skewed? Think outside the narrow confines of your mind and realize that people outside the USA use maps too....