Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[WakeUpDrunk]

So if it works for you it must be perfect worldwide, right

No, but since it does work for me and everyone in las vegas then it's all that matters. If it doesn't work for you then I guess you can keep crying, or suck it up and realize apple is trying its best to give you as good of an experience as we are getting.

 

[d21mike]

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

Not really. I believe he would say that he loves the new Map App. You may want to read what he said again. He simply said they "fell short" of it being the "best experience possible". How short? Not much, but I have to say this because the "customer is always right".

"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment."

 

[MacMan988]

In other words, this is more like, "No you don't get google maps on your new iPhone. Just use what we give you and be happy with it. And have a faith that its going to be better in the future... so your children and your grandchildren will be able to use a better maps service from apple."

 

[macsrcool1234]

Not really. I believe he would say that he loves the new Map App. You may want to read what he said again. He simply said they "fell short" of it being the "best experience possible". How short? Not much, but I have to say this because the "customer is always right".

"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment."

So you interpret an open letter advocating the user of third party tools as signs that Tim Cook is happy with the state of Maps?

Context clues. Learn em.

 

[yg17]

I think that Apple has some catching up to do and if they do, their product will be better than Google's. Until then, they could use our support. They've changed the world and improved our lives. We don't have to attack their mistakes.

As for the Romney comment in your signature file, it's dishonest. You're trying to make it seem like he said he likes firing people who work at companies he owns. Like he's an evil btard who chuckles as he fires people. The true test of if someone is taking someone out of context is this. If you show reasonable people the whole context, and they realize that's NOT what he was saying, then they look at you like, "Yo, dude- why were you trying to trick me?"

Romney was talking about freedom of choice in medical insurance as opposed to being stuck with the insurance the government says you have to have. He said if the service is bad, you can leave and get another provider. That's good for us all- even the provider you canceled- they'll get better or die. And we all win from that competition. When AT&T was the only phone company, prices were sky high. Once there was competition, they've come way down.

Like him or not, it's not fair debate to lie and say he said something he didn't say just to make people not like him. If he's that bad, tell people what he actually said, in it's entirety, and let them all make up their mind fairly. (actually, I think most people agree with what he ACTUALLY said.)

Here's what Romney said in its entirety with the typical deceptive misquote in bold:

“I want people to be able to own insurance if they wish to, and to buy it for themselves and perhaps keep it for the rest of their life, and to choose among different policies offered from companies across the nation. I want individuals to have their own insurance. That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy.

“It also means if you don’t like what they do, you can fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. If someone doesn’t give me the good service I need, I’m going to go get somebody else to provide that service to me.”

Wow, isn't that something quite different from "I like to fire people" That's like if I said, "I love guys who switch lanes just to find out that the other lane is now moving slower." And someone says "Did you hear Karl? He said "I love guys"!"

If you must bring politics into this.....President Obama never said that people didn't build their business, but that didn't stop Romney from taking that out of context.

 

[3282868]

More people using iOS Maps doesn't mean it will improve. As many experts have chimed in, Google and others learned that software is not the way to build a maps application. Removing the "human" portion of the equation simply creates a disjointed "account" of area mapping, and as can be seen with iOS 6 Maps, there are far too many mistakes and missing or erroneous pieces. It will take Apple years before reaching Google Maps status.

Good luck!

 

[doelcm82]

Your post history shows nothing but fancying Apple shortcomings when the slightest touch of criticism is raised. It seems the way you spell poor is g r e a t.

I don't intend to get an Android phone (unless you buy me one) because I already own 3 iPhones and I want them to work as properly as they're supposed to and as they used to.

Give us back Google Maps app. NOW

Giving you the Google Maps app is up to Google now.

For Apple to put it back would involve making sure it works with iOS 6, and either re-integrating it to the other apps, or making it work as a stand-alone app. If they re-integrated it, they'd have work to do to make the new app work as a standalone.

Either way, it's weeks or months of coding and testing.

"NOW" is not an option. Repeating the demand won't make it an option. You may as well demand that they restore the old dock connector and shrink the phone so it will fit in you old iPhone 4 case.

Not gonna happen.

Moving backwards will take resources that should be focused on moving forward.

 

[samcraig]

It's a trap!

If more people keep using iOS maps - they won't really improve - but Apple can tout how many people are using it daily, how many searches they have had using the app and therefor it MUST be all better

 

[Daremo]

If they are suggesting alternative Map apps, then they need to push an update where the choice of your navigation app is user defined, so Siri will launch the app of your choosing when you ask for directions.

 

[Brad L]

That's it for me. I'm going to buy an android phone today. Not only do I require google maps, but I require google map integration. Apple will never have that unless you stay with ios5. The iphone is now an inferior product and will be for years. Have fun lemmings.

 

[doelcm82]

In other words, this is more like, "No you don't get google maps on your new iPhone. Just use what we give you and be happy with it. And have a faith that its going to be better in the future... so your children and your grandchildren will be able to use a better maps service from apple."

Only if you give your iOS devices to your children or grandchildren.

When you say "in other words", you're supposed to use other words that have the same essential meaning as the original words intended. Substituting your own opinion is not a valid use of "in other words."

Tim Cook's actual words were: "we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard."

 

[Brad L]

Giving you the Google Maps app is up to Google now. ...

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.

 

[rawlus]

Who would have thought a map would be people's most important feature in a phone?

I think the epic fail end of the world hand wringing is a bit over the top.

Do people really use maps this deeply this often? Is it your #1 most used app? I hardly find a reason to use it myself.

When Yelp's pin dot is not precisely placed do people blow a head gasket over that too? Holy cow.

The aluminum thing is funny too. Ppl were demanding an AL unibody phone a year ago, they get it and they complain AL is too soft.

I think people will complain about anything, but they won't DO anything about it.

 

[iphoneclassic]

Tim Cook's actual words were: "we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard."

That is a very clever statement without giving a time frame. If he thinks it can be fixed in 6.1, he would have said it.

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.

They can give complete integration option to other vendors(like MSFT was forced to do with browsers), but their ego wouldn't allow it, unless someone takes them to court.

 

[Brad L]

What happened to quality control and the user experience that Steve Jobs always felt was most important? Seriously, what happened?

Fact: Apple could have continued to work on their own maps without removing the google application that everyone had become dependent on.

 

[Jkstraw]

Me Too

They've (Apple) been working on maps for 4 years. You think that in 6 months they will turn it around from where it is now to something better than Google maps?

Don't know what you're smoking but I'd like some of it.

At least the growers in Humboldt Cnty wont have to worry if the Feds are using the iMaps "fly-over" to spot fields as they will be shown some place in Sonoma!!!

 

[pure3d2]

Tough choice, but necessary

Apple had some tough choices to make:

1) rip the band-aid off, suffer more hurt in the short term by using their own mapping solution

2) continue with the current google maps app and thus be another year behind Android by not having turn-by-turn navigation

3) trade more users' data/privacy with Google in exchange for turn-by-turn navigation and other enhancements.

They made the best choice for the future. It sucks right now in areas with old data, sure.

For what it's worth, I found that it works great in my town since most of the streets haven't changed in over 10 years. I actually like it better than Navigon or my standalone Garmin GPS.

With the other solutions, when I go to places like a shopping plaza, as soon as my car's tires touch the parking lot, it will stop navigating and tell me that I've arrived. I spend the next 5 minutes driving around to find the store.

With the maps app, it told me I was 250 feet away from the store once I was in the parking lot. When I drove forward a bit more, it told me that the store was on my right. Sure enough, it was.

Think of it this way, things can only improve this point forward as data is updated.

 

[Brad L]

Apple had some tough choices to make:

1) rip the band-aid off, suffer more hurt in the short term by using their own mapping solution

2) continue with the current google maps app and thus be another year behind Android by not having turn-by-turn navigation

3) trade more users' data/privacy with Google in exchange for turn-by-turn navigation and other enhancements.

They made the best choice for the future. It sucks right now in areas with old data, sure.

For what it's worth, I found that it works great in my town since most of the streets haven't changed in over 10 years. I actually like it better than Navigon or my standalone Garmin GPS.

With the other solutions, when I go to places like a shopping plaza, as soon as my car's tires touch the parking lot, it will stop navigating and tell me that I've arrived. I spend the next 5 minutes driving around to find the store.

With the maps app, it told me I was 250 feet away from the store once I was in the parking lot. When I drove forward a bit more, it told me that the store was on my right. Sure enough, it was.

Think of it this way, things can only improve this point forward as data is updated.

You forgot to mention the most logical choice. Apple could have continued to work on their mapping app without removing the google application that everyone had become dependent on.

 

[doelcm82]

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.

You're right that Google's maps won't be integrated with the iPhone. It will be a stand-alone app.

Other than that, I couldn't disagree more:

• It's not over.
• I expect Apple's maps to improve in quality.
• StreetView will be available in Google's app (most likely), and in the web app even sooner.

 

[Geckotek]

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.

Yes, but we don't know exactly how Google wanted to implement it in iOS. Obviously it was in a way that Apple objected to. Something different than what's already allowed in the App Store.

Apple should "embrace" what is right for their business. Apple did try to negotiate, but didn't reach terms to their liking. You can say all day long that you think otherwise, but the only fact that we know is that we don't know all the facts. Everyone saying what Apple should and shouldn't have done is pointless since they don't have all the facts.

----------

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.

Apparently Apple thought it was, so it must be something beyond what you have to sign up for.

 

[ipedro]

Exactly! Anyone knows how Maps will get improved by just "using" it?

Some people had already reported error they find though Maps and yet find correction so far.

When thousands of cars travel a road that either doesn't exist in Apple's data or has an incorrect alignment, that information is updated. Thousands of cars aren't traveling off the road.

The same goes for one way streets. These get changed and updated all the time in cities. It could be hard to keep up. But users driving these streets leave behind data patterns that can be interpreted and updated on Maps.

Another one: when search terms come up in a sufficient enough quantity and no results are found, that prompts Apple and its partners to correct that search term.

Just like Apple says, the more people use Maps, the better it will get. How do you think Google Maps was built? It was horrible at first. Back then, the most dependable maps were MapQuest.

 

[Jkstraw]

The Dumbing Down of Society!!

What happened to quality control and the user experience that Steve Jobs always felt was most important? Seriously, what happened?

Fact: Apple could have continued to work on their own maps without removing the google application that everyone had become dependent on.

Who is so lost without Google maps???? I have used both and the Apple maps are not that bad...if you are so lost without your Google maps you must be delivering pizzas or something.

What did we do 15 years ago that people are so lost in this day and age? Have we become that stupid of a society that we can't find our way to where we are going without Google telling us how to get from point A to point B??? - I mean really folks, get a grip. Use your own freaking brain and put down your stupid phone for a minute.

 

[Brad L]

Tim Cook said this today: Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world.

BS Liar. The mapping on ios6 is clearly inferior to ios5.

 

[435713]

I really would like to see a major google screw up and the excuses saying "it'll be alright" that would follow. They get privacy concerns brushed under the rug by the majority. They get any issues with Android brushed under the rug. Apple does something off, it is a megaton. MS is kind of in between.

Those google glasses and self driving car are "cool" but if it was Apple it would get bashed and made fun of like there was no tomorrow. Maybe it would just be better if MS and Apple both folded it up and just let google have everything. Desktop OS, Mobile, Set top TV boxes, game consoles all at 100% market share. Everyone seems to love em so damn much.

It's not an opinion, look around for any news story on tech and all the google juice dripping from the chin.

Apple deserves it's share of hate. Lack of choice, high prices, form over function, but it's a little out of control.

 

[John.B]

Apology accepted, but would have been better if it corrected the mistake by putting Google Maps back?

Cook I want google maps back or I get a Nokia phone.

Wanna show how much you really care? Bring back Google Maps. K thanks.

maps.google.com