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Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

mnemonix said:
Shall we not even mention the fact that Woolworths went bankrupt, nationally, in 2008 and was never located anywhere near where it is shown on the map anyway. Or that Greyhound street is a tiny pedestrian alley not a road or...
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Haha good points!

Though, FWIW, there are a few such errors on Google's mapping system in my area. They insist we have a Best Buy in my town, yet the closest one is nearly 10 miles away. :confused:

That said, I agree that Apple needs to lockdown and do some serious cramming to get these updates put into place!
 
While I think it is a little out of proportion, I think at least the hoopla made is fine. I think this will push Apple to make some positive steps going forward. Better to get the complaints out now than to go silent.
 
Turn By Turn

I'll say it again, everybody wanted free Turn By Turn Navigation I even had to listen to Android fans say they've had for free on there phones for a long time, possibly since the beginning but that I'm not sure. I constantly listened to people with iPhones complaining about no Turn By Turn even though you could download several free Turn By Turn Apps! I used the free Map Quest Turn By Turn and I couldn't believe how good it worked! My wife & I had to go pick up some things recently at 5 different Addresses and for fun we used the in car A/M Pioneer Nav.head unit, our 2 iPhone 4S's & my ipad 3. Each one a different Nav. App. The in car Nav., Google Maps, MapQuest and tried different routes on Googe when it gave us a choice. Over all believe it or not, MapQuest was the best & easiest to use! All worked fine to get you to destination. All also made mistakes sometimes way off including Google, again MapQuest did the best at that as well. I couldn't believe it myself!:cool:
Since I've been using Apple Maps I've loved the Turn By Turn and its been dead on every time! Google Maps is more fine tuned and Apple will get it there!
I have Access to Google with the Web App that works fine when needed. I do hope Google makes an App for App Store. So we can have both!:cool:

Bottom line is Google would not give Turn By Turn to Apple, to one up Apple on one App and that's just what it is one App!:cool:

Again it's just one App, the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 is awesome and Maps will get better and I'm sure we will see a Google Maps in App Store soon!
Eventually Apple Maps will be the the better way to go, or at the very least just as good:cool:
:apple::apple::apple:
 
Well I have to admit, I didn't see this coming. I was starting to get the feeling that the big wigs at Apple were too busy making it rain then getting out and seeing what's going on the world. I am very....amused to see that Tim Cook was pressured in to making a statement regarding the colossal failure that was iOS6 Maps. It was very big of him to step up and apologize and to direct people to alternative solutions.

If I were Google, I would be in no hurry to release an iOS map app. Apple kicked you to the curb, practically telling you your product wasn't good enough to grace Apple's desires. I would hold it high above Apple's head in a feat to win more people over to Android, where maps are truly superior to Apple's current out of the box offerings.

How much longer is it going to be before we hear about the widespread issues involving the iPhone 5? Apple would do well to pull the 5 from the shelves, publicly admit they botched the very much rushed release, and say you have Apple's WORD they will never green light such a shoddy product ever again, that they are actively getting to the core of the problems and large changes will be made from top to bottom to make sure each and every device that rolls out with an Apple logo attached meets only the highest grade.

Customers should always come first, nobody should get a product that's damaged right out of the box, especially not after paying a premium price for a premium brand.
 
rsocal said:
Bottom line is Google would not give Turn By Turn to Apple, to one up Apple on one App and that's just what it is one App!:cool:
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This statement is inaccurate. Google was willing to give Apple turn-by-turn under specific terms. Apple simply decided not to agree to the terms.
 
cwwilson said:
Well I have to admit, I didn't see this coming. I was starting to get the feeling that the big wigs at Apple were too busy making it rain then getting out and seeing what's going on the world. I am very....amused to see that Tim Cook was pressured in to making a statement regarding the colossal failure that was iOS6 Maps. It was very big of him to step up and apologize and to direct people to alternative solutions.
Click to expand...

Google Maps is very dependent on crowd-sourcing and loosing some 75 million devices/users overnight is something they feel. Of course they want them back into the club - I don't think this is a deliberate strategy... if it is - it's very dumb.
 
Real problems. Whether they are blown out of proportion is completely subjective and based on a persons use case. I would imagine having several dropped calls or no data on a regular basis is a severe enough problem to warrant complaints for some. And I imagine that the same goes for people reliant on maps. As for the media - they will and do respond to both what will sell a headline AND what people are interested in/need to know/etc.

Apple isn't forced to respond. Apple could have not responded. They chose to respond. Being a PR/Marketing professional for over 20 years - I'm pretty sure I know what the options are/were and what makes for smart business. And I never argued whether Apple's response was smart or not. Straw man comment there.

You failed to answer my questions. That's ok - I don't expect you to.

And you might take your own advice. You're here on this thread whining about the people whining. What was the phrase you used - yeah - grow a pair. You have options too. Like ignoring the thread. But no - you'd like to feel superior by insisting that those that want/expect better from Apple and are pushing them to fix maps are just cry babies.

So when Apple maps is improved (let's assume there's a download for that just for fun) - I trust you won't be downloading it since a) your maps work perfectly and b) you wouldn't want to be a hypocrite by enjoying the benefits of improved functionality that was directly a result of the people you are calling whiners.

Have a great weekend.
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^ They are cry babies and part of the reason why this has become the fiasco that it is.
Of course all of this will help to create an even better Apple Maps experience but it's, imo, the wrong way to go about it. The end may justify the means but that doesn't make the actual process legit.

The majority of the people complaining or "whining" don't have ANY issues with their app. They are simply hopping on the whine wagon.

"Being a PR/Marketing professional for over 20 years - I'm pretty sure I know what the options are/were and what makes for smart business."

^ Argument from authority. Unnecessary.
 
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Acceptable Terms

Joesmith13245 said:
This statement is inaccurate. Google was willing to give Apple turn-by-turn under specific terms. Apple simply decided not to agree to the terms.
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I'm sure the terms were not Acceptable for reasons that would be rediculous, Google's intentions of Apple accepting the terms, I'm sure Google made terms that would be unacceptable and unreasonable for Apple to Accept.:cool::apple:
 
Ya know, I try not to be too much of a fanboy. I think it is admirable that Tim Cook acknowledges the problem and has made suggestions on competitors to help until they get the problem fixed. I am not sure what else they can possibly do under the circumstances. If they had to delay release of the iPhone 5 for another six you would all be complaining about that.

If you all are THAT unhappy, you have 14 days to change your mind, go get a droid.
 
cwwilson said:
Well I have to admit, I didn't see this coming. I was starting to get the feeling that the big wigs at Apple were too busy making it rain then getting out and seeing what's going on the world. I am very....amused to see that Tim Cook was pressured in to making a statement regarding the colossal failure that was iOS6 Maps. It was very big of him to step up and apologize and to direct people to alternative solutions.

If I were Google, I would be in no hurry to release an iOS map app. Apple kicked you to the curb, practically telling you your product wasn't good enough to grace Apple's desires. I would hold it high above Apple's head in a feat to win more people over to Android, where maps are truly superior to Apple's current out of the box offerings.

How much longer is it going to be before we hear about the widespread issues involving the iPhone 5? Apple would do well to pull the 5 from the shelves, publicly admit they botched the very much rushed release, and say you have Apple's WORD they will never green light such a shoddy product ever again, that they are actively getting to the core of the problems and large changes will be made from top to bottom to make sure each and every device that rolls out with an Apple logo attached meets only the highest grade.

Customers should always come first, nobody should get a product that's damaged right out of the box, especially not after paying a premium price for a premium brand.
Click to expand...

I guess where you have it wrong is by still thinking Apple is a premium brand with premium products.
Apple is now a MASS PRODUCTION company with MASS PRODUCTION products.
The aim is not making the best product, it is making the most money. They turned to short-sighted short-term policies.
They don't care about their product or customers.
 
rsocal said:
I'm sure the terms were not Acceptable for reasons that would be rediculous, Google's intentions of Apple accepting the terms, I'm sure Google made terms that would be unacceptable and unreasonable for Apple to Accept.:cool::apple:
Click to expand...

Google negotiated the terms in it's own interest just as Apple did. It is perfectly understandable that Google wants to keep some features of it's maps exclusive to Android so as to give a competitive advantage to their own mobile OS. Just because Apple didn't accept the terms of the new contract it doesn't means that Google's terms were unreasonable.

For my part I think this has far more to do with the whole "thermonuclear" war on Google/Android declared by Steve than with any details of the contract between Apple and Google. Steve became upset when Google decided to develop their own mobile OS and saw the move as Google deciding to compete with Apple ("we didn't enter the search business, they entered the smartphone business"). Apple beginning acquisitions for it's own mapping solution as far back as 2009, show what they had in mind long before negotiations for a renewed contract with Google even came to the table. Apple releasing their announcing and releasing their Maps app long before their contract with Google was over (and to catch Google off-guard as some are reporting) also shows what their mindset on this whole issue is: Google is a competitor and they aim to tackle them with their own solution while giving them the boot from their iOS devices.
 
rsocal said:
I'm sure the terms were not Acceptable for reasons that would be rediculous, Google's intentions of Apple accepting the terms, I'm sure Google made terms that would be unacceptable and unreasonable for Apple to Accept.:cool::apple:
Click to expand...

obviously selling your customers crap is acceptable and just dandy.
 
Evoken said:
Steve became upset when Google decided to develop their own mobile OS and saw the move as Google deciding to compete with Apple ("we didn't enter the search business, they entered the smartphone business").
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Wait, Steve became upset in 2005 ? Google entered the "smartphone" business earlier than Apple did. Don't be fooled by the "media show" Steve put on.
 
KnightWRX said:
Wait, Steve became upset in 2005 ? Google entered the "smartphone" business earlier than Apple did. Don't be fooled by the "media show" Steve put on.
Click to expand...

And Apple is trying to grow by entering the ads/consumer data business. They have to, they can't keep coming up with innovative products like the iPod and iPhones.
 
The Apple Map App is just a newborn baby and people want it dead already, Why? Because it doesn't posses the knowledge of it's great grand daddy the Google Map?

Does anyone even remember the functionality of Google's Map when it was first introduced? It was as plain as vanilla! with very limited coverage

I hope Apple will give us web access to its map, it might mature even quicker that way.
 
MSUSpartan said:
And Apple is trying to grow by entering the ads/consumer data business. They have to, they can't keep coming up with innovative products like the iPod and iPhones.
Click to expand...

Maybe Apple should stick to areas it is competent in to grow their business. They haven't quite had much success in the service arena for the past decade. The iTunes store is about their only success story there and it doesn't even register as 10% of their revenues.

Not to mention all their other online services failure like MobileMe or Ping...

The contrast to that is the very profitable and huge growth and revenues they get from their Mac business, their iPad/iPhone offerings (especially those).

----------
cisco1138 said:
The Apple Map App is just a newborn baby and people want it dead already, Why? Because it doesn't posses the knowledge of it's great grand daddy the Google Map?
Click to expand...

Well, if you like to go back 7 years for your tech, that's your prerogative.

cisco1138 said:
Does anyone even remember the functionality of Google's Map when it was first introduced? It was as plain as vanilla! with very limited coverage
Click to expand...

Sure, but that was 7 years ago. If Apple wants to enter the market today, they better darn be up to 2012 standards.

Imagine if Apple had shipped the iPhone in 2007, but competitive with phones from 2000. Would the iPhone have taken off as big as it did ? Of course not, they would have been laughed out of the market.
 
KnightWRX said:
Maybe Apple should stick to areas it is competent in to grow their business. They haven't quite had much success in the service arena for the past decade. The iTunes store is about their only success story there and it doesn't even register as 10% of their revenues.

Not to mention all their other online services failure like MobileMe or Ping...

The contrast to that is the very profitable and huge growth and revenues they get from their Mac business, their iPad/iPhone offerings (especially those).
Click to expand...

These are great words when applied to google. They should stick to search and leave smartphones, glasses, cars and refrigerators alone. Maybe G should stick to areas it is competent in to grow their business. They haven't quite had much success in the service arena for the past decade or OS. They don't even have app store revenues close to 10% of iTunes store revenues.

Not to mention all their other online services failure like wave or some social network no one remembers.. or google x, or google catalog, or google video player or google web accelerator or google answers or google coupons, or google viewer or google checkout or ..

The contrast to that is the very profitable and huge growth and all revenues they get from their search business, their only source of revenue.

And they gonna lose 100 million iOS customers.
Good for Apple.
 
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