Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[crossifixio]

Whats the big deal!

Seriously what is the big deal! I have been using Maps for a fews months and it has improved so much and now I rarely have a problem with it! Give it time and it will be the best Maps app out there!

 

[MacBookPro13"]

Maps seems snappier after this letter was released.

 

[OllyW]

It actually works quite well in England where I live. Oh well.

It doesn't work too well where I live.

 

[jman240]

I'm sick of seeing people post stuff like: "I'm sick of seeing people post "Steve wouldn't have done that" and "this would never have happened if Steve was still around". Just move on. He's dead. He's not around any more so there's no point keep mentioning him."

Now if Steve Jobs were around, this maps fiasco... Oh well.

Yeah, everything Steve did was spot on.. First apple tv, first macbook air, mobile me....

 

[samcraig]

Reading comprehension fail, or do you just not understand that Apple believe customer privacy to be one of their USPs?

Do you understand that the real objection is that Apple wants your location data vs giving it to Google. Which is their right. But let's not make Apple out to be any less wanting of your info/privacy.

Google values customer privacy too. Both companies have a nearly identical privacy policy. Neither company sells your information to 3rd parties. No matter how much FUD people try to intimate.

 

[sazivad]

Steve would have absolutely allowed the product to be released. All Steve would have done perhaps differently is better present the rough edges.

Well, we can argue about hypotheticals all day.

Perhaps Apple honestly thought the App was good.

Remember, even if over 99% of the data is accurate, like they say it is, that still means there's tons of mistakes.

 

[chrisd1974]

No it's not....dear god.....

If you buy an iPhone for $500 and say "Oh man this maps app sucks, what a waste of $500" you're an idiot. You should've just bought a GPS.....

There are hundreds or other things that $500 device does....stop acting like one app has suddenly rendered your phone completely useless.

Jesus....the sky is falling!

It hasn't rendered by phone completely useless - I use a Galaxy S2 - my last iPhone was bought 3 years ago and I stopped using it as my main phone about 1 year ago. What interests me is that at the time I bought the iPhone it was light years ahead of the Android alternatives. Now those alternatives are better in some ways, although more complicated because more customisable and less unified.

I can understand technophobes being drawn to iOS for its simplicity, but I can no longer understand anyone with any curiosity in how stuff works being remotely interested in buying into a crippled proprietory system that gets worse rather than better.

Sorry but that's just the way it is.

-------------------

iPhone 3 -2009
Macbook Pro - 2008
Macbook Air -2009
Apple TV -2010
Galaxy S2 - 2011
Galaxy Nexus - 2012

----------

Maps seems snappier after this letter was released.

Hahaha!!

 

[maflynn]

For all the people who say that Steve would never have allowed this, they forget how badly mobile me was, or antennagate, or even reaching back with the G4 Cube having visible cracks in the screen.

The point is, that Maps is unapple in its problems, lack of finishing touches and omissions. Apple is not immune to rushing a product out before all the holes are plugged but they mostly do wait and hold off on a product release until its ready - but in this case they rushed it.

 

[nemesiswar]

Apple have done many mistakes lately as "the new" iPad with American only LTE frequencies, big lawsuit against Samsung and the maps app being the top 3 biggest mistakes.

 

[nfl46]

Bing, Antennagate, iTunes for Windows, Siri, no multi tasking (iOS1-4)....

if Bumpers for iPhone 4 was not an apology I don't know what is.

But, do you know how aggressive Steve was when he held that small conference about Antennagate. It felt like he was ready to cut someone's throat. His attitude was horrible.

 

[Elijahg]

Where I am(Zambia) <snip>

LIES! You are from the future! (no really, this is not Photoshopped...)

</offtopic>

 

[The DRis]

Where is the apology regarding the paint chipping off the back like it's a cheap, made-in-China toy.

...oh wait...

It's not paint, it's anodizing.

And if you thought anodizing was some rock hard material then you have something else coming your way.

 

[chrisd1974]

So you'd rather they wait until the contract ran out to start using their maps app and gathering data? Yeah, that's a good idea. :rolls eyes:

You're all a bunch of spoiled brats. Like the other guy said, we used to "navigate" around with no maps at all, and somehow we survived.

We used to make phonecalls without mobile phones - but that's not the best selling point to bring forward for a mobile phone.

Busy people (rather than people who's main move every day is from their own bed to school) need maps.

 

[avanpelt]

I'm sick of seeing people post "Steve wouldn't have done that" and "this would never have happened if Steve was still around". Just move on. He's dead. He's not around any more so there's no point keep mentioning him.

I quite like the 'new' Apple. Admitting your product is crap is good in my book. It means they are going to put a lot of resources into correcting it and making it better as soon as possible.

If you'll read the rest of my comment, you'll notice that we agree about liking the "new Apple".

I was simply saying that releasing a letter like this barely one week after the release of a product is something I don't think Steve would've done; and I applaud Tim Cook for doing it. I was not bashing Cook, I was praising him.

 

[apierrec]

No need to apologize Tim - I am using maps almost daily and havent had a single problem!!! Granted im not touring the US via Flyover to LOOK at buildings!! LOL...


The turn by turn directions have been excellent. They are so easy to use, and Siri actually does an incredible job of re-routing people; and it's much better than any GPS system!!

What exactly is wrong with Maps? Some 3D images don't render properly and some locations aren't accurate. Over time, these will get edited as they receive feedback.

Functionally, it works smoothly each time I've used it...

Everyone is just overreacting. Probably the same people that sold their AAPL stock the last few days because the iPhone 5 sold 5 million instead of 6 million...

Some are ******** or overblown reactions. I've seen how it works flawlessly, beautifully and effectively on my friends.

People should actually use it and report if there's any real issues instead of regurgitating already reported few problems that will not be impacting everyone.

At this early stage, it is far from perfect (but beautifully executed and very accurate so far in our experience) but DO SOME ACTUAL TESTS yourself and give them time and much needed feedback.

 

[bpaluzzi]

Oh Tim, open letters are great but naming the competition is a no no mate. Old Stevie would have erred on the side of caution.

I'm sure Tim will take your years of experience running muti-billion dollar companies into experience the next time he drafts a press release.

 

[newagemac]

I dunno. Have you used the Podcasts App yet?

The Podcasts app was poor at first too but now its pretty awesome. I especially love the fact that subscriptions and play positions are now synced through iCloud. No more needing to connect to iTunes on your computer to continue from your iPad to your iPhone and vice versa. It just works.

If the maps app can be improved as quickly as they did with the Podcasts app, then that will be great. Saw the same thing happen with Final Cut Pro X. Although it took a bit more time, its now getting rave reviews. We certainly could never go back to the old tape based way of doing things although some companies are too invested in older equipment and expertise to make the jump.

Anyway, I think people need to understand that the software and web industry have moved to a new development process called "Agile".

With Agile Development, you ship earlier and gather customer feedback to improve it as you go along rather than waiting until you've "finished" it. By getting the product in customer's hands earlier in the development process you end up creating a more user focused end product because your design decisions are based more on real customer feedback rather than your own assumptions. Plus, software is never really "finished" so Agile helps facilitate ongoing improvements.

And no, limited developer betas don't really fulfill that need because that demographic isn't the target market nor is it big enough to get the data they need... especially for something like maps.

Apple is actually a bit late to this kind of development process and its customers aren't used to it. But it really is the way to go to get better designed software/sites/applications.

 

[chrisd1974]

Well, we can argue about hypotheticals all day.

Remember, even if over 99% of the data is accurate, like they say it is, that still means there's tons of mistakes.

It's true - the gaps in between the POIs are for the most part correct.

 

[bpaluzzi]

I'm guessing you don't live outside the USA!

I'm in London and it's fine.

 

[sazivad]

"Why don't you just give everybody a Bing web clip? Okay. Great, let's give everybody a Bing web clip."

Why does it seem like Apple is really buddying up to Microsoft?

 

[rei101]

If Steve Jobs was alive...

He would have written a note no more than a sentence long and make everybody feel happy and Apple stuck would skyrocket... but that was Steve.

 

[chrisd1974]

I'm sure Tim will take your years of experience running muti-billion dollar companies into experience the next time he drafts a press release.

Keep rolling those eyes. He was previously at Compaq. That's right the people with the GUI that looked like a Filofax drawn in primary colors. I guess that wasn't his fault either.

 

[Ted13]

Dear Tim,

Biking and public transportation directions, please! iOS devices are disproportionately popular in cities where your users get around without driving.

 

[435713]

Are you complaining about map users needing to use maps?

No, I am saying a lot of these 1st world country issues sound plain stupid when anyone should be able to figure out transit routes quite easily without a phone. Nice to have but not needed in any way shape or form. Just certain comments I have seen are really WTF worthy.

Should people complain to Apple about the issues? Absolutely.

 

[bpaluzzi]

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.

Cool, so you've just shown you have no idea how an app like this works. That's pretty awesome, but don't you think you should be a *little* less eager to point out your lack of knowledge?