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Why no Apple Maps website

tibi08

tibi08

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 17, 2007
703
75
Brighton, UK
I understand that Apple Maps is an iOS feature... but what is the reasoning behind not also making it available through the web? It is to avoid embarrassment?

I mean, even TomTom have web access to their maps, and they have more reason than anybody to limit access to their hardware products.
 
I would say it is because we are in a "post-PC" era... in fact, I would say Apple would like to see us in a "post-WEB PAGE" era, where everything is tied to an app, even on OSX.
 
Might just be because Apple maps doesn't go public until today. I'm sure the web version of Find My iPhone will switch to Apple maps soon enough.
 
Well Apple are just licensing the maps from other people, that agreement is very likely to be specific in its use and would probably not allow them too. Not sure who Apple would want too anyway as I highly doubt the cost/benifit would be there even if they did. And also, as pointed out above, Apple prefer to keep everything within their own eco system - Apple services are for Apple products.
 
domrevans said:
Well Apple are just licensing the maps from other people, that agreement is very likely to be specific in its use and would probably not allow them too. Not sure who Apple would want too anyway as I highly doubt the cost/benifit would be there even if they did. And also, as pointed out above, Apple prefer to keep everything within their own eco system - Apple services are for Apple products.
Click to expand...

True, but would be best to illustrate how good Apple products are than allowing users of, let's say, Windows to access the google maps from any internet browser and see a feature like "send to my iPhone" but they don't have an iPhone. BUMMER! "Maybe I should buy one because this looks awesome!?"
 
I wouldn't say Apple would be embarassed. I think the reasoning would be that most people would just use Google Maps online anyways so why bother spending the resources to provide a solution online.
 
tibi08 said:
I understand that Apple Maps is an iOS feature... but what is the reasoning behind not also making it available through the web? It is to avoid embarrassment?

I mean, even TomTom have web access to their maps, and they have more reason than anybody to limit access to their hardware products.
Click to expand...

Then you'd have to support tons of configurations instead of tweaking the software to run best on the hardware you've developed the entire time with this usage in mind.
 
NT1440 said:
Then you'd have to support tons of configurations instead of tweaking the software to run best on the hardware you've developed the entire time with this usage in mind.
Click to expand...

and somehow both microsoft and google managed to pull this off. Maybe apple can ask them how they did it.
 
baller1308 said:
I wouldn't say Apple would be embarassed. I think the reasoning would be that most people would just use Google Maps online anyways so why bother spending the resources to provide a solution online.
Click to expand...

I would use instead of Google maps, I've switched to Bing maps on the web now.

I use anything Google as little as possible now.
 
Well one could argue not making it a webservice is because they want to keep it in the apple ecosystem. What's the reason for not making an osx app for it?

I would really like to use it on my mac.



But this could very well be a feature in the next osx update... So let's just wait for WWDC 2013 xd
 
8a22a said:
I would use instead of Google maps, I've switched to Bing maps on the web now.

I use anything Google as little as possible now.
Click to expand...

:cool:

De-Googling one's life is strangely liberating. I'm nearing the point of shutting down my last email account and going full iCloud + SkyDrive / MS.
 
This is what will hurt their maps product.

Part of what helps Google is that businesses can update their OWN listings online.
 
negro napoleon said:
This is what will hurt their maps product.

Part of what helps Google is that businesses can update their OWN listings online.
Click to expand...

Apple gets there business listings through Yelp. Yelp allow businesses to update their OWN listings online.
 
Prototypical said:
:cool:

De-Googling one's life is strangely liberating. I'm nearing the point of shutting down my last email account and going full iCloud + SkyDrive / MS.
Click to expand...

Not saying one is better than the other, but.... going from being a google-oid to an apple-oid is liberating?
 
Bechmann said:
Why is it liberating?

I love Apple, but still find Googles products incredibly usefull.
Click to expand...

I got sick of all of the advertisements and over-done interface of Gmail, along with the constant Google+ harassment. Nobody I know uses it, and the last thing I need is another social network to keep track of. It's also nice to have email (via iCloud) that is simply email, not dozens of piggy-back functions I never use, paid for by ads I never click on.

I appreciate the simplicity of Apple, and really like where Microsoft / Bing / WP8 is headed.

----------
nostresshere said:
Not saying one is better than the other, but.... going from being a google-oid to an apple-oid is liberating?
Click to expand...

I'm not becoming an apple-oid (use iCloud for email/contacts/photos, Outlook for backup email, Bing for search/maps, etc) but it's refreshing to try something different for search and email. I've been on Gmail since 2005, and "Google it" is a normal part of daily speech. A lot of people join Gmail because everyone else they know has it. It's fun to get out and try what the other guys are doing; I can always go back to Google if I don't like what I see (not likely).
 
8a22a said:
Might just be because Apple maps doesn't go public until today. I'm sure the web version of Find My iPhone will switch to Apple maps soon enough.
Click to expand...

I see it more as an additional app in the suite of iCloud products, but :apple: could make it public to fight directly with Google and Bing.
 
BaldiMac said:
Apple gets there business listings through Yelp. Yelp allow businesses to update their OWN listings online.
Click to expand...

But they have little incentive to compared to Google Maps.

Google Maps business listings are neccessary for businesses because they need to show up in Google as a search engine.

Yelp is virtually unheard of outside of the US.

Ultimately the problem with no web version of maps is going to be that non-iOS users won't be able to email links around that they know will work on any device any more. Or they will, but they won't open in the iPhone's native maps app.

It's a lose-lose for users, either way.
 
The Phazer said:
But they have little incentive to compared to Google Maps.

Google Maps business listings are neccessary for businesses because they need to show up in Google as a search engine.

Yelp is virtually unheard of outside of the US.

Ultimately the problem with no web version of maps is going to be that non-iOS users won't be able to email links around that they know will work on any device any more. Or they will, but they won't open in the iPhone's native maps app.

It's a lose-lose for users, either way.
Click to expand...

Point taken. But 400 million iOS users is more than a "little incentive". :)
 
I take it back, maybe they are embarrassed. Updated today and I can't believe how bad the 'new' maps are. Satalite is a joke.

BaldiMac said:
Point taken. But 400 million iOS users is more than a "little incentive". :)
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood his post. There is little incentive for a web version, regardless of iOS users.
 
domrevans said:
I think you misunderstood his post. There is little incentive for a web version, regardless of iOS users.
Click to expand...

Nope, we were talking about the incentive for business to update their own information through Yelp to improve the business listings on Apple Maps.
 
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