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Wow. Apple Maps is a disaster.
- Thread starter b24pgg
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Yeah people! By the time the GM is released the app will be able to teleport us to different locations!
Hello they can't bring this app up to speed with google maps. They have 3 months to build what took google how many years? I hope I'm wrong, but...
Google has been at it for 6 years.
Apparently Apple has been at it for 3 years. If this is the product they have after three years, however, I don't see 3 months making a difference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Beta
Alpha-versions aim at adding and developing most features. When a Beta version is rolled out, that's just to check whether the app/OS needs some performance improvements and the like.
This is what Beta means. And if you think Apple can map the entire planet better than Google from now to this fall, you're just a blind fanboy.
Alpha-versions aim at adding and developing most features. When a Beta version is rolled out, that's just to check whether the app/OS needs some performance improvements and the like.
This is what Beta means. And if you think Apple can map the entire planet better than Google from now to this fall, you're just a blind fanboy.
As for your wiki link and talk about beta, just cos that's the definition, doesn't mean everyone sticks to it religiously. Apple haven't stuck to it, neither have Microsoft. Apple, as recent as iOS5 has left some features out of beta 1, and added them in later.
I'll make it clear now, I'm not saying they're gonna map the world by the fall. I'm just saying we don't know for certain the exacts of what they already have. We only know what's been allowed for the beta. We know that C3 have made more cities in 3D that aren't in the beta for iOS6, so apple are holding things back. They've said that not all high res satellite images are in the beta.
If maps is the same as this when it's released to the public, then my tone will change. Until then, I'm just being open minded.
The goal of a Beta is to evaluate whether it needs improvements. Having more data available, depending on the inner workings of the app, creates a new situation to evaluate, so then why not release something like that? It's a key feature. Feedback from the beta testers would make no sense if Apple offered an handicapped version.
Notice this would not be a new feature. Testing whether (for example) the cache method works properly, the rendering and anything else work with a greater coverage is vitally important.
Can you provide a link to the Apple website? I haven't found anything on that.
The bother, the beta notes don't say that they have many more images hidden, ready to go, it just says that "more high resolution images are going to be coming at a later date", typical "we'll keep improving the product, eventually". It doesn't state anything near what people are interpreting it to say, that is, that the Beta is being run on a limited dataset.
For all we know, Apple isn't dumb and is using their full dataset to Q&A the beta release as thoroughly as possible.
Well what's being used in the beta is enough to test the API's which is the point of a beta. This is a closed Developer beta. Apple still have separate internal betas and there were rumours during the iOS 4 or 5 beta (I forget which) that AT&T had a separate beta too, I forget why there was a reason for this. In the developer beta, they only really need the things working that will affect developers. If this was a public beta, I'd be more concerned about the state of maps. The problem is that non-devs are screaming maps is a disaster based on a developer beta 1. I'm a non dev, but I'm open minded. I'll give apple benefit of the doubt until GM at the earliest.
the release notes are in the dev centre on apples site. What I said was nearly word for word quote.
Apple are holding things back, as I said before, C3 has mapped many cities, most aren't in the iOS6 beta. Since apple owns C3, they have all those cities mapped already, if everything they have is already put in the beta as you seem certain of, what's happened to the other cities.....?
The App is feature complete. The data set isn't yet
. That being said it annoys me that companies push major software out labeled in a perpetual beta.
We've no evidence that C3's previous mapping was suitable for these map uses.
And this is a nonsense anyway. Even if Apple has more data, and for some reason is outputting vast amounts of false data in having road co-ordinates that are badly placed and overspaced, then they have nothing to replace street view, nothing to replace Google's vastly superior business and place of interest listings to Yelp's poor offerings and nothing to replace transit directions. Nor are they even intending to fix these things, which are live on my phone in Google maps today and used by me daily.
Phazer
I get the distinct impression that most of the people commenting in this thread are not professional cartographers.
The fact of the matter is that making a good map, one that really works for the people using it, is quite difficult, often involving at least as much art as science.
Part of the problem involves the level of detail. The cartographer needs to provide just the right amount of detail: Too much, and the map becomes cluttered and hard to read. Too little, and important landmarks and features get left out. Some users are going to need details that others don't: Contour lines, showing elevation and grade are very, very important to hikers, cyclists, and pilots - not so much to commuters.
To that end, a map that appears to "ignore" a smaller street isn't necessarily a "bad" map. Its just one that (for whatever reason) doesn't show smaller features at the scale chosen. When I'm driving cross country via the Interstate, I don't need every Elm Street and Main Street I pass to show up on my map. But if I take a detour into a small town, and search for antique shops and home-cooked apple pie - the map ought to redraw to show the necessary detail. And so a random screenshot of Google and Apple maps of the same location isn't necessarily a fair, or representative, test of the overall effectiveness of the Map.
Apple is well known of its attention to detail. I would be very surprised indeed if it ended up releasing a Maps App for its showcase mobile operating system that was, by any reasonable definition, "second rate." I would therefore suggest we reserve judgement until we've actually tried out the final release, using it the way we actually use maps in our own life.
The fact of the matter is that making a good map, one that really works for the people using it, is quite difficult, often involving at least as much art as science.
Part of the problem involves the level of detail. The cartographer needs to provide just the right amount of detail: Too much, and the map becomes cluttered and hard to read. Too little, and important landmarks and features get left out. Some users are going to need details that others don't: Contour lines, showing elevation and grade are very, very important to hikers, cyclists, and pilots - not so much to commuters.
To that end, a map that appears to "ignore" a smaller street isn't necessarily a "bad" map. Its just one that (for whatever reason) doesn't show smaller features at the scale chosen. When I'm driving cross country via the Interstate, I don't need every Elm Street and Main Street I pass to show up on my map. But if I take a detour into a small town, and search for antique shops and home-cooked apple pie - the map ought to redraw to show the necessary detail. And so a random screenshot of Google and Apple maps of the same location isn't necessarily a fair, or representative, test of the overall effectiveness of the Map.
Apple is well known of its attention to detail. I would be very surprised indeed if it ended up releasing a Maps App for its showcase mobile operating system that was, by any reasonable definition, "second rate." I would therefore suggest we reserve judgement until we've actually tried out the final release, using it the way we actually use maps in our own life.
An interesting question is if Apple is going to tell the average user who knows nothing of this that they will lose some functionality in the map application if they upgrade from iOS5 when it invites them to. I'm guessing not, which is going to make some people very unhappy indeed when they find out after they have already upgraded.
Lol really? Have you seen the C3 demo from jan 2011, looks pretty much the same as what apple are using.... You're saying apple scrapped all the data C3 had and started from scratch?! Why bother buying C3 then? Google are making their own from scratch to try to compete, so by your comment, apple wasted their money.....
Also I never said false data, just older version data. As has been said, google update their dataset regularly without the need to update the device, so it stands to reason that come official release, apple can flick a switch and swap old/wrong/poor quality maps for different ones.
like I have said a lot already. If the maps ap as it stands now is what is I'm iOS 6 come official launch, then I'm complaining. Until then, I'm being open minded about the possibilities. As has been noted, apple has previously held features back and tweaked some over the stages of previous betas through to launch. Don't see why same can't be said here.
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That is hilarious! I also love the fact that if you zoom out they try to colour it resulting in a big green cloud
I get the feeling a lot of people aren't professional developers. (You're a cartographer now ?)
iOS 6 Beta is not a showcase. Devs are under NDA. It's a test, to find and squash bugs. Again, if you're a developer, you understand the value of being feature complete and working with a copy or your production data during the last Q&A phase before mass deployment : limited datasets used during active development might not be able to trigger all conditions that might result in unwanted behavior.
Thus there is no reason to believe this isn't actually Apple's live map data or at least a complete copy of it. Otherwise, the beta has no real value.
Very true, in fact, I've been comparing. It's kinda random. Around me, Bing Maps are generally much higher resolution and far more up to date - except one city I'm in a lot, where Google's map is better than in most of the state - and Bing's is worse (over-exposed imagery). UGH. I WISH THERE WAS ONE BEST.
While I agree with just about everything you said, Apple does have this lovely gem in the current iOS6 release notes:
"Map data will continue to evolveonly a limited amount of high resolution satellite imagery is currently available."