Wow. Apple Maps is a disaster.

[Trager]

Perhaps users should realize that this is not the old maps app. Perhaps users should be a little more accruate and complete when entering their information as not all GPS Systems are "the best". Perhaps users should be cross referencing an address when they ask for a location or business by name. To check it by name and not insure what they are seeing is the correct address is short sighted on the users part. I never leave for an unknown destination without a full addy, including zip, a ph# and if possible a cross street. Again, travel wisely. Those practice don't change even if the GPS System used does.

Oh, of course! Why didn't we realize that? Why on earth should we expect that a smartphone in the year 2012 should be able to search for a location or a service by name? If you want to know where something is, you should just call the establishment and ask them for directions!

I bet you just hated all those iPhone 4 users who "held their phone wrong" and then had the gall to take Apple to task about poor antenna engineering.

 

[sneaky butcher]

Sounds like you need a Droid. What keeps you on an iPhone?

i don't have an iphone lol

 

[KnightWRX]

Are you kidding!? Maps was utterly useless in the car. Navigation is a huge step forward. I agree that they need a lot more POI's for it to be more functional but it's nothing that downloading Google Local won't fix as a workaround until that happens.

Navigation is useless if the application can't pin point the proper source and destination. I think there's enough examples out there of misplaced POIs and missing streets and landmarks to show that this isn't a step forward.

We had navigation with the old app, it just wasn't spoken. But personally, navigation is not the feature I was most interested in. Mapping and POIs were to me. I don't really care about navigation.

For me this is a huge step back.

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To all those that hit the update button on day one, heck even week one or pre-ordered a phone, they made a choice to do that and take a leap on as you said on an unreleased product from a secretive and non-transparent company, containing a totally new built from ground up and unproven core application.........Hmm.....sounds to me perhaps you should re-read this paragraph and ask yourselves if that was a very informed decision you made. Yep....I totally see all those users as having no responsibility in their decision.

So you're saying we shouldn't ever believe Apple keynotes/press material, that Apple is untrustworthy.

Ooook. Step away from the keyboard slowly there spiky.

 

[MarqueeK]

A lot of people (including Apple) are saying that Apple Maps is still new and they're working on making it better.
But really, what CAN Apple do to make it better?
There's no more good imaging companies like Keyhole and Zenrin to work with since they're all with Google, Tomtom is and always will be a GPS navigation specialist (not imaging), and Apple hasen't even started collecting their own data while Google has started to map the insides of buildings in multiple markets around the world.
As long as Apple does their product design and development in the US only and treats all other locations as mere sales centers, they will be going nowhere very fast.
I wouldn't be at all surprised when the iPhone 5S comes out and Apple Maps has had only but minor fixes centered in the US.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Navigation is useless if the application can't pin point the proper source and destination. I think there's enough examples out there of misplaced POIs and missing streets and landmarks to show that this isn't a step forward.

We had navigation with the old app, it just wasn't spoken. But personally, navigation is not the feature I was most interested in. Mapping and POIs were to me. I don't really care about navigation.

For me this is a huge step back.

And for me POI's aren't nearly as important as navigation. Obviously we have different uses/needs.

Personally, I've been using navigation since beta 1 and it has always found and routed me to any address I gave it in my region (Colorado). This includes campgrounds off the grid.

Maybe I've just had better luck with it. *shrugs*

 

[dewthedru]

This thread is awesome. Despite tons of users pointing out the fact that there's a ton of incorrect, missing, and jacked up data,, Apple apologists just keep excusing this POS. There's really no point in arguing it anymore. How's my more examples could we provide to show that it's a huge step backward for something we pay for.

 

[KnightWRX]

And for me POI's aren't nearly as important as navigation. Obviously we have different uses/needs.

Personally, I've been using navigation since beta 1 and it has always found and routed me to any address I gave it in my region (Colorado). This includes campgrounds off the grid.

Maybe I've just had better luck with it. *shrugs*

And I've been trying to read the darn things properly since Beta 3. Traffic never worked for my area until the GM and even now, it's "all or nothing", there's no gradation of traffic like with Google. Not to mention the thin intermittent line design they use to represent it is a far cry from Google's thick green/yellow/red lines.

The Maps just are darn hard to distinguish. Sure they're pretty and neutral, but that's making me squint at them everytime I need to get my bearings.

So not even counting missing streets, missplaced landmarks, mislabeled POIs, closed down businesses and frankly quite incomplete database of locations, just the rendering, the "beautiful maps" are a hindrance and a step back for me. Give me vector Google Maps over this. Vector shouldn't mean "hard to read", it should simply mean "non bit-mapped". Google has been offering their stuff in vector form since 2010.

----------

This thread is awesome. Despite tons of users pointing out the fact that there's a ton of incorrect, missing, and jacked up data,, Apple apologists just keep excusing this POS. There's really no point in arguing it anymore. How's my more examples could we provide to show that it's a huge step backward for something we pay for.

Infinity + 1 won't be enough. Heck, if the app started up to a splash screen that simply showed an Apple logo and a "Give us money" sign, you'd probably have some people telling us we just didn't do our research properly.

 

[alent1234]

There we go, the stock response to criticism of Apple

No that's exactly the point
iPhone is games and photos
Droid for maps

Someone I know wants a smartphone and for navigation I'm going to tell him no iPhone

 

[musiciscool]

This apple maps with Siri is working better than Google maps for a lot of things already. Google was pilfering our info while shafting us and not giving us upto date features that they put on Android. Apple did what they had to do because Google is evil! Now we will get the features we need and want, and if we don't it will be Apples fault. But it is in their interest to make it good; so keep complaining, but don't lose perspective. If you really need to keep big brother in your business, go to maps.google.com…

 

[MuddyPaws1]

Apparently you don't understand what a beta is. If you are a real developer you would surely understand that its not perfect yet.

I love it. First people use the excuse for Apple not having a feature "Apple doesn't push things out unless they are perfect. They want the user experience to be the best.....bla bla bla...."

And then give apple a free pass when something falls short and says "Well it's a beta, what do you expect?"

It's been a year, Siri still sucks. I don't expect these new maps to be any better. I hope Google gets that App out fast. But I bet Apple will drag their feet on it or use the excuse that it "duplicates built in functionality"

 

[KnightWRX]

Google was pilfering our info while shafting us and not giving us upto date features that they put on Android.

Google was never responsible for the app. They provided mapping data to Apple.

 

[chiefpavvy]

It's been a year, Siri still sucks.

Siri is just fine, the fAndroids have given up on that. (See: S-Voice lol)

Now back to maps...

 

[s.hasan546]

I love it. First people use the excuse for Apple not having a feature "Apple doesn't push things out unless they are perfect. They want the user experience to be the best.....bla bla bla...."

And then give apple a free pass when something falls short and says "Well it's a beta, what do you expect?"

It's been a year, Siri still sucks. I don't expect these new maps to be any better. I hope Google gets that App out fast. But I bet Apple will drag their feet on it or use the excuse that it "duplicates built in functionality"

Siri does suck but its years behind Samsung's copy (S-Voice)....

That being said Maps sucks balls, even though it is pretty damn quick (probably b.c of a extremely low data set). it couldn't navigate me to a local coffee shop that whose address i put in perfectly. Pretty pathetic.

Also google is coming out with a maps app so who gives a **** about this argument?

if you want a real navigation there are a bunch of apps for it.

 

[Scott006]

I just had an eventful day at Edinburgh university open day. I decided to use apple maps to try and get around.

Firstly I wanted to find train times from my town to Edinburgh, I even downloaded the suggested transport API! But nope, it simply gave me a driving route. I used Google maps to plan my train journey.

Next I arrived at the station, I wanted driving directions to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to decide if it was worth getting a taxi. I used siri to ask, and I was impressed that it understood what I was saying in a noisy station. It then gave me two destinations to choose from, the first was a small secondary school and the second was a private health clinic. Once again I used google maps.

Time to get my train home. Siri, get me directions to Edinburgh Waverly! Destination not found. Edinburgh Waverly Station? Not found. Edinburgh Train Station... not found. Now let me assure you, this station is called "Edinburgh Waverly". I looked through the map and it did have a train station, but had incorrectly labeled it "Edinburgh Rail Station" and unless you asked for that (the incorrect name) exactly, it wouldn't locate it. Also strangely I noticed right next to "Edinburgh Rail Station" apparently is "Edinburgh Central [station]" which simply does not exist.
I then used the transport API to try and find a bus link to this strange new "Edinburgh Rail Station", it didn't find any, it only suggested a walking route. Google maps to the rescue... yet again. As it turns out there was a bus stop right around the corner from where I was standing with very regular buses to the station, thank you google.

After spending a day trying to navigate around very prominent parts of my capital city, I can confirm Apple maps simply doesn't work.
I really hope google makes a maps app soon, the browser based version is not great to use as it doesn't live update my location, however even it is miles ahead of Apple maps!

 

[Neebee]

Siri does suck but its years behind Samsung's copy (S-Voice).....

You're not serious are you?

I really hope google makes a maps app soon, the browser based version is not great to use as it doesn't live update my location, however even it is miles ahead of Apple maps!

If Google wants to be vindictive, they should charge people $6 for their Google map app.
But, I think we need to blame TomTom for the crap they put on iOS 6. There is no forgiveness for incorrect spelled names and missing streets, wrongly placed bridges, etc.

 

[KnightWRX]

But, I think we need to blame TomTom for the crap they put on iOS 6. There is no forgiveness for incorrect spelled names and missing streets, wrongly placed bridges, etc.

Don't be quick to blame TomTom. A lot of people have been comparing TomTom results to Apple Maps and the errors only seem to be on Apple's side. Apple is sourcing their data from multiple sources and one problem seems to be a data integration problem, not a source problem.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

After Google owned Motorola Mobile had a go earlier, Samsung have now also joined the party to take a swing at Apple (well they have made themselves an easy target)

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Samsung Just Zinged Apple's New Maps (AAPL, GOOG)
http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-google-maps-post-2012-9

 

[pdqgp]

Oh, of course! Why didn't we realize that? Why on earth should we expect that a smartphone in the year 2012 should be able to search for a location or a service by name?

Siri and Maps iOS6 find things for me just fine by name. What won't change in 2012 or the near future however, is for the user to be smart about their device use and understand that including my aforementioned details or having them handy is only smart.

If you want to know where something is, you should just call the establishment and ask them for directions!

Well, if you're calling ahead for reservations I would. Again, if you're not verifying the address vs just going by name then IMO you're doing it wrong.

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i don't have an iphone lol

not surprised. same question back if you own an iPad.

 

[PaulTokyo]

be careful updating your apps if you have decided to stay on ios5 or earlier. Apple Apps like iMovie will only work on iOS6. So when you see 25 apps that need updating on the iphone or iTunes DON'T select update all other wise the apps wont work. You will be forced to upgrade to iOS6 to use your paid for apps.
I didn't update all yet, maybe they won't install unless you have iOS6, who knows... can somebody confirm.

Regardless I'm stuck with a badge showing updates available on my home screen until they fix the maps(forever)... I can't seem to turn that badge of in notification centre... help me out of this nightmare.

 

[pdqgp]

. Mapping and POIs were to me. I don't really care about navigation. For me this is a huge step back.

then it pretty much sounds like you will be just fine using the online google maps app. sorry but turn by turn is what Apple was pursuing and what most want from a maps program anyway. There are plenty of POI programs out there.

So you're saying we shouldn't ever believe Apple keynotes/press material, that Apple is untrustworthy. Ooook. Step away from the keyboard slowly there spiky.

^^ not sure why you are trying to imply I said that. Their keynote was spot on. However, if you're making your decision based strictly on what you saw there....again, congrats for making a less than fully informed decision.

 

[roxxette]

Well i just find out that "find my iphone" is pretty dam useless here now.

 

[sneaky butcher]

not surprised. same question back if you own an iPad.

i don't own any apple devices

 

[dmelgar]

i don't own any apple devices

May I ask... Why are you spending so much time on an Apple and iPhone forum if you don't own any? Why is this so interesting. I see you have a galaxy s3. Trying to replace it?

 

[sflomenb]

I just had an eventful day at Edinburgh university open day. I decided to use apple maps to try and get around.

Firstly I wanted to find train times from my town to Edinburgh, I even downloaded the suggested transport API! But nope, it simply gave me a driving route. I used Google maps to plan my train journey.

Next I arrived at the station, I wanted driving directions to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to decide if it was worth getting a taxi. I used siri to ask, and I was impressed that it understood what I was saying in a noisy station. It then gave me two destinations to choose from, the first was a small secondary school and the second was a private health clinic. Once again I used google maps.

Time to get my train home. Siri, get me directions to Edinburgh Waverly! Destination not found. Edinburgh Waverly Station? Not found. Edinburgh Train Station... not found. Now let me assure you, this station is called "Edinburgh Waverly". I looked through the map and it did have a train station, but had incorrectly labeled it "Edinburgh Rail Station" and unless you asked for that (the incorrect name) exactly, it wouldn't locate it. Also strangely I noticed right next to "Edinburgh Rail Station" apparently is "Edinburgh Central [station]" which simply does not exist.
I then used the transport API to try and find a bus link to this strange new "Edinburgh Rail Station", it didn't find any, it only suggested a walking route. Google maps to the rescue... yet again. As it turns out there was a bus stop right around the corner from where I was standing with very regular buses to the station, thank you google.

After spending a day trying to navigate around very prominent parts of my capital city, I can confirm Apple maps simply doesn't work.
I really hope google makes a maps app soon, the browser based version is not great to use as it doesn't live update my location, however even it is miles ahead of Apple maps!

I'm not trying to defend Apple when I say this, but you should report the problem. If you find the "Edinburgh Rail Station" you can request that its name be changed to the correct one.

 

[sneaky butcher]

May I ask... Why are you spending so much time on an Apple and iPhone forum if you don't own any? Why is this so interesting. I see you have a galaxy s3. Trying to replace it?

i don't have an s3. I'm in the market for a new phone- just checking things out.