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You are forgetting that the whole Apple app ecosystem with its thousands of excellent apps is itself a tremendous crowd-sourced project with thousand of developers. True that free AppleMaps have less appeal than commercial apps, but don't forget that there are many free excellent apps as well. If someone is willing to submit an excellent free app, why shouldn't one spend less time to update some of most primitive information like an address? If anyone, Apple is most suited for pulling off such an huge crowd sourced deal. But, as I would add, having the proper control and verification, just like in AppStore, is also important. And again, Apple is best at that![]()
According to Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap has been running for 8 years.
I'm sure that a lot of people have put a lot of effort into it, but when I look at the results in the part of the world where I live, it looks like it'll take at least another 8 years to even get back to the level of Google Maps a few years ago.
However, talking about what it might eventually bring about is not in line with what it is today.So, yes, Apple Maps is dissappointing based on what we expect from Apple, however calling it a disaster is not in line with what it will eventually bring about.
Now, iPhone is essentially a hand held device. I don't use it for driving navigation, for that there are nice GPS units that stick to your windscreen for $75 and up.
So I tried using the Google web maps version for some typical tasks I always use it for - hand held navigation while walking/on public transport. Google App excelled at this in France, Switzerland and UK.
1. Compass integration is GONE with Google Web app. You cannot tell which direction you are facing. I always use this, also useful when taking in tourist views and wanting to know landmark names.
2. Screen real estate is lost to browser functions.
3. Many more clicks needed to achieve a task.
4. Safari browser locks up sometimes. An iPhone power cycle cures it.
5. Easy to lose place on the screen as it's a tall scrollable web page.
Google Maps app wins all ways. This integrated IOS Google Maps app charmed me from the moment the iPhone 4 came out of it's box, it enhanced the ownership of an iPhone significantly.
Watch my lips.
You... cannot... have.. the.. Google... Maps.. App... at... all.. on... IOS... 6
So all our 3 Apple devices stick to IOS 5 for the foreseeable future.
A lot of you are in denial. You can't see beyond the fact that you can't criticize Apple even when they rightfully deserve it. You paid for a premium product, yet got something clearly substandard and inferior to the map software provided in previous models.
Apple screwed up and provided you a terrible map application, period. For those who rely on the map application daily, I'd be upset to be forced to resort to maps.google.com and make a home page icon instead.
There are many excellent map programs beyond Google. What makes you think that iOS users HAVE to use Google? BTW, I didn't pay for AppleMaps and no one else did. Its a free upgrade and you may keep 5.11 is you wish. And while AppleMaps are not as mature as Google product, its just a first version and it will become better.
No reason for panic.![]()
Just checked, our own app about Chichen Itza now opens maps.google.com in browser instead of Maps app now. And google finds a route from Germany to Mexico (31,688km, 531 hours, includes "Sail accross the pacific ocean" - 4436km) - impressive!1. Nothing comes even close to Google Maps
2. You are forced to use apple maps in many ways, apps with maps use the Map Kit API and now have use Apple Maps. The cycling apps I use are useless now.
What would happen in an emergency situation if the maps were wrong and I did not know they had changed?
Has anyone noticed that the web app seems to have changed over the past day or two? This may only be for iPhone 5 users--Google may have just tweaked the app for use on the iPhone 5's larger screen--but I noticed that the map now fills the screen (there is no longer a white bar across the bottom of the browser window above Safari's bottom browser buttons, and the app hides Safari's URL bar) and the text rendering appears to have been cleaned up (it was previously quite jagged).2. Screen real estate is lost to browser functions.
4. Safari browser locks up sometimes. An iPhone power cycle cures it.
How did anyone get to hospital before Google Maps was invented?
How did anyone get to hospital before Google Maps was invented?
I'm not talking about imagery, I'm talking about features such as traffic.
TelNav, Waze, Google Maps, TomTom....They all use crowdsourcing, hell TomTom just released an API to allow developers to use.
Taking on the king of the hill STARTS at some point, no way in hell would anyone be able to match Google feature for feature right out of the gate. That is simply reality.
Imagine there is a sign on the road pointing to the hospital (or other important place, this is just an example). It's been like that for years. Now someone comes along in the night an moves that sign... You see? No? Never mind...
Yeah, I get it, living there all my life I would assume somebody moved the hospital, not that somebody moved the sign.
It is all so hypothetical, should I have an accidence I will call an ambulance and hope they don't rely on smartphones of whatever company to find the hospital.
You do not travel? Now imagine being in a foreign country where the street sign is irrelevant as you cannot read it, so you rely on your phone to get you to a hospital asap.... now see the issue.
Locals do not use maps, they know their area.
I feel sorry for visitors to London right now, not finding Tube stops is a real real **** in london.
Dublin got a new airport. I thought that was very generous of Apple.
I don't think some people who live in parts if the USA which seem ok have any idea if how epic the problems are.
1. Nothing comes even close to Google Maps
2. You are forced to use apple maps in many ways, apps with maps use the Map Kit API and now have use Apple Maps. The cycling apps I use are useless now.
3. I did pay for Apple Maps, handsomely.
4. It's not an upgrade, it's a serious downgrade.
5. Keeping 5.11 is an adequate solution, really?
6. It's not about maturity. Apple Maps are broken. I don't really care what apple are doing to fix them, I need working maps today thanks.
I fail to understand how you paid for free OS upgrade.
It is upgrade because it greatly improved upon previous stale software in some cases; there is lack of data for some places, but its not universal and can be remedied.
Yes, keeping 5.1.1 is a choice you have. No one forces you to upgrade to 6.0
AppleMaps are not broken, its just a first version.
I fail to understand how you paid for free OS upgrade.
It is upgrade because it greatly improved upon previous stale software in some cases; there is lack of data for some places, but its not universal and can be remedied.
Yes, keeping 5.1.1 is a choice you have. No one forces you to upgrade to 6.0
AppleMaps are not broken, its just a first version.
....For the screen real estate try this code... add to home screen ... Google maps will open without browser stuff......
I fail to understand how you paid for free OS upgrade.
It is upgrade because it greatly improved upon previous stale software in some cases; there is lack of data for some places, but its not universal and can be remedied.
Yes, keeping 5.1.1 is a choice you have. No one forces you to upgrade to 6.0
AppleMaps are not broken, its just a first version.