Do people really feel they can't exist without maps? Is there some deep-seated cultural void which has been exposed by the fact that Apple iOS6 Maps is simply (and I dare say it, temporarily) not as good as it used to be? The iPhone launched with Maps in June 2007 (and previous mapping efforts from Nokia etc were hardly anything to celebrate) - have we all come to rely on them *that* heavily in just 5 years?
I don't see what the issue is. Google Maps is fantastic, i agree. But stylistically, i prefer iOS 6 Maps.
The use of Open Maps provides much more potential than using Google Maps. People need to stop whining and embrace it.
Exactly. iOS6 Maps sure *looks* nice, and as the userbase grows to a massive amount (as it will) and people contribute corrections to the Open Street Maps part, Apple's data may well be improved and cleaned at an amazing rate, which will lead to benefits in the future.
User with a different and interesting perspective on iOS6 Maps - that the app is great, it's just that the data it's displaying needs helping along a bit:
Quite honestly, the infuriation that people are having with iOS 6 Maps is a bit out of control (although Apple did just apologize: apple.com).
If I'm traveling anywhere it's typically within the area that I live, work, and play. If I'm going outside that area that I'm already familiar with, then I'll open up the Maps app. But, I always check the directions provided by the location I'm going to (e.g., conference, hotel, etc) anyway just to confirm I'm going to the right place. Literally takes me 2 minutes to find those directions...if I have a concern with Maps app directions then I can just follow the ones on the destination website.
Nothing is perfect out the chute...not even from Apple. Evolution is part of any great tool.
I feel sorry for people that were dependant on the google data, but it's still available via the web app. Apple had to make a move sooner or later, and the sooner they did it the less painful it would be. It seems the main problem is in the US. Elsewhere in the world google has been known for their accuracy anyway.
I think it's important to remember that the new Maps app is just the beginning, not a finished product, and it will get better as more people use it. Printing* is great, turn-by-turn is clean and smart, Yelp integration is always superior to Google reviews, and routing has been acceptable for me so far. The old Google-based Map app had not been updated in ages, much like the YouTube app, so I welcome the breath of fresh air. I use Waze every day, we still have access to Google via their web site, and Apple is taking this seriously. Choice, change, and expected improvements for the better, what's not to like?
*Airprint Activator works wonderfully for this. netputing.com
I'm actually pretty impressed with Apple Maps as it is at 1.0. To hear people talk about it as a "disaster" is a little odd. It's not like Google Maps launched with its current level of omniscience. Data is fixable for a company with Apple's resources. It's good to see reassurance from Cook that it will happen too.
That said, what's going to bite is losing Street View. That's a real differentiator in Google's product. Being able to see the "actual" place you're heading to goes a long way toward navigating unfamiliar territory.
so i was always thinking why people go GA GA over IOS and everytime they launch sumthing people get mad about it. I dnt get the point. ANyeways here we are talking about IOS 6 maps... is it like showing us a different world or sumthing else which is not shown by google maps or earth. Although i am loving the war between IOS and Android... but hey apple be logical and invent sumthing rather then just make something. Same goes to android. We want sumthing innovative and not just imrovement in old versions.
What astonished me the most was not actual Maps app quality level (well, it's shoddy, spells the name of a 4+ mln city and an European capital WRONG etc, but not anything to cry over), but the following PR reaction.
Tim Cook's letter, App Store placements for competing maps products and site copy revisions really show Apple's maturity as a company.
@Ivan Indeed, those reactions from Apple are a very big deal, and show that they are not as arrogant as people seem to think. It's possible these may simply be the characteristics of the post-Jobs Apple, however it seems a sensible reaction to what has been one of the biggest negative public reactions (fairly unjustified though it is) in Apple's history.
@Jonathan I think I miss Street View the most too, it's very handy to get a quick idea of where you're heading. However, I can't believe Google will wait very long before bringing out a Google Maps iOS app of their own.
Regardless of what people say, there's now an enormous group of heavy map users who have been essentially removed from their product (over 100 million iOS 6 installs already!), and as Google has always said, their products rely on huge amounts of traffic and eyeballs for them to be able to sell advertising and services against. Coupled with Apple's deal with Yelp for data and reviews, this must be putting a dent in their advertising revenue, or will very soon.
@Drew
Happily, we can get street view again soon! Yay for corporate goals that are in line with user needs. :D
Thanks for your feedback! Team Branch
