Apple highlights third-party mapping applications in iOS App Store - Page 2

I was regularly unable to find buildings such as my local DPS with Google Maps in Austin, TX. I had trouble finding USPS locations, perfectly typed street addresses, and more. Google Maps was far from perfect. What you have here is a mixture of some legitimate issues, that are on par with Google's own issues, or slightly better/worse depending on the area, and a legion of uninformed complainers, looking to parrot what they read in the newspaper or some blog so that they do feel informed. It is a form of validation, and unfortunately, with the quality of Apple products as high as it is, and the stock so impervious to longterm losses, media outlets are going to exploit any trend they can, knowing that ignorant masses will cluelessly repeat what they're instructed to.

 

See: any election ever, sports or popular music.

Throwing them under the train? It would be interesting to hear your explanation for that inanity.

Isn't it interesting - if Apple offers you options, they're evil. If Apple doesn't offer you options, they're evil. So what is it that you think they should do?

 

You know, I disagree. Openly apologizing and aknowledging maps has issues takes the wind out of alot of the attacks and the hate, and motivates the press to move on to something else. They can stop trying to 'prove' that Apple maps is so horrible and waiting for Apple to agree with them. Sometimes, all people want is an aknolwedgement of the 'suffering' they've went through, or that they're right, and their motivation to continue bitching decreases. I also think its a brilliant move to highlight other mapping apps in the store- this might end up hurting Google more than Apple, since many might try one of these apps and stick with it, instead of using Google's app when it eventually gets released. Yes, this style of apology certainly is Cook's, but I appreciate the fact that he had the balls to do so, and even specifically name competing products, which blew my mind. However, taking into account that the issues in maps may not be fixed in day, weeks, or even months, it made sense to do this.

 

The bigger picture is that iOS users stick with the phone/platform, not the maps app. Placating them with an alternative app is infinitely better than having them seek out an alternate phone. Meanwhile, Apple will be pouring countless resources in to their apps, and it will improve at a good pace. I remain convinced that even with all the negative PR, in the long term, Apple made absolutely the right call by releasing their own app- it was, in the big picture, the best option out of a bunch of shitty options. The only issue in the short-term is managing customer satisfaction and expectation, and although everyone has a different opinion on this, I trust Cook and his team with the angle that they've taken. Humility, honesty, sincerity, and taking the bull by the horns. Apple-haters will continue to spew vitriol against the company regardless of Apple's response, and this Apology wasn't meant for them, but for the mainstream. 

 

PS- Anecdotally, maps has worked perfectly in my city, and I've gotten positive results from the 50-60 searches I've made, as well as flawless turn by turn nav the 10 times or so I've used it. To define maps as universally 'garbage', 'crapware', 'downgrade' etc is a sensational lie, even though its clear there's a ton of work to be done. Mapping the planet and all it's entities isn't a damn cakewalk, and sane, rational people realize this and the fact that this endeavor wouldnt have been perfect not matter how long Apple left it in the oven. They needed to release it, and I still believe now was the best time. 

It just a map. Be a man. Man can read any map regardless of the maker. Women, eh?
BTW, good opportunity for 3rd party map/navigation developers, if only they know how to capitalise on this from Day 1.

 

Never bow down.  Ever.  It makes you look weak.

Whàt are you talking about!?

Tim Cook, by not having a backbone to stand up to the storm the way Steve Jobs most likely would have, and writing this pansy-ass apology, is basically making yours, mine, and everybody else on this forums' and elsewhere, support and defense of Apple moot. He is throwing US under the train, NOT the customer.

Apple should have never just bent over and taken it on this. Their position on Maps is 100% correct, and they have nothing to apologize for. I don't necessarily agree with how they implemented the change, but since I, nor anyone else know all of the details of the decision, I have to give them the benifit of the doubt, no matter what I may reasonably think from the comfort of my armchair otherwise. But I do know the mistake they made was writing that apology letter, and promoting third party apps, over their own. It's not the kind of thing a trailblazer does. It looks bad on Apple in both its customers eyes as well as the industry. It screams, "we were wrong, everybody else was right, and we bungled the whole thing", even if it doesn't explicitly say so. I felt dirty after reading it.

 

I am glad to be in Apple's favorite market.  Apple is a company founded in the USA, supported by Americans from day 1.  I expect Apple to cater to the American market first and foremost.   China will continue to gain traction and other countries get to enjoy their products as well, but Apple is an American company regardless of where their products are manufactured.  Also, it is hardly "loads" of apps.  Some of the apps may be even better than the Google alternative.  How much time are you spending looking at maps that browsing a web-site will nuke your battery? 

 

Well, we are customers, so… 

 

But you're right about that; not only is this insulting to us, it's insulting to the Maps team themselves. They've worked HOW long on this? They've done HOW much work building a brand new application from scratch? They've pulled HOW many hours extra to crosslink all the stuff, to get Flyover working, to test, to build, to combine, to work on the servers, and then their CEO goes and says, "Use someone else's maps"?!

 

It's wrong. That's twice in just the last month that Apple employees or former Apple employees have been insulted by the executive team. And that's not sitting well.

No, Google stated that they were going to support maps on iOS5 indefinitely.

Nonsense - only if you're delusional and think that you're perfect and everything Apple does is perfect.

He said that some people are disappointed. That's true.

He said that Apple can do better. That's true.

He said that he's sorry for any inconvenience it caused people. That's true. (incidentally, that's a classic customer service statement. You apologize because the customer is unhappy or inconvenienced, but that's not the same as saying that you messed up. I've had a lot of customers who were complaining about stupid things and it's much easier and more effective to say "I'm sorry that you're not satisfied" than to fight with them).

He said that Apple is working to make the app better. That's true.

I don't see how anyone got thrown under the bus. All of my statements are completely consistent with his statements. I've been saying all along that it's a good app and no one has yet established that it's any worse than Google. That doesn't mean it can't be better. That doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't strive to be 100 times better - and they're clearly not there yet.

That is not the point. Apple is under attack. We defend Apple because we believe in the product, and because we are right. When Apple writes an apology letter, no matter how carefully worded, that actually suggests customers use somebody else's App, it undermines all of the support we give them.

In case you forgot he also said: "we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment." Really!? Is that what Apple did? because Maps works great for me. I don't personally know anybody who has found issue with it. In fact this is one of the best Map Apps I have ever used. Cook publishing this tripe actually fuels Apple's competitors, and denigrates his employees, my opinion and many of those I have read in this forum, including yours. There is nothing wrong with Maps, but now that Apple has said there is, how can anyone argue against it? "Oh, Tim didn't really mean that, he was just trying to placate his idiot customers." Yeah that's so much better.

He then said: "While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app." For all practical purposes he said to the general public and his competitors, try any of these apps which will work better than ours. It is THE premise of his opening paragraph -- "we fell short on this commitment [to deliver the best experience possible]". In this context, to suggest alternatives is to suggest they offer a better experience than Apple's own, which is most certainly not the case.

He ended the whole sorted affair by saying: "we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard." By NAMING apps that may provide a better experience, he's re-affirming that Apple's world class app which is substantially better than those others apps in many respects, is seemingly not as good as those apps, with the final insult that it includes maps.google.com which is one of the worst web app implementations I've ever seen.

No matter what vehicle you prefer, Cook has thrown Apple's most loyal supporters and defenders squarely under it. Sorry, but the man is NO Steve Jobs. While I don't pretend to know exactly what Jobs would have done, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have done this obvious milquetoast customer service memo, that basically discredits the thousands of hard working employees at Apple that busted their humps to make this app as good as it is on day one. I have no loyalty to Cook, and one more misstep like this from him and it'll be time to throw him under something ... Apple has against all odds come back to dominate the industry thanks to the single vision of Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook with this memo threatens to turn it back into just another faceless corporate giant appeasing its customers and minimizing its own products in the process.
Edited by Mac_128 - 9/28/12 at 7:38pm

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Edited by MacRulez - 1/21/13 at 3:12pm

 

WIth all due respect, Tim Cook has been intimately involved with Apple for a VERY long time, and got hired shortly after SJ returned to the company. Your words are incredibly hubrisitc, implying you know more about what makes Apple great than Tim Cook. You know nothing about the inner workings of Apple, and Tim Cook knows everything, including whats involved in bringing a product to market, which he's been involved in again, and again, and again. I've red everything Tim Cook has ever written about Apple and watched all his interviews and keynotes, and there's not a shred of evidence about what you say. Tim actually had a massive hand in this domination you speak of, unlike yourself, and I'm sure he has infinitely more insight than you about the most appropriate steps to take in situations such as these and how to move the company forward. It's one thing to disagree with him based on your limited knowledge and insight. It's another to suggest that the guy is completely oblivious as to what makes Apple great and is going to turn it into a 'faceless corporate giant', as if he's some new CEO that just got recruited after SJ's death from some random company. The guy knows Apple inside out, as do Apple's executive team. They have infinitely more insight into 'what Steve Jobs would have wanted' than you ever will. Not to mention the fact that as Apple changes and grows, their behavior needs to adapt also. What works for an underdog doesn't work for a giant. Tim has also emphasized Apple's focus on the product itself, and from his interviews it's clear that he believes this, is passionate about Apple's culture, and is dead serious about his job. These 'LOL TIM COOK IS CLUELESS' posts are so incredibly idiotic and tiresome. 

 

Certainly not disputing their quiet approach early on but in the UK, in rural areas, the Google offering wasn't that detailed and satellite was very poor. It's improved immensely and as it always seemed a miracle that it existed at all I didn't and don't complain about them. As I said, it is Apple's fanfare for the Maps project which has undone them.

Funny, I am.

So only APPLE should be punished for advertising an incomplete mapping service. GOOGLE should not even be mentioned or acknowledged as doing the same. That is what I am reading here.

Edited by Tallest Skil - 9/30/12 at 11:59am

Ah, I see. We're slightly at cross-purposes here. I'm not advocating Google over Apple but I suppose I'm arguing that times have moved on since the Google launch. Expectations have got higher and the online mapping arena is more mature. Apple set themselves directly against Google and if they'd been a bit more measured about it perhaps wouldn't have incurred such wrath (though there is probably no stopping the fanboy wars where the tiniest scratch on the armour sets off a screaming match). Punishment, or trial by fanboy, is not something I'm keen on. Managing and acknowledging expectation would seem sensible and to me it seems that Tim Cook's statement is a clear indication that in this case they failed to do that. It's a setback, and they've been a victim of their own hype, but like I said, it's not the end of the world.

 

I've used Google maps on all my Mac machines but would be more than happy to use Apple's offering if it can do the same job. In the UK at the moment it seems it really can't. I'm sure it'll improve.