Apple exec Eddy Cue 'racing' to improve iOS Maps - Page 4

Would you argue with your boss frequently?  All these Apple executives have a lot of places to go if they don't like to stay around.  I think that Ive knows his place in the organization.  Cook is no fool either.  I would not doubt his ability to utilize the people working for him. 

Apple is not going to give them the contract unless they can do the job.

If any batch of the chips is defective imagine the ramifications on the reputation of the product and the company. They can't afford the price. Maps, MobileMe had taught them the lessons that a poor product is bad but a defective product which need to be recall is much much worst.

So before the extensive usage of chips from TSMC, they will de doing due diligent like they had never done before and in the meanwhile sammy still have the contract of manufacturing their chip.

All these issues about management changes and "racing" to improve Maps, were caused by Apple, and Apple only. If they had hold Maps until it was ready to beat Google, none of these problems would happen. But no, they had to publicly prove how stupid they're. Well, now, pay for it. This "racing" won't help the final quality of Maps either. And all of this is just because of the current Microsoft-thinking style of nowadays Apple ("we know what you need better than you do, and even when you dislike what we give you, you're wrong and we're right"). Well, as I said, it's time for paying for this stupid scenario.

It is difficult to watch the dialog of this thread as only a few of it's contributors are really on the right track.  First of all, Apple Maps is an incredible first effort.  The design has a monster upside that will develop very quickly.  Google and Microsoft used a similar approach to get out of the gate and both, along with their own data collection efforts, are still using multiple sources to create a patchwork map.  Apple was leveraged by Google to make a business decision to put Maps out with iOS 6.  Knowing the effort it took for them to build their own map data base, Google thought Apple would concede and continue to use its product rather than get into that business.  Steve Jobs felt his organization was being cornered.  His distaste for Google and knowledge that his time on earth was  limited, decided it was a challenge Apple needed to take on.

 

Large scale geospatial mapping is a difficult task by itself and depending on the resolution you are trying to achieve, it can get even more complex,  It's not the collection side that is causing the most pain.  It is the reduction piece, so that the data can be consumed, that gets the data processing players so far behind.  These are massive efforts that have a huge manual component to them.  Apple is trying to automate that part to the best of it's ability and they have the talent and resources to overcome the challenge better than anybody.  In a very short time, their product will surpass the frontrunners and become the bar by which others will be measured.

 

So what's the point of all of this.  The dashboard in your car is the next big thing these companies will be fighting for.  It's coming faster than you think and the business potential is awesome.  Why would Google be building autonomous vehicles.  They have no car manufacturing capability.  Your surface transportation will be sponsored by Starbucks.  Who will dominate this field?  Now do you understand why Apple Maps is important.  Our cars will be the focus of the next "and one more thing" coming form our favorite fruit company.

Geospatial, thanks for an interesting take on the present and future of the Maps effort.

I was thinking they had to cut Google out, like NOW, or they wouldn't have done so, but I had not thought of the dashboard imperative. As in turn-by-turn navigation. I wonder which was more important, stiffing Google or getting ready for auto mobility?

 

I wonder if it was more like this:

 

Cook: Maps will be part of the next iOS release.

Forstall: It's not ready yet!

Cook: MAKE it ready. It's happening.

 

(Public issue with Maps faults happens)

 

Cook: Scott, sign this apology for the problems.

Forstall: You're kidding, right? I *TOLD* you it wasn't ready, now you wanna pin the problems on me? No way.

Cook: You're fired.

 

I doubt it. I buy that the failing was on the part of Forstall, not Cook. The latter wouldn't be where he is if that's the kind of ship he ran.