Historically, Apple hasn't provided these sort of services, so, historical parallels don't exist and prophesies of doom are greatly exaggerated.
But, I was actually suggesting that the hysteria over Maps has more to do with the users' reaction to change in general, and their tendency to declare that the sky is falling.
As i have said in other posts (and been criticised for by the fanboys) this is another example that apple products do NOT 'just work'. Timmy Cook and co
no longer use this line. I am telling you it is the beginning of a long and slow end for these guys without the great Steve Jobs. These guys are becoming a parody of themselves.
Jesus Christ. That assinine statement has become a parody of itself. Guess what? Alot of Apple products 'didn't work' when Steve Jobs was around, and there was alot of shit that was more eggregious than this. Stop using revisionist history and pretending that's just not the case, so you can troll.
What Apple decided to embark on was a massive endeavor. Mapping the world is the most complex thing you can possibly do. I don't see how any rational person expected this to be in all respects ON PAR with Google maps, which has benefitted from 10+ years of being by hundreds of millions of people. If this was released next year, or the year after, the situation would have been similar- there's only so much you can do without releasing it to the public and getting feedback. You think Google maps would have stood still? Yes, there might be a while of pain for some while the gaps get filled out. But they WILL get filled up, quickly, because Apple has every reason and every motivation to do so as fast as possible. They know how important this is. And when the dust settles, I'd wager that with Apple's ambition and obsession, and with the usage and feedback of hundreds of millions of iOS users, what we'll end up with a product that is arguably BETTER than Google Maps in ALL respects. It might not be next week or next month, or even 6 months from now. But at this stage Apple maps will improve much faster than Google maps, especially since Google is going to bleed a ton of users.
Whatever happened to "I love how Apple takes it's time perfecting a function before releasing something"? How many things were left out of the iPhone until Apple was sure they nailed it? This is very unApple like and people's frustrations are merited.
The notion that maps data can be 'perfected' before release is insane and idiotic. Please, use some critical thinking. This isn't copy & paste or folders. This is mapping the world. In 3D. In vector. Millions of cities, towns, roads, hundreds of millions of POIs, complex routing algorithms, etc. Apple could have kept this in the oven another 10 years, you think it would have anywhere near perfect upon release, especially without people using it? No.
Anecdotally, it has been flawless in my cities. But of course, we're seeing examples of tiny German towns where it's subpar as examples of its incompetence.
Historically, Apple hasn't provided these sort of services, so, historical parallels don't exist and prophesies of doom are greatly exaggerated.
But, I was actually suggesting that the hysteria over Maps has more to do with the users' reaction to change in general, and their tendency to declare that the sky is falling.
And Apple historically didn't make phones and we all know how that turned out.
The notion that maps data can be 'perfected' before release is insane and idiotic. Please, use some critical thinking. This isn't copy & paste or folders. This is mapping the world. In 3D. In vector. Millions of cities, towns, roads, hundreds of millions of POIs, complex routing algorithms, etc. Apple could have kept this in the oven another 10 years, you think it would have anywhere near perfect upon release, especially without people using it? No.
Anecdotally, it has been flawless in my cities. But of course, we're seeing examples of tiny German towns where it's subpar as examples of its incompetence.
Then it should've been a scaled down version with fly over pics added later. Nail one thing and on and on.
Knowing Apple as many here do (Including you and me), I doubt they went cheap -- rather they went with expediency! I expect them to spend top dollars to have the best mapping solution out there, bar none. I'd give them a year to be competitive.
The Maps app can be tweaked with minor point upgrades to iOS 6 -- I expect one in less than 2 months.
The imagery and map data can be updated continuously regardless of the app or iOS version.
The fact that third parties have access to some mapping APIs, indicates that enhancements like public transportation can be added anytime -- like today, for instance,
Whatever happened to "I love how Apple takes it's time perfecting a function before releasing something"? How many things were left out of the iPhone until Apple was sure they nailed it? This is very unApple like and people's frustrations are merited.
Apple may have had no choice in the timing. Google and Apple may not have been able to come to agreement with the existing app.
As I posted, much of what is needed can be added incrementally without updating the app or OS.
Part of providing a service such as mapping is gathering real world usage data that requires user input -- you can't start with a finished service (aside from buying an existing service).
I suspect that Google's market leader Map Service was not for sale.
Apple may have had no choice in the timing. Google and Apple may not have been able to come to agreement with the existing app.
As I posted, much of what is needed can be added incrementally without updating the app or OS.
Part of providing a service such as mapping is gathering real world usage data that requires user input -- you can't start with a finished service (aside from buying an existing service).
I suspect that Google's market leader Map Service was not for sale.
So, if you are Apple, what do you do?
I'm sure they could've even licensed Bing Maps, or Nokia, or..but Apple's hubris won out. They had to go their own way, and their overriding hatred of Google is above the happiness of iPhone users. I think they really wanted to get rid of all traces of Google first, fix the rest with some updates later on.
It has a very beta feel to it, and if it wasn't one of the major announced features of iOS 6, I probably wouldn't care as much, but I was really interested in using one less device on trips to navigate around with, but I seriously doubt I could trust it ATM in very dense cities. There are other apps and my GPS, but if that's the case, why bother going their own way, and just buy/license someone's else established wares?
I just couldn't see something like this flying past SJ.
Map looks ok to me. I don't know why people are so frustrated. After all you can install chrome or dolphin HD and run it from google. But nothing really wrong in TB. I can see my house, build route. All those apps still are falling behind commercial GPSs. The best use of The app is to explore.
Setting aside my kneejerk "Ugh!" attitude to your praise of crowdsourcing (and why should I be Apple's free cartographer; I just want to *use* the map!),
The point is... you DO NOT ship a product before it is ready just to screw a business partner you hate.
END OF STORY.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daekwan
Is anyone really surprised Apple maps 1.0 is not equal to Google Maps 6.0?
Give it a few months.. maybe even a year. With user feedback and resources focused on the Apple maps.. they will eventually catch up. I have no doubt a company with a $100 Billion in the bank.. can make a great map app.
I've been predicting this since I started using iOS 6b1. I seem to recall getting blasted on this forum for saying that Apple's Maps was considerably below what Google offers in functionality. I seem to recall MacBook Pro was the most vocal in that regard. Now, many betas later and after it's release to the world I still wish Apple would have kept this under lock and key for another year so they could get it closer to what it needs to be.
You are still incorrect. Billions of people didn't use Google Street View prior to 2007. Billions of people today don't use Google Street View.
Any reasonable person would notice the emphasis on "good enough." I further noted that no one has provided any usage statistics for Google Street View especially within the iPhone Maps app except for the article by Matt McGee which I referenced. Apple Maps is, right now, today, "good enough."Millions of people have already upgraded to iOS 6 and millions more people are in line outside Apple Retail Stores and carrier stores to purchase the iPhone 5.
Here is what I said:
Maps based on Apple technology rather than Google technology does not need to be as good as Google based Maps. Maps simply needs to be"good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard.
"Maps simply needs to be "good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard." - MacBook Pro
If Apple simply added Siri integration and a few features from Waze to the current features most users would likely be highly satisfied.
Accoring to Jessica E. Vascellaro and Amir Errata of the Wall Street Journal, Maps is used by more than 90% of U.S. iPhone users (although no data source is provided) which virtually guarantees success for any new version of Maps with relatively comparable features to the current version
iOS 6 Maps currently provides:
* 2D Mercator-variant projection with (at higher zoom levels) and without 3D projection with approximately 20 zoom levels of the entire (readily-navigable globe)
* 2D aerial and satellite imagery of the entire globe (Space Oblique Mercator projection)
* 3D aerial and satellite imagery superimposed on a digital elevation model providing a 360-degree panoramic overhead oblique view including a low level "bird's eye view" (Space Oblique Mercator-variant projection)
Every projection misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. Since all projections can show one or more but not all of the following; the greater the number of projections the greater the ability of the user to discern their location (although larger numbers of projections become increasingly confusing at an exponential rate); true direction, true distance, true areas, true shape.
Dead reckoning is a wholly unreliable method given that the average global positioning system (GPS) user is not trained in the technique. For the purposes of modern living, satellite navigation is vastly superior and additionally methods to supplement the model only increase navigation accuracy. Furthermore, given the limitations of 360-degree panoramic "street level" views of the entire surface of the planet which is entirely impractical versus aerial and satellite photography the superiority of the later becomes manifest.
I further submit that Apple has intentionally decided to not include multimodal navigation (e.g. pedestrian and public transportation routes) to appease otherwise upset partners who previously provided a navigation service for Apple products that many users may determine is no longer necessary. Such reasoning could apply to street level views as well as other expected high-end features and functions.
A well integrated street view would be nice but I suggest that the best method for Apple to develop such a database is to rely upon users. If Apple were to implement the hidden panoramic mode in iPhone 4S and higher, users themselves could photograph points of interest and with the exif and GPS metadata submitted to Apple along with imagery where such is "missing."
I do not have an issue with the "missing" street level view. In my opinion, the combination of an bird's eye view (overhead oblique angular view) with the static images from Yelpcompensates for the loss. The addition of 3D Flyover Mode makes the resulting application superior.
I suspect an enterprising developer could even provide, dare we say it, a street level view app. Although iOS 6 Maps doesn't need a street level view.
Apple has already hit 80% of the targetsand provides new functionality as well. The current beta implementation of Maps does enough to convert most people to Maps happily. Frankly, given that Maps is the default mapping and navigation app and is integrated with Siri the ease-of-use will likely be the key feature that wins over most users.
The great thing about Yelp is that you can check a destination to make sure it's correct before you go there or get info without going there. It's a huge benefit.
"Apple Maps is arguably already superior to Google Maps for iOS despite the Beta designation." While the loss of Google Street View may impact some users, I have never seen Google Street View user base numbers or user satisfaction data.
As you can see in my post, his statement that Google has more business listings was erroneous at best and a falsehood at worst.
I find it interesting that we can list a multitude of ways that Apple Maps in iOS 6 Beta 4 is superior to Google Maps in iOS 5 while Google Maps proponents continue to focus on their sole argument of superiority, a feature which 50% of a tech savvy subset of users (Twitter followers of a tech blogger) were unaware existed on the iPhone. To further clarify, technology pundit, Matt McGee, of Search Engine Land posted the report, Irony: You Need A Map To Find Google Street View On The iPhone. McGee states that, "I asked on Twitter, and got a 50/50 split on replies: half knew how to access Street View, and half didn’t know it was there." This is, presumably, a technology savvy group considering they are "following" a technology pundit yet half were unaware of Google Street View in iPhone Maps.
There are many upgrades that people seem to overlook in Apple Maps iOS 6:
Navigation Features:
voice activated navigation.
voice guided navigation.
bird's eye view.
nearly instantaneous re-routing.
Improved yelp integration:
Ability to simply touch the icon for a point of interest to view the yelp information.
Ratings.
Number of reviews.
Relative cost (as indicted by yelp's $$$ system).
Hours.
Home page (which opens Safari to the page).
"More Info on yelp" (opens yelp app).
Yelp check in.
"Write a Tip."
"Add Photo on yelp."
More Photos available.
Space Oblique Mercator projection
3D Flyover view (3D Satellite or 3D Hybrid views) with 360 degree views including pan, tilt, zoom.
3D Standard view with 360 degree views including pan, tilt, zoom.
Digital Elevation Model (versus Terrain View).
Ability to rotate the map to any orientation.
Compass always shows North (see previous).
Concise, Clear Data (This is the true innovation of Apple Maps)
Apple Maps automatically provides potential matches to typed searches.
Street names are much more visible.
Upon zooming out, Apple Maps displays names of neighborhood rather than every... single... street... name.
Google traffic displays a constantly flashing unintelligible criss-cross of red-yellow-green lines.
Google traffic doesn't display road construction or accidents.
Business listings are very clear as details become visible at more appropriate levels than the competition.
Key points-of-interest depicted by "garish" colors of Apple Maps provides immediate recognition of points of interest (airports, hospitals).
Apple Maps provides a platform for developers to offer transit directions. Google proponents should prefer this "open" approach.
Suddenly not being able to get around town at all because the new Maps app doesn't even support walking directions, never mind transit directions, here is not "good enough". Should I just sit at home for the next year while Apple gets this right?
If you like Google Maps better, you can always use it by hitting maps.google.com in Safari. And you can even make it a shortcut icon to the home screen.
So. Why anger? Use your brain, not mouth.
maps.google.com on the iPhone does not have Street View, which is a major loss in the Apple Maps replacement. Flyover is pointless.
These data problems could not all be caught prior to launch. What would they do, hire 1,000,000 interns to confirm every city, street, and landmark in the world?
Err, Apple are a BIG company and they should have never sunk this low.
Also, it seems from everything I've seen so far, given that say, Inverness is now black & white or that Dudley is in the wrong place, that all Apple would have needed to do is compare their maps with Google's from the comfort of their own offices to see these obvious howlers. Simple really.
You are still incorrect. Billions of people didn't use Google Street View prior to 2007. Billions of people today don't use Google Street View.
Any reasonable person would notice the emphasis on "good enough." I further noted that no one has provided any usage statistics for Google Street View especially within the iPhone Maps app except for the article by Matt McGee which I referenced. Apple Maps is, right now, today, "good enough."Millions of people have already upgraded to iOS 6 and millions more people are in line outside Apple Retail Stores and carrier stores to purchase the iPhone 5.
Here is what I said:
Maps based on Apple technology rather than Google technology does not need to be as good as Google based Maps. Maps simply needs to be"good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard. "Maps simply needs to be "good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard." - MacBook Pro
If Apple simply added Siri integration and a few features from Waze to the current features most users would likely be highly satisfied.
Accoring to Jessica E. Vascellaro and Amir Errata of the Wall Street Journal, Maps is used by more than 90% of U.S. iPhone users (although no data source is provided) which virtually guarantees success for any new version of Maps with relatively comparable features to the current version
iOS 6 Maps currently provides:
* 2D Mercator-variant projection with (at higher zoom levels) and without 3D projection with approximately 20 zoom levels of the entire (readily-navigable globe)
* 2D aerial and satellite imagery of the entire globe (Space Oblique Mercator projection)
* 3D aerial and satellite imagery superimposed on a digital elevation model providing a 360-degree panoramic overhead oblique view including a low level "bird's eye view" (Space Oblique Mercator-variant projection) Every projection misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. Since all projections can show one or more but not all of the following; the greater the number of projections the greater the ability of the user to discern their location (although larger numbers of projections become increasingly confusing at an exponential rate); true direction, true distance, true areas, true shape. Dead reckoning is a wholly unreliable method given that the average global positioning system (GPS) user is not trained in the technique. For the purposes of modern living, satellite navigation is vastly superior and additionally methods to supplement the model only increase navigation accuracy. Furthermore, given the limitations of 360-degree panoramic "street level" views of the entire surface of the planet which is entirely impractical versus aerial and satellite photography the superiority of the later becomes manifest.
I further submit that Apple has intentionally decided to not include multimodal navigation (e.g. pedestrian and public transportation routes) to appease otherwise upset partners who previously provided a navigation service for Apple products that many users may determine is no longer necessary. Such reasoning could apply to street level views as well as other expected high-end features and functions.
A well integrated street view would be nice but I suggest that the best method for Apple to develop such a database is to rely upon users. If Apple were to implement the hidden panoramic mode in iPhone 4S and higher, users themselves could photograph points of interest and with the exif and GPS metadata submitted to Apple along with imagery where such is "missing."
I do not have an issue with the "missing" street level view. In my opinion, the combination of an bird's eye view (overhead oblique angular view) with the static images from Yelpcompensates for the loss. The addition of 3D Flyover Mode makes the resulting application superior.
I suspect an enterprising developer could even provide, dare we say it, a street level view app. Although iOS 6 Maps doesn't need a street level view. Apple has already hit 80% of the targetsand provides new functionality as well. The current beta implementation of Maps does enough to convert most people to Maps happily. Frankly, given that Maps is the default mapping and navigation app and is integrated with Siri the ease-of-use will likely be the key feature that wins over most users. The great thing about Yelp is that you can check a destination to make sure it's correct before you go there or get info without going there. It's a huge benefit.
"Apple Maps is arguably already superior to Google Maps for iOS despite the Beta designation." While the loss of Google Street View may impact some users, I have never seen Google Street View user base numbers or user satisfaction data.
As you can see in my post, his statement that Google has more business listings was erroneous at best and a falsehood at worst.
I find it interesting that we can list a multitude of ways that Apple Maps in iOS 6 Beta 4 is superior to Google Maps in iOS 5 while Google Maps proponents continue to focus on their sole argument of superiority, a feature which 50% of a tech savvy subset of users (Twitter followers of a tech blogger) were unaware existed on the iPhone. To further clarify, technology pundit, Matt McGee, of Search Engine Land posted the report, Irony: You Need A Map To Find Google Street View On The iPhone. McGee states that, "I asked on Twitter, and got a 50/50 split on replies: half knew how to access Street View, and half didn’t know it was there." This is, presumably, a technology savvy group considering they are "following" a technology pundit yet half were unaware of Google Street View in iPhone Maps.
There are many upgrades that people seem to overlook in Apple Maps iOS 6:
Navigation Features:
voice activated navigation.
voice guided navigation.
bird's eye view.
nearly instantaneous re-routing.
Improved yelp integration:
Ability to simply touch the icon for a point of interest to view the yelp information.
Ratings.
Number of reviews.
Relative cost (as indicted by yelp's $$$ system).
Hours.
Home page (which opens Safari to the page).
"More Info on yelp" (opens yelp app).
Yelp check in.
"Write a Tip."
"Add Photo on yelp."
More Photos available.
Space Oblique Mercator projection
3D Flyover view (3D Satellite or 3D Hybrid views) with 360 degree views including pan, tilt, zoom.
3D Standard view with 360 degree views including pan, tilt, zoom.
Digital Elevation Model (versus Terrain View).
Ability to rotate the map to any orientation.
Compass always shows North (see previous).
Concise, Clear Data (This is the true innovation of Apple Maps)
Apple Maps automatically provides potential matches to typed searches.
Street names are much more visible.
Upon zooming out, Apple Maps displays names of neighborhood rather than every... single... street... name.
Google traffic displays a constantly flashing unintelligible criss-cross of red-yellow-green lines.
Google traffic doesn't display road construction or accidents.
Business listings are very clear as details become visible at more appropriate levels than the competition.
Key points-of-interest depicted by "garish" colors of Apple Maps provides immediate recognition of points of interest (airports, hospitals).
Apple Maps provides a platform for developers to offer transit directions. Google proponents should prefer this "open" approach.
Who gives a shit. When the thing puts a petrol station inside a hotel and gets the location of nearly every business it chooses to display wrong, and badly so, in a nation's capital, it's utility for the average person takes a complete nosedive. Canberra - garema place is even spelled incorrectly. And there's a star bucks that hasn't been there for years.
Does Joe average really give a shit about projections? They just want to find the place they're looking for. Yesterday I could that. It's maps, right?
These data problems could not all be caught prior to launch. What would they do, hire 1,000,000 interns to confirm every city, street, and landmark in the world?
Err, Apple are a BIG company and they should have never sunk this low.
Also, it seems from everything I've seen so far, given that say, Inverness is now black & white or that Dudley is in the wrong place, that all Apple would have needed to do is compare their maps with Google's from the comfort of their own offices to see these obvious howlers. Simple really.
Why don't you do that down to the street-number level for a small town and post your results here?
Comments
Originally Posted by Ray Bart
…apple products do NOT 'just work'. Timmy Cook and co no longer use this line.
It's frigging Tim Cook. I'm not even going to comment on how misguided you are about the statement there.
Originally Posted by dasanman69
You forgot
8. ship a 7" iPad
Can't use an example that doesn't exist.
No, but I remember you talking shit about how apples maps were better than google a few weeks ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
That historically has not been the Apple way.
Historically, Apple hasn't provided these sort of services, so, historical parallels don't exist and prophesies of doom are greatly exaggerated.
But, I was actually suggesting that the hysteria over Maps has more to do with the users' reaction to change in general, and their tendency to declare that the sky is falling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Bart
As i have said in other posts (and been criticised for by the fanboys) this is another example that apple products do NOT 'just work'. Timmy Cook and co
no longer use this line. I am telling you it is the beginning of a long and slow end for these guys without the great Steve Jobs. These guys are becoming a parody of themselves.
Jesus Christ. That assinine statement has become a parody of itself. Guess what? Alot of Apple products 'didn't work' when Steve Jobs was around, and there was alot of shit that was more eggregious than this. Stop using revisionist history and pretending that's just not the case, so you can troll.
What Apple decided to embark on was a massive endeavor. Mapping the world is the most complex thing you can possibly do. I don't see how any rational person expected this to be in all respects ON PAR with Google maps, which has benefitted from 10+ years of being by hundreds of millions of people. If this was released next year, or the year after, the situation would have been similar- there's only so much you can do without releasing it to the public and getting feedback. You think Google maps would have stood still? Yes, there might be a while of pain for some while the gaps get filled out. But they WILL get filled up, quickly, because Apple has every reason and every motivation to do so as fast as possible. They know how important this is. And when the dust settles, I'd wager that with Apple's ambition and obsession, and with the usage and feedback of hundreds of millions of iOS users, what we'll end up with a product that is arguably BETTER than Google Maps in ALL respects. It might not be next week or next month, or even 6 months from now. But at this stage Apple maps will improve much faster than Google maps, especially since Google is going to bleed a ton of users.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Whatever happened to "I love how Apple takes it's time perfecting a function before releasing something"? How many things were left out of the iPhone until Apple was sure they nailed it? This is very unApple like and people's frustrations are merited.
The notion that maps data can be 'perfected' before release is insane and idiotic. Please, use some critical thinking. This isn't copy & paste or folders. This is mapping the world. In 3D. In vector. Millions of cities, towns, roads, hundreds of millions of POIs, complex routing algorithms, etc. Apple could have kept this in the oven another 10 years, you think it would have anywhere near perfect upon release, especially without people using it? No.
Anecdotally, it has been flawless in my cities. But of course, we're seeing examples of tiny German towns where it's subpar as examples of its incompetence.
And Apple historically didn't make phones and we all know how that turned out.
Then it should've been a scaled down version with fly over pics added later. Nail one thing and on and on.
Apple may have had no choice in the timing. Google and Apple may not have been able to come to agreement with the existing app.
As I posted, much of what is needed can be added incrementally without updating the app or OS.
Part of providing a service such as mapping is gathering real world usage data that requires user input -- you can't start with a finished service (aside from buying an existing service).
I suspect that Google's market leader Map Service was not for sale.
So, if you are Apple, what do you do?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Apple may have had no choice in the timing. Google and Apple may not have been able to come to agreement with the existing app.
As I posted, much of what is needed can be added incrementally without updating the app or OS.
Part of providing a service such as mapping is gathering real world usage data that requires user input -- you can't start with a finished service (aside from buying an existing service).
I suspect that Google's market leader Map Service was not for sale.
So, if you are Apple, what do you do?
I'm sure they could've even licensed Bing Maps, or Nokia, or..but Apple's hubris won out. They had to go their own way, and their overriding hatred of Google is above the happiness of iPhone users. I think they really wanted to get rid of all traces of Google first, fix the rest with some updates later on.
It has a very beta feel to it, and if it wasn't one of the major announced features of iOS 6, I probably wouldn't care as much, but I was really interested in using one less device on trips to navigate around with, but I seriously doubt I could trust it ATM in very dense cities. There are other apps and my GPS, but if that's the case, why bother going their own way, and just buy/license someone's else established wares?
I just couldn't see something like this flying past SJ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sierrajeff
Setting aside my kneejerk "Ugh!" attitude to your praise of crowdsourcing (and why should I be Apple's free cartographer; I just want to *use* the map!),
Y U NO LIEK CROWDSOURCING???????
LOOK INTO MY EYYYYYES....
Quote:
Originally Posted by icoco3
I searched for my old house when we lived in England...all you can see is a cloud over West Bergholt and Colchester. HAHA
I am sure it will get fixed, but come on, really?
Fixed? What's there to fix? It's England. Cloud cover is its correct and natural appearance from orbit.
The point is... you DO NOT ship a product before it is ready just to screw a business partner you hate.
END OF STORY.
Is anyone really surprised Apple maps 1.0 is not equal to Google Maps 6.0?
Give it a few months.. maybe even a year. With user feedback and resources focused on the Apple maps.. they will eventually catch up. I have no doubt a company with a $100 Billion in the bank.. can make a great map app.
You are still incorrect. Billions of people didn't use Google Street View prior to 2007. Billions of people today don't use Google Street View.
Any reasonable person would notice the emphasis on "good enough." I further noted that no one has provided any usage statistics for Google Street View especially within the iPhone Maps app except for the article by Matt McGee which I referenced. Apple Maps is, right now, today, "good enough." Millions of people have already upgraded to iOS 6 and millions more people are in line outside Apple Retail Stores and carrier stores to purchase the iPhone 5.
Here is what I said:
Maps based on Apple technology rather than Google technology does not need to be as good as Google based Maps. Maps simply needs to be "good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard.
"Maps simply needs to be "good enough" although the solution will far surpass that standard." - MacBook Pro
If Apple simply added Siri integration and a few features from Waze to the current features most users would likely be highly satisfied.
Accoring to Jessica E. Vascellaro and Amir Errata of the Wall Street Journal, Maps is used by more than 90% of U.S. iPhone users (although no data source is provided) which virtually guarantees success for any new version of Maps with relatively comparable features to the current version
iOS 6 Maps currently provides:
* 2D Mercator-variant projection with (at higher zoom levels) and without 3D projection with approximately 20 zoom levels of the entire (readily-navigable globe)
* 2D aerial and satellite imagery of the entire globe (Space Oblique Mercator projection)
* 3D aerial and satellite imagery superimposed on a digital elevation model providing a 360-degree panoramic overhead oblique view including a low level "bird's eye view" (Space Oblique Mercator-variant projection)
Every projection misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. Since all projections can show one or more but not all of the following; the greater the number of projections the greater the ability of the user to discern their location (although larger numbers of projections become increasingly confusing at an exponential rate); true direction, true distance, true areas, true shape.
Dead reckoning is a wholly unreliable method given that the average global positioning system (GPS) user is not trained in the technique. For the purposes of modern living, satellite navigation is vastly superior and additionally methods to supplement the model only increase navigation accuracy. Furthermore, given the limitations of 360-degree panoramic "street level" views of the entire surface of the planet which is entirely impractical versus aerial and satellite photography the superiority of the later becomes manifest.
I further submit that Apple has intentionally decided to not include multimodal navigation (e.g. pedestrian and public transportation routes) to appease otherwise upset partners who previously provided a navigation service for Apple products that many users may determine is no longer necessary. Such reasoning could apply to street level views as well as other expected high-end features and functions.
A well integrated street view would be nice but I suggest that the best method for Apple to develop such a database is to rely upon users. If Apple were to implement the hidden panoramic mode in iPhone 4S and higher, users themselves could photograph points of interest and with the exif and GPS metadata submitted to Apple along with imagery where such is "missing."
I do not have an issue with the "missing" street level view. In my opinion, the combination of an bird's eye view (overhead oblique angular view) with the static images from Yelp compensates for the loss. The addition of 3D Flyover Mode makes the resulting application superior.
I suspect an enterprising developer could even provide, dare we say it, a street level view app. Although iOS 6 Maps doesn't need a street level view.
Apple has already hit 80% of the targets and provides new functionality as well. The current beta implementation of Maps does enough to convert most people to Maps happily. Frankly, given that Maps is the default mapping and navigation app and is integrated with Siri the ease-of-use will likely be the key feature that wins over most users.
The great thing about Yelp is that you can check a destination to make sure it's correct before you go there or get info without going there. It's a huge benefit.
"Apple Maps is arguably already superior to Google Maps for iOS despite the Beta designation." While the loss of Google Street View may impact some users, I have never seen Google Street View user base numbers or user satisfaction data.
As you can see in my post, his statement that Google has more business listings was erroneous at best and a falsehood at worst.
I find it interesting that we can list a multitude of ways that Apple Maps in iOS 6 Beta 4 is superior to Google Maps in iOS 5 while Google Maps proponents continue to focus on their sole argument of superiority, a feature which 50% of a tech savvy subset of users (Twitter followers of a tech blogger) were unaware existed on the iPhone. To further clarify, technology pundit, Matt McGee, of Search Engine Land posted the report, Irony: You Need A Map To Find Google Street View On The iPhone. McGee states that, "I asked on Twitter, and got a 50/50 split on replies: half knew how to access Street View, and half didn’t know it was there." This is, presumably, a technology savvy group considering they are "following" a technology pundit yet half were unaware of Google Street View in iPhone Maps.
There are many upgrades that people seem to overlook in Apple Maps iOS 6:
Navigation Features:
Improved yelp integration:
Space Oblique Mercator projection
Concise, Clear Data (This is the true innovation of Apple Maps)
Originally Posted by MacBook Pro
"Maps simply needs to be "good enough"
Suddenly not being able to get around town at all because the new Maps app doesn't even support walking directions, never mind transit directions, here is not "good enough". Should I just sit at home for the next year while Apple gets this right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Netimoon
If you like Google Maps better, you can always use it by hitting maps.google.com in Safari. And you can even make it a shortcut icon to the home screen.
So. Why anger? Use your brain, not mouth.
maps.google.com on the iPhone does not have Street View, which is a major loss in the Apple Maps replacement. Flyover is pointless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by malax
These data problems could not all be caught prior to launch. What would they do, hire 1,000,000 interns to confirm every city, street, and landmark in the world?
Err, Apple are a BIG company and they should have never sunk this low.
Also, it seems from everything I've seen so far, given that say, Inverness is now black & white or that Dudley is in the wrong place, that all Apple would have needed to do is compare their maps with Google's from the comfort of their own offices to see these obvious howlers. Simple really.
Blah blah blah blah
Who gives a shit. When the thing puts a petrol station inside a hotel and gets the location of nearly every business it chooses to display wrong, and badly so, in a nation's capital, it's utility for the average person takes a complete nosedive. Canberra - garema place is even spelled incorrectly. And there's a star bucks that hasn't been there for years.
Does Joe average really give a shit about projections? They just want to find the place they're looking for. Yesterday I could that. It's maps, right?
Why don't you do that down to the street-number level for a small town and post your results here?
Simple really!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacBook Pro
You don't understand the point but I don't expect you too. Logic is clearly beyond your grasp.
Ad hominem
How cute.
Look at "argumentation" on a dictionary.
Unable to stand an argumentation = blocked for me