I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
Forstall took the fall in a boardroom battle. And it wasn’t really about Maps. Forstall was a threat to the Cook faction. He had too much Jobs in him and Cook was removing a threat.
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
This is a good point and the reason why I tried Waze for a few hours and then bailed on it. I found Waze to be just too dangerous to fully utilize while driving. Like all Android software, there are too many tweaks, alerts and hands-on time required instead of just focusing on what users really want and need.
Yep. Tried Waze a few times, there was way too much bullshit onscreen. Like, shit that most people driving would find useless and distracting. But hey, it has more "features", so yay!
Apple Maps has worked absolutely perfectly and beautifully for me the last couple of years, and I use it almost every day.
Unfortunately, Waze is still better than Apple Maps for my purposes and in my area. I get better time estimates, better directions, better warnings of hazards, more timely rerouting, and voice directions even when my radio is off.
I'll be glad when and if Apple addresses those.
What do you mean by better time estimates? Is the original estimate the time you actually arrive? Or does it predict you would arrive earlier than Apple Maps?
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
Forstall took the fall in a boardroom battle. And it wasn’t really about Maps. Forstall was a threat to the Cook faction. He had too much Jobs in him and Cook was removing a threat.
Nonsense. Cook was handpicked by Jobs. And was/is doing a fine job. Forstall isn't Jobs and if anything had the "A hole" side of him.
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
Forstall took the fall in a boardroom battle. And it wasn’t really about Maps. Forstall was a threat to the Cook faction. He had too much Jobs in him and Cook was removing a threat.
Nonsense. Cook was handpicked by Jobs. And was/is doing a fine job. Forstall isn't Jobs and if anything had the "A hole" side of him.
People who knew Steve would same the same about him (regarding the “A-hole” comment).
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
I meant Cook recommending rival apps is fire-worthy. That's salt to the wound.
Just like Steve should have been fired for recommending third party cases for the iPhone 4. Doing the right by your customers is a terrible idea... fire them all!
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
I meant Cook recommending rival apps is fire-worthy. That's salt to the wound.
Why would that be fire-worthy? Cook recognized that Apple Maps at the time was deficient to t e point of being potentially dangerous. He did the responsible thing and recommended alternatives, knowing that Apple was big enough that he would have the time to fix it and eventually emerge ahead of the pack. That day has not entirely arrived, all these years later, but it will; Apple Maps is too important to Aplle’s long-term transportation initiative to not apply any resources necessary.
Comical celebration on the part of Waze. People use Waze do so because it is great for sniffing out cops and avoiding traffic due to its unique crowdsourcing model. But it would never survive as standalone navigation app because it is far behind Apple and Google in that regard. If Apple added crowdsourcing to Maps, Waze would disappear.
Regarding the sniffing out cops, I had this idea back in 2009 (I was already on my third software startup and was continually exploring new ideas for small side businesses and apps). A bit of research told me that there were legal issues with it; that it was illegal to broadcast the movements and positions of law enforcement. Maybe the world has changed. I’m thinking not for the better in this case.
I was using Waze for a long time but last year got an SUV with CarPlay and at that time had to use the Apple Maps app. Once Waze got released on CarPlay I tried it again and didn’t like it.
IMO Apple Maps is quite good these days and much more polished than Waze.
Both Maps and Siri suffer from the same problem, Apple Search sucks. If I know the exact address, Apple Maps gets me there every time. If I have to search for it, like the previous poster said, I could end up on another continent. Siri has the same issue, as far as turning my words into text, Siri is very accurate for me. What Apple does with those words is anyone's guess.
While there are areas of both Maps and Siri that still need refinement, fixing Apple Search would have the biggest impact on the whole ecosystem.
What the heck is Waze? I’ve never even heard of it til now. I’ve tried googlemaps and it sucked. I’ve tried several other free turn by turn apps and they were not better than maps even at 2012. I admit I did have a few destination screwups in 2012 but a couple years after that Apple integrated well know GPS maker TomTom. Now their Maps is the best one on the market. I don’t even bother using any other one.
I've used Waze a few times and the crowd sourcing capability worked well when I was actually in a congested area where there is a crowd to source the dynamic data. If you live in such an area it is a useful tool. If you live in an area where few people are sourcing data into Waze it is probably not worth the space it consumes on your device. I only install it if I travel to a crowded region. Apple Maps and Google Maps are far better general purpose mapping apps. The fact that Apple Maps is the default mapping app that is invoked when you click on a geo tagged link in iOS gives it a big leg up on all other mapping apps on iOS. I don't have a problem with this because Apple Maps works very well in most cases, just like Google Maps works very well in most cases. Neither is perfect and both of them have screwed up on occasion. Should Apple allow end users to designate a different default mapping app if they so desire? Probably.
The primary value I got out of Waze is finding out how long the traffic backup was going to last, lane closings, exit ramp backups, vehicles stopped on the berm, etc. The police alerts thing is of little value to me. But it does prepare me for the sudden rash of brake lights that are going to be popping up ahead. It's amazing how almost everyone slams on their brakes when they see a cop, even when they are not speeding. Human nature is funny.
Waze really should be designed as a "maps app extension" because it serves a niche set of use cases that any mapping app could use. Perhaps if the Waze folks weren't being douche bags they would try to work with Apple to get an API to add Waze as an an extension to Apple Maps (and Google Maps and any other mapping apps) instead of trying to be a full blown mapping app. I don't really need three independent map stacks on my device with three different sets of history lists, favorites, contact list associations, voice assistants, etc.
Oops, in my revelry, I "accidentally" deleted Waze from all my devices! No loss, though, as Maps has greatly improved since 2012, unlike Ways.
Yeah maps is about as good as Siri is for me. Every time I use it I wonder why I even try. Then I remember apple locks down everything so I can not choose google maps as default and cant choose google assistant or alexa as default assistant. Such is the price we pay for a better OS
Both Maps and Siri suffer from the same problem, Apple Search sucks. If I know the exact address, Apple Maps gets me there every time. If I have to search for it, like the previous poster said, I could end up on another continent. Siri has the same issue, as far as turning my words into text, Siri is very accurate for me. What Apple does with those words is anyone's guess.
While there are areas of both Maps and Siri that still need refinement, fixing Apple Search would have the biggest impact on the whole ecosystem.
Yup!. I literally use google maps as a search engine for anything that is local around me. It finds it. I click on it and I can get its hours, how busy it is, its phone number and web site. If there is any public transportation nearby Google Maps is a search engine, apple does not understand that.
I'm not part of the brain-dead "fire Cook!" crowd but those 2 events are reasons to get him or someone at Apple fired.
Scott Forstall comes to mind.
Keep in mind at the time Waze was not a great mapping app, but getting full access to the Google APIs made it so. Waze requires constant user attention, it's distracting and not a great fit for Apple's vision, but it is perfect for Google.
Forstall took the fall in a boardroom battle. And it wasn’t really about Maps. Forstall was a threat to the Cook faction. He had too much Jobs in him and Cook was removing a threat.
Nonsense. Cook was handpicked by Jobs. And was/is doing a fine job. Forstall isn't Jobs and if anything had the "A hole" side of him.
People who knew Steve would same the same about him (regarding the “A-hole” comment).
Probably true, but a person with the A-hole side of Jobs and nothing else is just an A-hole. And yes, Cook was likely groomed and definitely picked by Jobs.
I guess I was one of the five fortunate people on Earth who has had almost no trouble with Maps. The only time I had a problem is when Maps took me on a short tour of a housing track to get me out it. That's it. It's been perfect for me, before and since. The second time I visited, I got out quickly, the exact reverse of my path in.
The more complaints I read about Maps, the more I used it to see if it would let me down, but it didn't. Twice, on out of state trips Maps had new streets where a friends Garmin did not. I don't know who provided the Map data for both units at the time, maybe Garmin does their own. It may be that Maps updated more often or just more easily than the Garmin.
Maps only current 'failing' for me is the lack of offline usability. I went through many long stretches where there were no cell towers. There was GPS, but no data. For those times I used a dedicated Nav app which has since been withdrawn by Garmin. I wonder why, LOL.
I now have Google Maps and CoPilot GPS for offline use but have yet to try them out. I've had Waze on my phone since it came out, but have yet to use it. Without a commute, it doesn't offer me much if anything, over Maps.
My hope is that one day sooner than later, Apple will build Maps for offline use. My previous GoTo allowed me to download Maps for any state(s) I wanted and delete as desired. The graphics were superior to Maps, at first, but that's changed.
The ongoing failure of maps, and most of Apple’s services, in doing even the most basic tasks reliably, is an ongoing slap in the face to Apples customers.
Whatever happened with Siri shortcuts btw? Why does Siri still completely suck, and continue to be completely obnoxious in her repetitive and stagnant “personality”, after 7 gd years in Apple’s hands?
Because you're comparing it to Her or other such science fiction? What personality does OK Google have?
Ongoing failure of Maps and services? Wut? Man you try so hard.
I use Siri Shortcuts almost every day. It's an advanced feature for advanced users...do you need it?
How odd because when Apple Maps came to New Zealand it was far superior to Google Maps. For example, when it came out Google Maps was telling me to take Moeraki Road to Norana Road in Upper Hutt to get to my old home. It had a paper road between the main highway and Norana Road that had joined up to it. So to get to my old house I only needed to go up the highway then turn off to Norana Road, go through the round about then I was home. When Apple Maps came out it sent me the correct way every time. To put this into perspective Google Maps was 3 years in NZ before Apple Maps came in and that stretch of Norana Road that Google Maps was claiming was a paper road had actually existed as a proper road for 10 years BEFORE Google Maps came on the scene. That means Google Maps launched using map data that was 10 years at least out of date on coming into NZ.
Sure Apple Maps wasn't without its issues. For example when it came out I was back living in New Plymouth and based at Connett Road West for work. I got a route to my house from there and it told me to go down Connett Road West to Paraiti Road, turn right, then turn left onto the highway and follow the rest of the route (which was correct). Paraite Road had been blocked off for about 8 years after they'd finished the overpass system so you only needed to go down Connett Road West, turn right onto Henwood Road, then left onto the motorway. I filled in the form to report this and literally within two days it was changed to the correct route.
I never tried Waze because truthfully at the time I knew where I was going an Apple Maps worked for those places that I needed it but I would NEVER use Google Maps ever again except for one small feature that cropped up as a need when I left IT to become a mail delivery motorcycle rider. Google Maps shows the house numbers when zoomed in and at the time being a new postie there were some houses I wasn't too sure about and that's the ONLY time Google Maps has ever been of use to me.
Unfortunately, Waze is still better than Apple Maps for my purposes and in my area. I get better time estimates, better directions, better warnings of hazards, more timely rerouting, and voice directions even when my radio is off.
I'll be glad when and if Apple addresses those.
What do you mean by better time estimates? Is the original estimate the time you actually arrive? Or does it predict you would arrive earlier than Apple Maps?
I mean that Waze estimates my arrival time more accurately, i.e. I arrive close to Waze's estimate than I do Apple's. It also estimates the time I'll spend in traffic if some blockage should happen that I can't get around because of lack of exits.
Again, in my area, and for the routes that I usually take. I'm aware that others have had different experiences.
Comments
Regarding the sniffing out cops, I had this idea back in 2009 (I was already on my third software startup and was continually exploring new ideas for small side businesses and apps). A bit of research told me that there were legal issues with it; that it was illegal to broadcast the movements and positions of law enforcement. Maybe the world has changed. I’m thinking not for the better in this case.
IMO Apple Maps is quite good these days and much more polished than Waze.
While there are areas of both Maps and Siri that still need refinement, fixing Apple Search would have the biggest impact on the whole ecosystem.
The primary value I got out of Waze is finding out how long the traffic backup was going to last, lane closings, exit ramp backups, vehicles stopped on the berm, etc. The police alerts thing is of little value to me. But it does prepare me for the sudden rash of brake lights that are going to be popping up ahead. It's amazing how almost everyone slams on their brakes when they see a cop, even when they are not speeding. Human nature is funny.
Waze really should be designed as a "maps app extension" because it serves a niche set of use cases that any mapping app could use. Perhaps if the Waze folks weren't being douche bags they would try to work with Apple to get an API to add Waze as an an extension to Apple Maps (and Google Maps and any other mapping apps) instead of trying to be a full blown mapping app. I don't really need three independent map stacks on my device with three different sets of history lists, favorites, contact list associations, voice assistants, etc.
The more complaints I read about Maps, the more I used it to see if it would let me down, but it didn't. Twice, on out of state trips Maps had new streets where a friends Garmin did not. I don't know who provided the Map data for both units at the time, maybe Garmin does their own. It may be that Maps updated more often or just more easily than the Garmin.
Maps only current 'failing' for me is the lack of offline usability. I went through many long stretches where there were no cell towers. There was GPS, but no data. For those times I used a dedicated Nav app which has since been withdrawn by Garmin. I wonder why, LOL.
I now have Google Maps and CoPilot GPS for offline use but have yet to try them out. I've had Waze on my phone since it came out, but have yet to use it. Without a commute, it doesn't offer me much if anything, over Maps.
My hope is that one day sooner than later, Apple will build Maps for offline use. My previous GoTo allowed me to download Maps for any state(s) I wanted and delete as desired. The graphics were superior to Maps, at first, but that's changed.
Ongoing failure of Maps and services? Wut? Man you try so hard.
I use Siri Shortcuts almost every day. It's an advanced feature for advanced users...do you need it?
At least Apple Maps has never tossed up an ad for a Best Western hotel and suggested I add it to my route, requiring me to dismiss it while driving.
...that was the last time I used Waze. Does it still insert ads into your navigation?
Sure Apple Maps wasn't without its issues. For example when it came out I was back living in New Plymouth and based at Connett Road West for work. I got a route to my house from there and it told me to go down Connett Road West to Paraiti Road, turn right, then turn left onto the highway and follow the rest of the route (which was correct). Paraite Road had been blocked off for about 8 years after they'd finished the overpass system so you only needed to go down Connett Road West, turn right onto Henwood Road, then left onto the motorway. I filled in the form to report this and literally within two days it was changed to the correct route.
I never tried Waze because truthfully at the time I knew where I was going an Apple Maps worked for those places that I needed it but I would NEVER use Google Maps ever again except for one small feature that cropped up as a need when I left IT to become a mail delivery motorcycle rider. Google Maps shows the house numbers when zoomed in and at the time being a new postie there were some houses I wasn't too sure about and that's the ONLY time Google Maps has ever been of use to me.
Again, in my area, and for the routes that I usually take. I'm aware that others have had different experiences.