I think the main reason we won't see this soon is engineering resources. Apple will want to be focusing their energies on the iOS implementation, not worrying about a web variant.
That said, if Apple Maps is ever truly going to be competitive with Google, expanding the scope beyond iOS may be necessary. For one thing, more and more maps data is crowd sourced these days. Check out Google's MapMaker: it's hard to imagine Apple keeping their maps up-to-date without something like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
You're probably right but I will certainly don't want to hear that.
The resource issue may not be as restrictive as you think -- I believe Apple still uses Web Objects internally for its online store and developer sites. If so, the new maps app could be developed with Web Objects in mind and modularized so that much of the source code (UI excepted) could be used on the web. It appears that the maps app is pretty much complete -- and they are awaiting, more, more robust and more up-to-date data.
Here's a partial link to the login at the developer site:
Since Maps.app is developed and maintained by Apple, this is really a case of Apple surpassing Apple. Google doesn't make the app, and their back end certainly hasn't been surpassed, as has been said many times over - they do vectors, and they have better data
The article is very disingenuous as painting the lack of vector graphics in Maps.app as a Google problem.
I normally read a DED article with a lot of skepticism --- he tends to quote himself, presents opinion as fact, omit challenging or contrary opinions and facts -- and tella Apple fans what he thinks they want to hear...
He tricked me with this article -- the way it was presented lead me to believe that the Google-written maps apps were bitmapped-based the way the Apple-written [current] maps app is bitmapped-based. And that with iOS 6 the Apple-written, vector-based maps app was superior to anything that Google had... and Google was struggling to catch up!
I normally read a DED article with a lot of skepticism --- he tends to quote himself, presents opinion as fact, omit challenging or contrary opinions and facts -- and tella Apple fans what he thinks they want to hear...
He tricked me with this article -- the way it was presented lead me to believe that the Google-written maps apps were bitmapped-based the way the Apple-written [current] maps app is bitmapped-based. And that with iOS 6 the Apple-written, vector-based maps app was superior to anything that Google had... and Google was struggling to catch up!
...shame on me!
Lol, nice post. Be careful though, he lives in San Francisco and seems to have quite the temper so be on the lookout. If he attacked my post as mild as my criticism was, I can only imagine what he wants to do to you after that post.
As longs as the iOS 6 Apple maps can give me good voice navigation while driving I will be thrilled. The current free choices like Waze and mapquest are subpar. I suspect most people are primarily concerned about good voice navigation since you are likely to use it while driving more than any other time. For that reason, I am not really concerned about vector, raster, 3D mapping or anything else and expect Apple will do a decent job on that front eventually. But I do like articles to provide a bit more balance and I think he needs to try a lot harder in that area. Google may be the enemy to DED but you have to give them props for what they get right, and their maps is pretty darned good. No one expects Apple to beat them right off the bat with their their very first try so no need to oversell it.
Attention Apple Fanboys: if you still want to be fanboys of Apple products, this is at least proof that you should at least go somewhere else for your information. At least read factually correct information, even if it is slanted. I literally come to this site for laughs.
One thing I can't stand on the Apple/Google maps app is using the compass. If you're using it and then touch the map to zoom out/in or check out another area the map it does this rotating adjusting thing then the compass shuts off. You totally lose your orientation. So you click to enable the compass again but the app automatically takes you out of the previous zoom level you were in (takes you to the default zoom level). That default zoom level is quite far out so then you touch the map to try to zoom in again but because you've touched the map the compass shuts off again. It's completely bonkers. It has worked like this since the beginning. I sure hope it's fixed with the new Apple Maps.
One thing I can't stand on the Apple/Google maps app is using the compass. If you're using it and then touch the map to zoom out/in or check out another area the map it does this rotating adjusting thing then the compass shuts off. You totally lose your orientation. So you click to enable the compass again but the app automatically takes you out of the previous zoom level you were in (takes you to the default zoom level). That default zoom level is quite far out so then you touch the map to try to zoom in again but because you've touched the map the compass shuts off again. It's completely bonkers. It has worked like this since the beginning. I sure hope it's fixed with the new Apple Maps.
If I understand correctly the problem you are describing, then all you have to do is touch the location icon bottom left to re-enable the compass - it keeps the new zoom level.
Google has had vector maps on the web for several months now, just turn on WebGL. And this article makes it sound as if Google just discovered vector maps when Google has had them for almost 3 years.
And Google is struggling with voice dictation? Really? Please show me offline voice dictation in iOS 6. Oy, this article sounds like a fan piece. I like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, but dislike when someone is playing fast and loose with facts.
Lastly, one does not simply remove Street View or public transit directions. I don't see that going well when iOS is released to the public.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4TheLoveOfTech
How can the writers on this blog continue to "LIE" day after day? 90% of the article written or copy and pasted from another site and then edited with an Apple Bias are full of lies and missing data that would completely change the story.
I've had a test iPhone 4 with iOS 6 on it since it was released to developers.
They have a LOT of work to do. It's slow and the search is horrible. They will need to improve before it even gets close to the speed and ease of Google. They will need to be able to match the results accuracy that Google has.
There's no doubt that 3D, Vector-based maps are the future.
However - cool new 3D and navigation features aside - in terms of basic 2D maps, Apple's current implementation in iOS 6 is pretty poor compared to the Google Maps it is replacing.
Compared to Google Maps:
Apple's maps are often out of date (more than 10 years out of date in the case of London, UK!)
colours are garish (parks & water features too bright and over-emphasised)
many non-road features are missing (random unknown businesses names appear while significant tourist attractions and points of interest are missing)
building outlines are only shown in a few select cities
many transit features are missing. No bus stops shown, and train stations often missing or in the wrong place.
satellite images are poor quality (not just lacking detail but also dark washed out colours, lacking in contrast)
hybrid mode is sluggish on slower devices (iPad 2)
All in all, Apple maps shows promise, and could eventually be great, but is disappointing in the current iteration. In my opinion they are releasing it too early.
Google has had 10 years or so to get their maps into what they are today, with an entire team dedicated to it. No, Apple maps will not be feature-parity with Google maps on day 1. Like all their other products, they're focus 1st on the fundamentals/experience/useability, and then quickly fill in the feature gaps. However, I'd guess APple will be constantly improving their maps very, very quickly. They know how important it is, and it is indeed a massive undertaking to do it from scratch. Google has a massive headstart but I think the gap will close quickly. Apple clearly isnt playing around, and they know comparisons will be made.
If I understand correctly the problem you are describing, then all you have to do is touch the location icon bottom left to re-enable the compass - it keeps the new zoom level.
Not always. If you click the map to zoom far out (i.e. province/country level) then enable the compass, the app will take you all the way down to the default zoom level (city level).
If you click the map the compass turns off then the map rotates so you lose your orientation. The compass should never turn off unless I tell it to. Then when you enable the compass again the map rotates again to reflect the correct compass direction. The map should not move at all when clicking the map to zoom in or out. 2 problems right there. 3 including the zoom issue.
If I understand correctly the problem you are describing, then all you have to do is touch the location icon bottom left to re-enable the compass - it keeps the new zoom level.
Not always. If you click the map to zoom far out (i.e. province/country level) then enable the compass, the app will take you all the way down to the default zoom level (city level).
If you click the map the compass turns off then the map rotates so you lose your orientation. The compass should never turn off unless I tell it to. Then when you enable the compass again the map rotates again to reflect the correct compass direction. The map should not move at all when clicking the map to zoom in or out. 2 problems right there. 3 including the zoom issue.
I see. At least on my IP4 and iPad, you can pinch to zoom in or out without leaving compass mode. If you do leave compass mode, you have to tap the location button twice to get back, and the first tap puts you into location mode, which is why it takes you back down to city level. However, I agree that it would be nice to enable location+compass without changing zoom level.
>Apple isn't serving up a public web version of its own maps as Google does, so it isn't constrained by the limits of web-based technologies.
This is actually something that annoys me. Right now, I can use Google Maps on my phone, iPad or computer and always get the same data, directions, street view, etc.
With iOS 6 I'm going to have a different mapping system on my iPad/phone than on my desktop. This is going to lead to different directions and data. This is ALREADY annoying because of the differences between TomTom on my iPhone and Google Maps; now we're going to have a third source of different information.
It'd be nice if Apple would release a web version of their maps, or even an app for the Mac to access them. An app would likely be easier to implement due to the use of vector data.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Wuh?
What is "Formula 1"? For that matter, what is "Speed Channel"?
It came before Formula Jr.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rennaisance
I think the main reason we won't see this soon is engineering resources. Apple will want to be focusing their energies on the iOS implementation, not worrying about a web variant.
That said, if Apple Maps is ever truly going to be competitive with Google, expanding the scope beyond iOS may be necessary. For one thing, more and more maps data is crowd sourced these days. Check out Google's MapMaker: it's hard to imagine Apple keeping their maps up-to-date without something like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
You're probably right but I will certainly don't want to hear that.
The resource issue may not be as restrictive as you think -- I believe Apple still uses Web Objects internally for its online store and developer sites. If so, the new maps app could be developed with Web Objects in mind and modularized so that much of the source code (UI excepted) could be used on the web. It appears that the maps app is pretty much complete -- and they are awaiting, more, more robust and more up-to-date data.
Here's a partial link to the login at the developer site:
https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/DSAuthWeb.woa/wa/login?appIdKey=zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
the woa suffix stands for Web Objects App -- this indicates that DSAuthWeb.woa is an Web Objects app written to authorize a user login.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebObjects
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crowley
Since Maps.app is developed and maintained by Apple, this is really a case of Apple surpassing Apple. Google doesn't make the app, and their back end certainly hasn't been surpassed, as has been said many times over - they do vectors, and they have better data
The article is very disingenuous as painting the lack of vector graphics in Maps.app as a Google problem.
I normally read a DED article with a lot of skepticism --- he tends to quote himself, presents opinion as fact, omit challenging or contrary opinions and facts -- and tella Apple fans what he thinks they want to hear...
He tricked me with this article -- the way it was presented lead me to believe that the Google-written maps apps were bitmapped-based the way the Apple-written [current] maps app is bitmapped-based. And that with iOS 6 the Apple-written, vector-based maps app was superior to anything that Google had... and Google was struggling to catch up!
...shame on me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
I normally read a DED article with a lot of skepticism --- he tends to quote himself, presents opinion as fact, omit challenging or contrary opinions and facts -- and tella Apple fans what he thinks they want to hear...
He tricked me with this article -- the way it was presented lead me to believe that the Google-written maps apps were bitmapped-based the way the Apple-written [current] maps app is bitmapped-based. And that with iOS 6 the Apple-written, vector-based maps app was superior to anything that Google had... and Google was struggling to catch up!
...shame on me!
Lol, nice post. Be careful though, he lives in San Francisco and seems to have quite the temper so be on the lookout. If he attacked my post as mild as my criticism was, I can only imagine what he wants to do to you after that post.
As longs as the iOS 6 Apple maps can give me good voice navigation while driving I will be thrilled. The current free choices like Waze and mapquest are subpar. I suspect most people are primarily concerned about good voice navigation since you are likely to use it while driving more than any other time. For that reason, I am not really concerned about vector, raster, 3D mapping or anything else and expect Apple will do a decent job on that front eventually. But I do like articles to provide a bit more balance and I think he needs to try a lot harder in that area. Google may be the enemy to DED but you have to give them props for what they get right, and their maps is pretty darned good. No one expects Apple to beat them right off the bat with their their very first try so no need to oversell it.
Originally Posted by Adam Foosaner
I literally come to this site for laughs.
Please don't. That's just a personal request.
Traffic is traffic.
Originally Posted by majjo
Traffic is traffic.
And trolling is trolling. Would you prefer I stop banning the spambots and let them overrun the site, too?
One thing I can't stand on the Apple/Google maps app is using the compass. If you're using it and then touch the map to zoom out/in or check out another area the map it does this rotating adjusting thing then the compass shuts off. You totally lose your orientation. So you click to enable the compass again but the app automatically takes you out of the previous zoom level you were in (takes you to the default zoom level). That default zoom level is quite far out so then you touch the map to try to zoom in again but because you've touched the map the compass shuts off again. It's completely bonkers. It has worked like this since the beginning. I sure hope it's fixed with the new Apple Maps.
If I understand correctly the problem you are describing, then all you have to do is touch the location icon bottom left to re-enable the compass - it keeps the new zoom level.
/shrug
Be my guest if you want to; you're the mod.
Don't delude yourself into thinking AI doesn't want as much traffic as it can get tho.
Originally Posted by majjo
Don't delude yourself into thinking AI doesn't want as much traffic as it can get tho.
They don't have to be able to post to be able to read and up pageviews…
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
They don't have to be able to post to be able to read and up pageviews…
Oooohhhhh....
That means we could have a posting elite and a trolling elite...
Edit: And "Up your Pageviews, too!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by dagamer34
Google has had vector maps on the web for several months now, just turn on WebGL. And this article makes it sound as if Google just discovered vector maps when Google has had them for almost 3 years.
And Google is struggling with voice dictation? Really? Please show me offline voice dictation in iOS 6. Oy, this article sounds like a fan piece. I like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, but dislike when someone is playing fast and loose with facts.
Lastly, one does not simply remove Street View or public transit directions. I don't see that going well when iOS is released to the public.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4TheLoveOfTech
How can the writers on this blog continue to "LIE" day after day? 90% of the article written or copy and pasted from another site and then edited with an Apple Bias are full of lies and missing data that would completely change the story.
Google maps have vector
http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2010/12/google-maps-now-with-vector-graphics.html
Google the 100K other article written on the subject.
APPLEINSIDER. QUIT WRITING LIES FOR HITS AND HEADLINES.
I guess anyone who can write ABC can now write an article for Appleinsider.
You can keep drinking the kool-aid.
I've had a test iPhone 4 with iOS 6 on it since it was released to developers.
They have a LOT of work to do. It's slow and the search is horrible. They will need to improve before it even gets close to the speed and ease of Google. They will need to be able to match the results accuracy that Google has.
Bing Maps already did it. Glad to see Apple catch up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rennaisance
There's no doubt that 3D, Vector-based maps are the future.
However - cool new 3D and navigation features aside - in terms of basic 2D maps, Apple's current implementation in iOS 6 is pretty poor compared to the Google Maps it is replacing.
Compared to Google Maps:
Apple's maps are often out of date (more than 10 years out of date in the case of London, UK!)
colours are garish (parks & water features too bright and over-emphasised)
many non-road features are missing (random unknown businesses names appear while significant tourist attractions and points of interest are missing)
building outlines are only shown in a few select cities
many transit features are missing. No bus stops shown, and train stations often missing or in the wrong place.
satellite images are poor quality (not just lacking detail but also dark washed out colours, lacking in contrast)
hybrid mode is sluggish on slower devices (iPad 2)
All in all, Apple maps shows promise, and could eventually be great, but is disappointing in the current iteration. In my opinion they are releasing it too early.
Google has had 10 years or so to get their maps into what they are today, with an entire team dedicated to it. No, Apple maps will not be feature-parity with Google maps on day 1. Like all their other products, they're focus 1st on the fundamentals/experience/useability, and then quickly fill in the feature gaps. However, I'd guess APple will be constantly improving their maps very, very quickly. They know how important it is, and it is indeed a massive undertaking to do it from scratch. Google has a massive headstart but I think the gap will close quickly. Apple clearly isnt playing around, and they know comparisons will be made.
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
If I understand correctly the problem you are describing, then all you have to do is touch the location icon bottom left to re-enable the compass - it keeps the new zoom level.
Not always. If you click the map to zoom far out (i.e. province/country level) then enable the compass, the app will take you all the way down to the default zoom level (city level).
If you click the map the compass turns off then the map rotates so you lose your orientation. The compass should never turn off unless I tell it to. Then when you enable the compass again the map rotates again to reflect the correct compass direction. The map should not move at all when clicking the map to zoom in or out. 2 problems right there. 3 including the zoom issue.
I see. At least on my IP4 and iPad, you can pinch to zoom in or out without leaving compass mode. If you do leave compass mode, you have to tap the location button twice to get back, and the first tap puts you into location mode, which is why it takes you back down to city level. However, I agree that it would be nice to enable location+compass without changing zoom level.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zorinlynx
>Apple isn't serving up a public web version of its own maps as Google does, so it isn't constrained by the limits of web-based technologies.
This is actually something that annoys me. Right now, I can use Google Maps on my phone, iPad or computer and always get the same data, directions, street view, etc.
With iOS 6 I'm going to have a different mapping system on my iPad/phone than on my desktop. This is going to lead to different directions and data. This is ALREADY annoying because of the differences between TomTom on my iPhone and Google Maps; now we're going to have a third source of different information.
It'd be nice if Apple would release a web version of their maps, or even an app for the Mac to access them. An app would likely be easier to implement due to the use of vector data.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Think Different.