Apple iOS 6 Maps cuts Google's exclusive lock on directions, opens door to third party apps

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 67
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sessamoid View Post


    Bicycle commuting is fairly common in Northwestern cities with a dense network of bike paths and bike lanes. Routing for these is different from driving, because not all streets have bike lanes, and obviously some streets/highways are not bike-friendly or legal.



     


    Get developing the app and make a mint !!!!!!!!!

  • Reply 22 of 67
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    kotatsu wrote: »
    What about all those third party turn by turn apps?  Not so wonderful for those guys eh?

    I've been using iOS 6 since beta 1 and I can't imagine giving up my Tom Tom app at this time. Perhaps if Siri makes it much easier to input driving directions I'll change my mind but I expect I'll continue using Tom Tom. But, yes, I can see how this will be more than sufficient for most people that it could hurt future sales of GPS apps.
  • Reply 23 of 67


    Without offline map capability, the GPS is basically useless once outside of the US.  No one will pay for the data charges to use it overseas.

  • Reply 24 of 67
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    rsdofny wrote: »
    Without offline map capability, the GPS is basically useless once outside of the US.  No one will pay for the data charges to use it overseas.

    Huh?

    What about the people who live overseas - many of whom have unlimited data plans? No need to be US-centric in your views.
  • Reply 25 of 67


    Hurrah! Now I can pay for something that every other Smart Phone user gets for free! Thanks Apple!

  • Reply 26 of 67
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rsdofny View Post


    Without offline map capability, the GPS is basically useless once outside of the US.  No one will pay for the data charges to use it overseas.



    so buy navigon. $30 when you can catch it on sale.


     


    i've used it in the USA in place where there is no AT&T or verizon signal

  • Reply 27 of 67
    jumejume Posts: 209member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cycomiko View Post


    I just hope it doesnt suck, like Siri, outside of USA 





    Probably it will suck outside of USA in the first couple of years!

  • Reply 28 of 67


    Absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait.

  • Reply 29 of 67
    dr_lhadr_lha Posts: 236member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jonshf View Post


    The problem with the Tom Tom is that it doesn't cover as much as other map and directions providers. As an example, Iceland is not covered by Tom Tom, while the country is well covered by Garmin, Google maps and Nokia's navigation system.


     


    Hopefully with Apple's added business Tom Tom will expand their coverage.



    It's not just international coverage though, TomTom's maps (in the USA at least) significantly lag others, including Google. For example, the road I cycle down every morning to go to work, according to TomTom (and Apple's new Maps app), does not exist. Most damningly, when you turn on the satellite hybrid view, the road, fully populated with houses, can be clearly seen in the satellite imagery that Apple is using (much higher resolution than Googles for the record), but not in TomTom's database. That satellite imagery for my neighborhood is at least 2-3 years old judging by the construction projects. I've been a TomTom owner (car GPS) for about 6 years, and it's always been my impression that TomTom's mapping is way out of date compared to others. Not the best partner for Apple to pick IMHO.

  • Reply 30 of 67
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member


    To me the article made this whole system seem rather complicated.  I'm going to assume that in real world use, directions will be straightforward.

  • Reply 31 of 67
    vadania wrote: »
    
    I'm just curious.  Do your really use them or are you just saying that?
    Bike routes for what? They're kind of limited in New England. There are "bike paths" here. Mostly they're just old railroad tracks that have been paved over. Everyone knows where they start, end, and what's along the route so maybe I'm missing the point. There's also trails that are used by power companies and gas line companies. Is that what you mean?
    However, I'm going out west soon and have read about some bike paths, but they're mostly in 'desert like' landscapes. It would be cool, but is there service there? Like Tombstone and the Red Wood forrest and such? I'm pretty athletic, but I'm certainly not biking from Tombstone to California. States are closer together here!
    Edit: edited my post.

    I use them, especially when I'm in a city I am not familiar with, such as when I am on vacation. The current iOS maps program has bus stops along with info about which routes each stop services. I found that I could also visit the city's mass transit web site to get the same info (but if it isn't optimized for small screens, then I'm pinching and zooming and scrolling like crazy), but current Maps shows you where you are in relation to each bus stop, which is pretty cool. I can look across the street see a bus stop and look in maps and know where that bus is going.
  • Reply 32 of 67


    Am I the only one that is disgusted with both this apple mapping program and googles in terms of scale?  Why can't these guys include a simple reference scale at the bottom, like any other map in the world?  What's 1 mile?  What's 10 miles?  It's impossible to tell without a scale!!

  • Reply 33 of 67


    This should be made available via the web as well as the iPhone app. Too bad they already use maps.apple.com to advertise the app.

  • Reply 34 of 67


    Originally Posted by Alexmit View Post

    This should be made available via the web as well as the iPhone app.


     


    Why? This sells hardware. That doesn't.

  • Reply 35 of 67

    Quote:


    Bike routes for what? They're kind of limited in New England. There are "bike paths" here. Mostly they're just old railroad tracks that have been paved over. Everyone knows where they start, end, and what's along the route so maybe I'm missing the point. There's also trails that are used by power companies and gas line companies. Is that what you mean?



     


    Yes, you are missing the point.


     


    (I mean that in the nicest possible way).



    For example, here are all of our bike routes:



    http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=38177


     


    Routing for bicycle is different than car, some reasons people have already mentioned but also because many places there are streets which dead-end for autos but are open for bike/ped access.  The end of my street (for example) is a dead end for cars but has two paths which open to the next street over.  To get across in auto directions the mapping utility would map all the way around and outside of the neighborhood - while the biking or walking directions can cut right through.


     


    Same thing with parks or schools, you can't drive through them but you can bike or ride through them.


     


    Lots of ways that bike routing is different than car routing.


     


    Check this out:



    http://www.ridethecity.com/portland


     


    for bicycle route planning.

  • Reply 36 of 67

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    Another hilariously biased story from DED.  I love they way the omission of transit directions from iOS is a good thing, because it opens up it all up to third parties, but the inclusion of Apple's in house turn by turn is absolutely wonderful. What about all those third party turn by turn apps?  Not so wonderful for those guys eh?  


     


    I know it's a DED article so my expectations are at rock bottom, and yet this guy still amazes will his amateurish style. 


     


    I really hope Google come out with a new maps app soon, which includes all their latest stuff. If that happens, it would be fascinating to get a break down of how many iOS6 users were using Google's maps, vs Apple's maps in 6 months time.



     


    Where does the article opine anything about turn by turn being "absolutely wonderful"? It is only a factual outline of how it works.


     


    It seems that if someone has a bias problem, it is a certain anonymous commenter who is billowing contradictory opinions. You say turn by turn is "Not so wonderful" for GPS apps, then turn around and say how excited you are to get Google's 2009 Maps Navigation, which only exists for Android. When you act all righteously indignant about supposed "bias," it makes you look like a raging hypocrite as a fanboy. Why can't you just say you disagree and state your opinions? Or are you afraid nobody cares what a nobody with no track record thinks? 

  • Reply 37 of 67


    Perhaps its not clear what opening up alternative routing to third party apps means.


     


    The App Store is full of apps that show transit/bike/hiking routes, some in specific areas or on specific systems. So Bart.gov has an app, there are general purpose biking apps, some apps that only show trails in a specific county.


     


    With iOS 6 Maps, you'll be able to look up apps that can integrate with Maps to provide specialized routing information right within Maps. As it is, Google provides only transit directions for iOS 5 and earlier. For subways that run on time (like Bart), this works pretty well. For SF Muni, it's a disaster. Google shows the wrong information! You have to look up NextMuni on the web or pull up a separate app like Routsey.


     


    With iOS 6, you can tell Maps to consult with an app like Routesy to find you the most appropriate routes, rather than only getting Google's (often incorrect) data.

  • Reply 38 of 67

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    Another hilariously biased story from DED.  I love they way the omission of transit directions from iOS is a good thing, because it opens up it all up to third parties, but the inclusion of Apple's in house turn by turn is absolutely wonderful. What about all those third party turn by turn apps?  Not so wonderful for those guys eh?  


     


    I know it's a DED article so my expectations are at rock bottom, and yet this guy still amazes will his amateurish style. 


     


    I really hope Google come out with a new maps app soon, which includes all their latest stuff. If that happens, it would be fascinating to get a break down of how many iOS6 users were using Google's maps, vs Apple's maps in 6 months time.





    Agreed.  I don't like the idea of having to pick a 3rd-party app for transit, even in my home area.  Today, for example, there are multiple Caltrain apps, each with their pluses and minuses. Awkward to be forced to pick one to be the interface for Maps.


     


    And that's just one (of many) transit modes in one metro area.  If I go to Boston and land at Logan, and want to take transit to Cambridge... how will I know which Beantown 3rd party app is best to guide me on the T -- especially when I have to do that analysis while I'm jostling to get off a plane, find my luggage, etc.


     


    Also, will these 3rd party transit apps interact well with each other?  If I want to go from Mountain View to Berkeley, will it know to tell me to take Caltrain to point X, and then transfer to BART (and will the scheduling information for each mesh)?  I have to suppose that the answer is "yes", or the product will be hugely panned... but it just seems like a lot of potential hassle and confusion for little benefit (other than Apple not needing to spend some of its banked billions itself to add transit directly into the new Maps).

  • Reply 39 of 67

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Uninterested_Viewer View Post



    Public transit, on the other hand, is clearly a much more complicated beast that they don't currently have the time/resources to implement in an acceptably polished way.


     


    Yeah, 'cause sitting on more money than any other company on the planet really crimps your ability to implement ideas.

  • Reply 40 of 67

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by akira69 View Post


    Am I the only one that is disgusted with both this apple mapping program and googles in terms of scale?  Why can't these guys include a simple reference scale at the bottom, like any other map in the world?  What's 1 mile?  What's 10 miles?  It's impossible to tell without a scale!!



     


    I'm not sure I'd use the word 'disgusted', but, yes, it would be nice if the maps had a way for you to view scale, even if it weren't always visible, but could be made to appear as an overlay. It might also be nice if you could drop 2 pins and get the straight-line distance between those points.

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