I hope you're referring to "don't in most of MY cases" because I never had a problem with it here in Chicago, and the removal of the functionality means I have to find a competent mapping application...
This same statement can me made about Apple Maps. I have ZERO problems with it in Miami. Use it several times a week. And I find the turn by turn is very accurate. So should all the critics include the "in MY cases" in their critique?
Not sure who you are talking to, but I think that for some people who used public transit and bikes a lot (in my case, I gave up having a car completely while living in Santa Monica), its nice to have easy access to bus and bike directions. I've never thought about using turn by turn for cycling though, and I'm not sure but I suspect that most cyclists are focused on their lives rather than on turn by turn, but that could just be me.
So my question still stands: which is the best app for bike directions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles?
It's kind of rhetorical because, despite the information in the article, its hard to find out.
For driving, in MY CASE Maps has worked very, very well.
Where I have lived my whole life, in Seattle, I looked at the apps for transit that the iPhone recommended and they were not any good and would only have been a waste of money. The best one (OneBusAway) one was worked out at the UW and is free. All the hate promoted at Google Maps is frustrating since I was happy using it. Apple had a lot of good reasons to put Apple Maps out there, good for the company not the consumer.
The map is super important. I'm often riding buses and the map helps to let me know when I'm approaching the stop I want to get off at. An example from the days of iOS 5...
Just for illustration, here is a simple stand-alone app that shows what can be easily done with Apple Maps on iOS 6:
It shows a line on the London underground, zoomed in to approximate your image.
You can zoom in or out to get the level of detail you desire!
The map shows a polyline for the route and pins for the stations. These are defaults for the MapKit APIs. You can show any images and text you want for the pins... the same to embellish the route.
The programming is drop-dead trivial.
Most metro areas have publicly accessible databases that provide scheduling and routing info.
A developer who wants to provide transit information for a metro needs to:
access the database requesting desired information
iterate through the results, plotting them on the map
What the developer chooses to show is up to him... but certainly could include schedules, delays, multiple lines, connection to surface transportation, etc.
Apple's iOS 6 maps application doesn't know about many popular London Underground stations, let alone provide the instantly recognisable London Underground symbol in the right place.
Finally, the North of England gets better treatment than London. Normally most companies are entirely London-centric when it comes to the UK, but not this time. Apple manage to include even the tiny Croft Spa station, near Darlington. I'll grant you, the fact that Croft Spa station closed in 1969 and was demolished in the 1970's makes it a little odd, but there you go!
A variety of App Store titles supply RATP data, and the transit operator provides its own app.
Article doesn't say its Google's "fault" that it doesn't provide transit information in Paris or across France. It's just an example of the missing functionality everyone assumes is there because it's Google.
The plain reality is that Google Transit is not integrated into iOS 6 Maps, but its available through (in many cases integrated) apps that do a better job of presenting the information. There are also independent sources of data accessible to iOS 6 users, integrated right into Maps on a level playing field.
I'm sorry, this article is ridiculous! I was recently in San Francisco on a business trip and I had both an iOS 5 and iOS 6 device with me.
The experience using iOS 6 for transit directions was absolutely abhorrent! It was piecemeal and gave very subpar results as the applications I was using and that were available to me either gave incorrect information or only covered a single part of the transit system.
The experience on iOS 5 was what is typical, it has its problems with accurate timing, but at least it did a consistent job of integrating all of the transit systems together into one interface. Further, there was no requirement to switch back and forth CONSTANTLY to change directions or make up new directions.
If I have learned anything its that Apple was serious about getting turn-by-turn directions but as the cost of this left pedestrians transit users to the dogs of the app store.
Where I have lived my whole life, in Seattle, I looked at the apps for transit that the iPhone recommended and they were not any good and would only have been a waste of money. The best one (OneBusAway) one was worked out at the UW and is free. All the hate promoted at Google Maps is frustrating since I was happy using it. Apple had a lot of good reasons to put Apple Maps out there, good for the company not the consumer.
I am confused. Since when isn't competition good for the consumer? Last year I paid forty bucks for a good third party turn by turn application made by Navigon. I did this because Google for whatever reason failed to give me turn by turn on the iPhone. If I hated Apple Maps, my Navigon still works.
However, I wouldn't buy Navigon today (at least at the same price) (even though it is a great app and has made many improvements in response to Apple offering its own maps). The Apple powered maps in the US are 1) more visually appealing than the previous maps, 2) are incredibly quick compared to the old map, 3) uses less data, 4) integrates with Yelp instead of Google Places (a poor imitation of Yelp), 5) provides me new features like turn by turn, and 6) doesn't sell my information to third party advertisers. I have used it daily for the last couple of weeks, and I find it to be a big improvement over the Google maps. The only errors I have found is occasionally a business that has changed will not be updated. This problem existed with Google as well.
Moreover, as a company that makes its money selling hardware what is good for Apple and what is good for the consumer generally are the same thing. Happy consumers mean a happy Apple. Based on preliminary data for iPhone 5 sales, the map issue is a non-issue for most people.
Finally, like when OSX and FInal Cut Pro X first came out they needed work. Apple quickly delivered improvements.
I for one like the fact that Apple maps integrates with third party maps. Often times, third parties are going to have the more accurate information for a specialized area. If this turns out to be false, Apple will take control of that itself.
I am confused. Since when isn't competition good for the consumer?
Competition is great for the consumer. However, I worry that this market (for transit directions) is doomed to be dominated by large players using it as a loss leader with the "competition" offering only piecemeal solutions for single cities.
I was in China last week with two iPhones, thankfully one still on iOS5. THANK GOD for that. Bus directions were a lifesaver. The iOS6 device was totally worthless for getting around. I am really in a tough spot now, because that older phone is stuck with a tethered boot and 5.0 which can't be upgraded to 5.1.1 since Apple has stopped signing those upgrades apparently.
So I have a device that can't use safari or mail.app (I installed Chrome and Sparrow to get by). But losing Google maps is such a painful option that I am putting it off. I'm hoping that Google comes out with a standalone app before my next trip. Otherwise I think I'll continue using the tethered and only half functional phone, because amazingly, that's still better than having to use Apple maps.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcel655
... black and white maps,..
I thought the issue was black and white satellite photo's in some area's.
Listen mate, I know the urge to troll is strong, but could at you at least make a little bit of effort to get the facts right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffreytgilbert
I hope you're referring to "don't in most of MY cases" because I never had a problem with it here in Chicago, and the removal of the functionality means I have to find a competent mapping application...
This same statement can me made about Apple Maps. I have ZERO problems with it in Miami. Use it several times a week. And I find the turn by turn is very accurate. So should all the critics include the "in MY cases" in their critique?
Originally Posted by TokyoJimu
They announced they're giving it up, so I choose to believe them.
This did not happen.
Not sure who you are talking to, but I think that for some people who used public transit and bikes a lot (in my case, I gave up having a car completely while living in Santa Monica), its nice to have easy access to bus and bike directions. I've never thought about using turn by turn for cycling though, and I'm not sure but I suspect that most cyclists are focused on their lives rather than on turn by turn, but that could just be me.
So my question still stands: which is the best app for bike directions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles?
It's kind of rhetorical because, despite the information in the article, its hard to find out.
For driving, in MY CASE Maps has worked very, very well.
Where I have lived my whole life, in Seattle, I looked at the apps for transit that the iPhone recommended and they were not any good and would only have been a waste of money. The best one (OneBusAway) one was worked out at the UW and is free. All the hate promoted at Google Maps is frustrating since I was happy using it. Apple had a lot of good reasons to put Apple Maps out there, good for the company not the consumer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TokyoJimu
Originally Posted by noirdesir
I don't need a map that shows me the route,
The map is super important. I'm often riding buses and the map helps to let me know when I'm approaching the stop I want to get off at. An example from the days of iOS 5...
Just for illustration, here is a simple stand-alone app that shows what can be easily done with Apple Maps on iOS 6:
It shows a line on the London underground, zoomed in to approximate your image.
You can zoom in or out to get the level of detail you desire!
The map shows a polyline for the route and pins for the stations. These are defaults for the MapKit APIs. You can show any images and text you want for the pins... the same to embellish the route.
The programming is drop-dead trivial.
Most metro areas have publicly accessible databases that provide scheduling and routing info.
A developer who wants to provide transit information for a metro needs to:
access the database requesting desired information
iterate through the results, plotting them on the map
What the developer chooses to show is up to him... but certainly could include schedules, delays, multiple lines, connection to surface transportation, etc.
The example shown is from a tutorial at:
http://www.raywenderlich.com/21365/introduction-to-mapkit-in-ios-6-tutorial
(the specific example and source code is in the referenced book).
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL
Apple's iOS 6 maps application doesn't know about many popular London Underground stations, let alone provide the instantly recognisable London Underground symbol in the right place.
Finally, the North of England gets better treatment than London. Normally most companies are entirely London-centric when it comes to the UK, but not this time. Apple manage to include even the tiny Croft Spa station, near Darlington. I'll grant you, the fact that Croft Spa station closed in 1969 and was demolished in the 1970's makes it a little odd, but there you go!
A variety of App Store titles supply RATP data, and the transit operator provides its own app.
Article doesn't say its Google's "fault" that it doesn't provide transit information in Paris or across France. It's just an example of the missing functionality everyone assumes is there because it's Google.
The plain reality is that Google Transit is not integrated into iOS 6 Maps, but its available through (in many cases integrated) apps that do a better job of presenting the information. There are also independent sources of data accessible to iOS 6 users, integrated right into Maps on a level playing field.
And no directions to Google's "sponsors."
"Still, could be worse"
China>Japan (the Google way) See step 41
The experience using iOS 6 for transit directions was absolutely abhorrent! It was piecemeal and gave very subpar results as the applications I was using and that were available to me either gave incorrect information or only covered a single part of the transit system.
The experience on iOS 5 was what is typical, it has its problems with accurate timing, but at least it did a consistent job of integrating all of the transit systems together into one interface. Further, there was no requirement to switch back and forth CONSTANTLY to change directions or make up new directions.
If I have learned anything its that Apple was serious about getting turn-by-turn directions but as the cost of this left pedestrians transit users to the dogs of the app store.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaNorse
Where I have lived my whole life, in Seattle, I looked at the apps for transit that the iPhone recommended and they were not any good and would only have been a waste of money. The best one (OneBusAway) one was worked out at the UW and is free. All the hate promoted at Google Maps is frustrating since I was happy using it. Apple had a lot of good reasons to put Apple Maps out there, good for the company not the consumer.
I am confused. Since when isn't competition good for the consumer? Last year I paid forty bucks for a good third party turn by turn application made by Navigon. I did this because Google for whatever reason failed to give me turn by turn on the iPhone. If I hated Apple Maps, my Navigon still works.
However, I wouldn't buy Navigon today (at least at the same price) (even though it is a great app and has made many improvements in response to Apple offering its own maps). The Apple powered maps in the US are 1) more visually appealing than the previous maps, 2) are incredibly quick compared to the old map, 3) uses less data, 4) integrates with Yelp instead of Google Places (a poor imitation of Yelp), 5) provides me new features like turn by turn, and 6) doesn't sell my information to third party advertisers. I have used it daily for the last couple of weeks, and I find it to be a big improvement over the Google maps. The only errors I have found is occasionally a business that has changed will not be updated. This problem existed with Google as well.
Moreover, as a company that makes its money selling hardware what is good for Apple and what is good for the consumer generally are the same thing. Happy consumers mean a happy Apple. Based on preliminary data for iPhone 5 sales, the map issue is a non-issue for most people.
Finally, like when OSX and FInal Cut Pro X first came out they needed work. Apple quickly delivered improvements.
I for one like the fact that Apple maps integrates with third party maps. Often times, third parties are going to have the more accurate information for a specialized area. If this turns out to be false, Apple will take control of that itself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TBell
I am confused. Since when isn't competition good for the consumer?
Competition is great for the consumer. However, I worry that this market (for transit directions) is doomed to be dominated by large players using it as a loss leader with the "competition" offering only piecemeal solutions for single cities.
I was in China last week with two iPhones, thankfully one still on iOS5. THANK GOD for that. Bus directions were a lifesaver. The iOS6 device was totally worthless for getting around. I am really in a tough spot now, because that older phone is stuck with a tethered boot and 5.0 which can't be upgraded to 5.1.1 since Apple has stopped signing those upgrades apparently.
So I have a device that can't use safari or mail.app (I installed Chrome and Sparrow to get by). But losing Google maps is such a painful option that I am putting it off. I'm hoping that Google comes out with a standalone app before my next trip. Otherwise I think I'll continue using the tethered and only half functional phone, because amazingly, that's still better than having to use Apple maps.