Apple Maps directions beat Google Maps, Waze in pundit's head-to-head test
Apple's much maligned Maps application for iOS outperformed competitors Google Maps and Waze in a California driving test orchestrated by columnist John C. Dvorak.
Dvorak is somewhat notorious among Apple supporters, as the longtime pundit has over the years predicted the demise of numerous Apple products, including the Macintosh and iPhone. But in a new column for PC Magazine, he found that Apple's Maps for iPhone gave better directions in a head-to-head competition than both Google Maps and Waze.
Also involved in Dvorak's tests were TWiT broadcaster Leo LaPorte and writer Glenn Rubenstein. All involved were in separate cars with different navigation systems: LaPorte with Waze, Dvorak with Google Maps, and Rubenstein with Apple Maps.
the three vehicles made several different stops in California, including Apple's corporate headquarters in Cupertino. The fact that Apple outperformed Google and Waze in providing directions with traffic a real-world scenario made Dvorak admit he now has to "wonder what the fuss was about" regarding dissatisfaction with Apple Maps.
In addition, Dvorak said he believes Google Maps has been a "little ragged" as of late, suggesting that the search company's service has actually become worse over time ? even when accessed via a regular computer.
Dvorak also noted that Google Maps on his phone shows Apple's headquarters via Street View as a series of trash bins on the company's campus. He questioned whether the picture is a "mistake, gag or insult."
"I had to laugh," he said. "But whatever the case, Apple Maps still won this battle. So Apple got the last laugh."
Dvorak is somewhat notorious among Apple supporters, as the longtime pundit has over the years predicted the demise of numerous Apple products, including the Macintosh and iPhone. But in a new column for PC Magazine, he found that Apple's Maps for iPhone gave better directions in a head-to-head competition than both Google Maps and Waze.
Also involved in Dvorak's tests were TWiT broadcaster Leo LaPorte and writer Glenn Rubenstein. All involved were in separate cars with different navigation systems: LaPorte with Waze, Dvorak with Google Maps, and Rubenstein with Apple Maps.
the three vehicles made several different stops in California, including Apple's corporate headquarters in Cupertino. The fact that Apple outperformed Google and Waze in providing directions with traffic a real-world scenario made Dvorak admit he now has to "wonder what the fuss was about" regarding dissatisfaction with Apple Maps.
In addition, Dvorak said he believes Google Maps has been a "little ragged" as of late, suggesting that the search company's service has actually become worse over time ? even when accessed via a regular computer.
Dvorak also noted that Google Maps on his phone shows Apple's headquarters via Street View as a series of trash bins on the company's campus. He questioned whether the picture is a "mistake, gag or insult."
"I had to laugh," he said. "But whatever the case, Apple Maps still won this battle. So Apple got the last laugh."
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter
My bet is gag/insult. Isn't it kind of obvious?
And a good one. That is the back entrance to a secret research lab area.
Google shows Apple's HQ as a bunch of trash bins?
Apple needs to update Apple maps straight away, and when somebody types in Google's address, a huge toilet bowl, rendered in wonderful 3d of course, will show up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter
My bet is gag/insult. Isn't it kind of obvious?
Well, good that Apple would never do something like that...
+1
However... Apple Maps falls short for me sometimes with POI data. For instance... Apple thinks there are 2 Walmarts in my town. I don't know where they even got that 2nd address... there has [I]never[/I] been a Walmart there. It was an old factory. I've reported it many times since iOS 6 came out... but it's still there.
I use Apple Maps if I know the exact location but I need turn-by-turn directions for getting there.
But I use Google Maps for general searching as their POI data seems more reliable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
Who is he kidding? It may work within 20 miles of Silicon Valley but Apple maps is still a disaster in the rest of the world.
As someone who lives in another part of the world, you are incorrect. I've used Apple Maps exclusively since launch and have never had an issue in Southern Ontario (Canada).
Where it flops is it's search. Fix that, and I'll never touch Google Maps again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 11thIndian
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
Who is he kidding? It may work within 20 miles of Silicon Valley but Apple maps is still a disaster in the rest of the world.
As someone who lives in another part of the world, you are incorrect. I've used Apple Maps exclusively since launch and have never had an issue in Southern Ontario (Canada).
I think it is case by case but in Central America, generally speaking, Apple Maps only shows major roads and even those are usually very inaccurate. For example they don't show any of the curves in the road, only long straight lines that don't align with the satellite imagery at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
Who is he kidding? It may work within 20 miles of Silicon Valley but Apple maps is still a disaster in the rest of the world.
You don't represent the rest of the world.
I agree with PaulMJohnson. If I put in the address I need then Apple Maps gives the best directions, but if I am just looking for something that I don't know the address for Google is more accurate.
I went to my parents house in a remote part of Kentucky. It was two weeks after iOS 6 came out and I wanted to see the problem with maps. My car has built-in navigation and my wife has an Android phone. We put the address in all three systems and started our trip. For the most part they were the same. There are some back roads that I always take to my parent's and it cuts off almost twenty minutes by not taking the highway to the town closest to them. Both Google, and my car wanted me to stay on the highway until the next town. Apple Maps had me go the way I always take. It took Google over five miles to finally decide I wasn't going to U-turn and then had me go the way I wanted, it took my car another three miles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lerxt
Who is he kidding? It may work within 20 miles of Silicon Valley but Apple maps is still a disaster in the rest of the world.
Really depends on where you are, but it definitely is not only working in Apple's neighbourhood. I found the maps to be very reliable in e.g. Germany and France (just the POI lists are a bit lacking, but Google's are not up to date or accurate either, Google lists some businesses that were closed half a decade ago). My attempt to use Apple Maps in India, Thailand and Laos were an unmitigated disaster though (to be fair: Google's and Nokia's maps were not worth a dime in either of these countries either, the only decent Indian maps I found were commercial ones from Navigon).
I assume collecting quality data by means of crowdsourcing will always hit some limits. There is a reason that more professional solutions (like Navigon's) do cost a few bucks.
In my opinion this whole move by Apple might have been necessary, however the execution was extremely bad and nothing short of stupid. They should have rolled out their own service slowly, perhaps starting first with the US and review maps for the rest of the world.
I do agree that Apple's maps are more interactive, more fluid and generally pretty - for some places. However, where I am from you basically have no information about anything at all. Nothing, not even hospitals or green areas. All you see is the brown background with white streets, which if you're lucky have names, if you're not they don't.
Navigating from a street address to another works flawlessly, if the street itself is known. However, don't even dare trying to navigate to some city centre, because it will direct you 10 miles off into some field. Horrible.
I can not understand all of this, because Google maps, as well as OpenStreetMaps is extremely detailed for my location, in fact you can even see ATMs, toilets and water sprinklers on the university campus, whereas Apple's maps don't even know about a University.
Naturally, such bad maps will ruin the app's or even Apple's reputation in such areas. I cannot understand how you can overlook such obviously blank maps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 11thIndian
As someone who lives in another part of the world, you are incorrect. I've used Apple Maps exclusively since launch and have never had an issue in Southern Ontario (Canada).
Ditto in Saskatchewan with one caveat: my house isn't on Apple Maps yet and it is on Google Maps, sort of. The new area is about 1/6th on Google Maps and not on Apple Maps at all. But of course, this has and will always be true of new neighbourhoods. Looks like google cruised through only slightly after Apple on the last go around
I use Apple Maps a great deal. For the most part it has worked out great. I do run into a few errors which I send in using the report a problem button. I have seen some of those errors fixed, so I know they are working to make the results better. I prefer the look and 3d rendering of Apple maps to that of Google maps.