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.
In the late '70's I used to be in the U.S. Navy. Mostly in the Med. Whenever a Russian destroyer was in the vicinity, they would go out of their way to cut across our bow (that's the "pointy" end for you non-sailors). Not too close and they would dump their trash so we would go thru it.
The reaction on our bridge was always the same..no big deal, it just seemed infantile and unnecessary.
That's great if you live in California. The past 2 times I used Apple Maps to take me somewhere it took me to the wrong address in a completely different city both times.
It took you? Didn't you clue in when you saw the sign on the road saying "You're now leaving Pleasantville"?
I haven't had a problem with Apple Maps finding an address... even a log cabin up a dirt road way up in the mountains of North Carolina. Most addresses have been around for years and years... unless it's a brand new subdivision or shopping center parkway. Map/address data has been around for years. If Apple is using that data... there shouldn't be a problem finding an address directly.
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 never 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 locationbut I need turn-by-turn directions for getting there.
But I use Google Maps for general searching as their POI data seems more reliable.
I agree with your assessment. Apple relying on Yelp for POI data is the Apps biggest downfall. Mostly because Yelp is really slow about correcting mistakes. I have submitted at least a hundred Yelp provided POI errors in my area, but Yelp still hasn't fixed them. Errors range from businesses being closed to having a shopping center on the wrong side of the street.
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.
Also involved in Dvorak's tests were <em>TWiT</em> 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."
I've always liked apple's new maps app the best, despite what the media said in the past.
It seems a bit unfair if they all went to Apple's HQ but not any of the other company's addresses. Google and Waze are all just a few miles from each other. If Apple did better than the others did with their own locations then I could definitely give credit to Apple Maps.
So one of Apple's biggest longtime bashers admits that Apple maps is better than Google maps. Even if this is not the case, and it's equal, or only slightly worse, it shows you what sensational horse-shit the negative PR was towards the product, as if it is an unmitigated disaster. If Apple maps is superior to Google maps in even SOME scenarios, that fucking impressive as shit, considering it's a just launched product while Google has been improving its maps everyday for the past decade and more, and Google maps is considered the defacto standard untouchable by many. Within a couple years, with Apple working it's ass off on maps, and enabling both web and desktop versions, this may very well change
Why is it that every time someone tries to do a side-by-side comparison, Apple Maps comes out looking at least as good as Google Maps. Yet it doesn't stop the trolls from "well, in MY part of the world, it doesn't work at all".
Here's an idea: maybe they aren't trolls at all, just telling the truth.
Every map app has its problems. I think a large part of it is that it can vary quite a lot from place to place, even road to road in the same area.
People shout louder when there are problems as it disrupts their lives, and tend to just keep quiet when it works flawlessly.
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.
Well, just subtract Reading and Basingstoke in Hampshire, Bristol in Avon, Leeds in Yorkshire, Newport in Gwent, and London, all in the UK, from the "rest of the world".
Places where I've personally tested Apple Maps and it's done the job, switched over to Transit apps for public transport (Reading), given accurate turn-by-turn directions in the dead of night (Bristol), found and directed a walk to a train station (Bristol) and a hotel (Newport) as well as a cash till /ATM (Leeds).
I however regularly update Google Maps which I only use as a backup, and for when I need Street View,
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).
Well it's still pretty much a joke on the west coast.
I also question the whole concept of "testing" maps just by doing a driving directions test.
There is a lot more to maps than driving directions and many people do not drive at all. I'm kind of sick and tired of hearing people post about how they used map directions to drive through Kansas or whatever and they were "totally fine." Tell me a story about how Apple maps helped you find a restaurant in a town you'd never been to before or how it got you on the right bus to the airport and I will consider it a much more realistic "test" of the maps capabilities.
Look at the picture I've attached for instance. It shows one of the busiest intersections of the third largest city in Canada.
There are no transit directions or stops but we already know about that debacle. No bike routes are marked, no transit stations are marked. What's worse is there are no listings for the literally hundreds of stores and venues lining these streets. There's a half a dozen or so entries for restaurants that are reviewed on Yelp only. The icons for said stores and restaurants are all incorrectly located (but you'd have to be on the street to see that). The buildings are sketchy and incorrect in many places, lots of them are totally missing.
The giant error is the boundary to the park which Apple maps shows as being 50-100 yards off from where it actually is.
Ironically, Vancouver is one of the cities in North America that pioneered digital city maps! All information on the city, including pictures, locations of transit lines, all buildings and roads, bike routes etc. is all digitised and freely available from City Hall. They even have 3D mapping data for every building in the city, but somehow Apple isn't even aware of this resource.
Almost everything about Apple maps is wrong in Vancouver and horribly so. This is just one tiny example.
All this is is just a badly drawn vector map based on out of date information with an overlay of whatever restaurant has been reviewed on Yelp lately.
This is just a bad joke IMO.
I used the iOS 6 Google Maps app (2X on iPad) to capture the same area == and posted it beside youy map for comparison.
I zoomed in enough so the Google app would display some POIs.
Could you point out where the errors are?
Did you report them?
I have never been to BC, but I understand it is beautiful. I enjoy vicariously visiting areas where I can -- below is the above area in Apple Maps Flyover
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.
Your wrong. Here in Maryland Apple Maps works perfectly for me daily for turn by turn directions. It is Tom Toms data base after all. This test is consistent with Consumer Reports results in NYC.
It doesn't occur to anyone at all that "testing" these apps only in the USA, and only in southern California, within a stones throw of the headquarters of the companies in question is not really a test at all? :rolleyes:
Your wrong. Here in Maryland Apple Maps works perfectly for me daily for turn by turn directions. It is Tom Toms data base after all. This test is consistent with Consumer Reports results in NYC.
It looks like Google Maps might not work so well in Germany soon.
Good catch! Did not see that earlier. A bad day for innostealovation (the altruistic act of giving other people's property away for free and expecting praise for it) indeed. VP8 not free, Maps infringing on MS patents... My mood is improving.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Yeah... Google Maps has a friendlier search interface... Apple Maps requires you to be pretty precise in specifying city and country.
Perhaps, but Google's app is a pain to turn the search into actual directions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][
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.
In the late '70's I used to be in the U.S. Navy. Mostly in the Med. Whenever a Russian destroyer was in the vicinity, they would go out of their way to cut across our bow (that's the "pointy" end for you non-sailors). Not too close and they would dump their trash so we would go thru it.
The reaction on our bridge was always the same..no big deal, it just seemed infantile and unnecessary.
It's hopefully not intentional on Google's part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdkennedy1
That's great if you live in California. The past 2 times I used Apple Maps to take me somewhere it took me to the wrong address in a completely different city both times.
It took you? Didn't you clue in when you saw the sign on the road saying "You're now leaving Pleasantville"?
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.
It looks like Google Maps might not work so well in Germany soon.
Apple Maps works fine in Australia and I recently used it in Fiji.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Scrip
I haven't had a problem with Apple Maps finding an address... even a log cabin up a dirt road way up in the mountains of North Carolina. Most addresses have been around for years and years... unless it's a brand new subdivision or shopping center parkway. Map/address data has been around for years. If Apple is using that data... there shouldn't be a problem finding an address directly.
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 never 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.
I agree with your assessment. Apple relying on Yelp for POI data is the Apps biggest downfall. Mostly because Yelp is really slow about correcting mistakes. I have submitted at least a hundred Yelp provided POI errors in my area, but Yelp still hasn't fixed them. Errors range from businesses being closed to having a shopping center on the wrong side of the street.
Yay! Now, we have John C. Dvorak on our side.
If we can get Rob Enderle to endorse Apple Maps, Google will be doooooooomed . . . and beleaguered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
I was born in St. Louis Park, MN, population 45,882, a suburb of Minneapolis -- It has 3D Fluover.
I think I'll avoid that area, I wouldn't like to catch 3D flu.
Today Apple maps beats Google maps.
Tomorrow, Siri will beat Google search.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Why is it that every time someone tries to do a side-by-side comparison, Apple Maps comes out looking at least as good as Google Maps. Yet it doesn't stop the trolls from "well, in MY part of the world, it doesn't work at all".
Here's an idea: maybe they aren't trolls at all, just telling the truth.
Every map app has its problems. I think a large part of it is that it can vary quite a lot from place to place, even road to road in the same area.
People shout louder when there are problems as it disrupts their lives, and tend to just keep quiet when it works flawlessly.
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.
Well, just subtract Reading and Basingstoke in Hampshire, Bristol in Avon, Leeds in Yorkshire, Newport in Gwent, and London, all in the UK, from the "rest of the world".
Places where I've personally tested Apple Maps and it's done the job, switched over to Transit apps for public transport (Reading), given accurate turn-by-turn directions in the dead of night (Bristol), found and directed a walk to a train station (Bristol) and a hotel (Newport) as well as a cash till /ATM (Leeds).
I however regularly update Google Maps which I only use as a backup, and for when I need Street View,
Is there any definitive way to figure out which 3rd party vendor is supplying the POI data for any given location?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
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).
Well it's still pretty much a joke on the west coast.
I also question the whole concept of "testing" maps just by doing a driving directions test.
There is a lot more to maps than driving directions and many people do not drive at all. I'm kind of sick and tired of hearing people post about how they used map directions to drive through Kansas or whatever and they were "totally fine." Tell me a story about how Apple maps helped you find a restaurant in a town you'd never been to before or how it got you on the right bus to the airport and I will consider it a much more realistic "test" of the maps capabilities.
Look at the picture I've attached for instance. It shows one of the busiest intersections of the third largest city in Canada.
There are no transit directions or stops but we already know about that debacle. No bike routes are marked, no transit stations are marked. What's worse is there are no listings for the literally hundreds of stores and venues lining these streets. There's a half a dozen or so entries for restaurants that are reviewed on Yelp only. The icons for said stores and restaurants are all incorrectly located (but you'd have to be on the street to see that). The buildings are sketchy and incorrect in many places, lots of them are totally missing.
The giant error is the boundary to the park which Apple maps shows as being 50-100 yards off from where it actually is.
Ironically, Vancouver is one of the cities in North America that pioneered digital city maps! All information on the city, including pictures, locations of transit lines, all buildings and roads, bike routes etc. is all digitised and freely available from City Hall. They even have 3D mapping data for every building in the city, but somehow Apple isn't even aware of this resource.
Almost everything about Apple maps is wrong in Vancouver and horribly so. This is just one tiny example.
All this is is just a badly drawn vector map based on out of date information with an overlay of whatever restaurant has been reviewed on Yelp lately.
This is just a bad joke IMO.
I used the iOS 6 Google Maps app (2X on iPad) to capture the same area == and posted it beside youy map for comparison.
I zoomed in enough so the Google app would display some POIs.
Could you point out where the errors are?
Did you report them?
I have never been to BC, but I understand it is beautiful. I enjoy vicariously visiting areas where I can -- below is the above area in Apple Maps Flyover
Your wrong. Here in Maryland Apple Maps works perfectly for me daily for turn by turn directions. It is Tom Toms data base after all. This test is consistent with Consumer Reports results in NYC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hill60
It looks like Google Maps might not work so well in Germany soon.
Good catch! Did not see that earlier. A bad day for innostealovation (the altruistic act of giving other people's property away for free and expecting praise for it) indeed. VP8 not free, Maps infringing on MS patents... My mood is improving.
At your age I figured you were born in BC.
(did that joke work?)
Apple maps is brand new and not perfect just like Google Maps, Waze etc weren't when they were brand new. But it's also not 100% crap
Google etc aren't perfect either. Even after the years that Google has had