So use Google Maps. Apple doesn't stop you, and you can even launch them from Siri as desired. It's not like you're on Android and have no choice for maps.
That's such a lazy argument. It basically boils down to, if you don't slavishly think Apple are perfect, don't have an opinion, just change to something else.
I happen to not think Google Maps is perfect. I think the interface, when compared with Apple Maps, is a pile of shit. Nokia's offering (Here Maps) has some plusses and minuses as well.
However, the opinion I'm airing is that if I had my druthers, Apple would sort out the search, since I'd like to be able to use their mapping tool, but as it stands, it's sent me to the wrong place too many times. Rather than just writing it off though, as you would have me do, I'm hoping Apple might fix the problems. I like Apples products, and Apple as a company, enough to want them to beat the competition.
Google would like Apple's iOS Maps to go away, but the latest builds of iOS 7 show that Cupertino is working to deliver significant new improvements to its mapping app while also adding deep integration of Maps throughout iOS and with Macs running OS X Mavericks.
That's great. I really like some of the features Maps already has and will get with iOS7 and Mavericks.
Shame they won't do me a damn bit of good since the information it supplies, or more accurately, DOESN'T supply, makes the entire app useless to me.
I live in Vancouver (the Canadian one, not the one in Washington). For some reason I thought this might be the kind of non-USA place Apple would want to focus on, because it's one of the small handful of Canadian cities visited by bajillions of Americans every year. I guess I was wrong.
As recently as a few weeks ago I entered the address of an appliance store that has been in the same location for 20+ years. Apple Maps responded with "No such address exists" or something similar. Google Maps found it.
Then last week I was trying to show a news camera crew the location of a major fire. Not only could Apple Maps not find the address, when I entered an address on the next street over, the map that came up didn't even show the existence of the street we wanted. There was empty space where the street should have been.
I know it's fashionable to bash Apple Maps these days, but I'd much rather sing its praises. I WANT it to work, because it has so many potential advantages over Google. Sadly, it just doesn't.
For how much you hate Android you sure don't seem to know much about it (or willing to do even a basic search to see if your baseless claims have merit).
There's no Apple Maps for Android. So if you want to roam offline without dealing with Google's wonky offline map saving and/or don't like ads, you're SOL.
I also like Apple Maps' touch navigation more. Google Maps and particularly Google Earth are awkward to navigate. The new Google Maps on the web/desktop taxes a fast computer, and is still much lower quality than iOS Maps in 3D images.
Both have big strengths and significant weaknesses, so being able to use either on iOS is a plus. Being left to use only Google's Maps on Android (and even worse support from third parties) on Android is not a feature.
That's great. I really like some of the features Maps already has and will get with iOS7 and Mavericks.
Shame they won't do me a damn bit of good since the information it supplies, or more accurately, DOESN'T supply, makes the entire app useless to me.
I live in Vancouver (the Canadian one, not the one in Washington). For some reason I thought this might be the kind of non-USA place Apple would want to focus on, because it's one of the small handful of Canadian cities visited by bajillions of Americans every year. I guess I was wrong.
As recently as a few weeks ago I entered the address of an appliance store that has been in the same location for 20+ years. Apple Maps responded with "No such address exists" or something similar. Google Maps found it.
Then last week I was trying to show a news camera crew the location of a major fire. Not only could Apple Maps not find the address, when I entered an address on the next street over, the map that came up didn't even show the existence of the street we wanted. There was empty space where the street should have been.
I know it's fashionable to bash Apple Maps these days, but I'd much rather sing its praises. I WANT it to work, because it has so many potential advantages over Google. Sadly, it just doesn't.
The quality of Apple's Maps in terms of POI & search is largely dependent upon the data partners Apple is relying upon. There are lots of errors everywhere, whether govt data, companies like Yelp (often addresses are wrong, even of popular places) or other map data vendors. But you know what? I've ran into similar major errors with Google Maps, even in major cities where you'd think popular places would be located correctly. Global maps is a huge task. It's going to take more than one year to reach perfection.
People's standards are far higher for Apple, so the reported anecdotes are obviously not flattering to Apple's newer product. All of its advantages are assumed & taken for granted or ignored, while every superior element of Google's is highlighted and its flaws are ignored.
That's such a lazy argument. It basically boils down to, if you don't slavishly think Apple are perfect, don't have an opinion, just change to something else.
I happen to not think Google Maps is perfect. I think the interface, when compared with Apple Maps, is a pile of shit. Nokia's offering (Here Maps) has some plusses and minuses as well.
However, the opinion I'm airing is that if I had my druthers, Apple would sort out the search, since I'd like to be able to use their mapping tool, but as it stands, it's sent me to the wrong place too many times. Rather than just writing it off though, as you would have me do, I'm hoping Apple might fix the problems. I like Apples products, and Apple as a company, enough to want them to beat the competition.
So it's a "less lazy" argument to simply complain that Apple doesn't impress you enough with its first party offerings? I do not follow.
The reality is that Apple just launched a brand new product one year ago and is not far behind Nokia and Google (who have been leading maps for several years). Compare Apple's position in maps to Microsoft's position with WP: that platform is now three years old and hasn't made a dent. Apple just jumped into the #2 spot for mobile maps.
I agree that Apple's interface is superior and its search/POI is not. But I think there's more value in a) reporting this and b) laying out options for users than in idly complaining that Apple's Maps aren't dripping with gold perfection and that there are still competitors with some advantages one year into the battle.
That seems like the lazy argument to me. Really, the only argument, because I don't think I'm arguing, but rather just outlining facts.
Sounds good, but they will still be almost useless to those of use without cars or those of us that live in cities outside of the USA.
Maps needs transit information, bike route information, and proper walking directions to be useful to anyone who doesn't drive a car. It has none of these at the moment and based on this review is not adding them to the product this year either.
It's great to have the new default walking setting, because doing the route, changing it to walking instead of the current default to cars, and then having to re-route a second time gets old really fast. Unfortunately, the "walking" directions are not really walking directions at all, but merely car directions with a longer time frame noted in the "how long ail it take" part. For instance in most non-american cities, cars are actively slowed down and "calmed" by means of blockades and "no through" routes. An intersection of two streets is often turned into two "L" turns so that cars can only turn one way, but people can easily walk through this same intersection. Apple maps ail route you blocks out of your way on walking directions because it takes intersections like this and assumes that if a car can't get through, then a person can't either.
Also, in most non US cities, there are extensive bike routes where cars are not allowed, but Apple maps makes no mention of these at all. Transit routes also aren't marked at all in my city despite it being the third largest metropolitan area in Canada. Rapid transit stations are noted but are literally several blocks from where they actually are. The boundaries of parks are still off by blocks, despite being reported multiple times. It's just a dog's breakfast of bad information that isn't updated frequently enough.
I have dozens of friends who have regularly submitted corrections and updates to Apple maps since day one, myself included and have yet to see a single one of these actually make it to the map. This is a very large, urban metropolitan area in North America. I pity someone who lives in some more far flung place.
They either shouldn't have taken on maps at all, or they should do it right. Google has thousands of employees around the world who's only task is to update this information. I would be surprised if Apple's maps team is even as large as the app store submission team and we know how small that group is don't we?
As long as Maps still doesn't support adding vias (waypoints) for a route, I will still have need of my Garmin. I've seen nothing that says such support is coming in iOS 7.
Forcing users to seek out and download a new transit app and deal with a new map interface every time they travel to a new city is the opposite of "It Just Works".
I haven't used Apple maps in a while because I really haven't been anywhere that I needed any navigation app. I am excited to hear about all these new advances and improvements. I knew when Tim Cook issued that apology about a year ago that Apple would make massive improvements very rapidly and that seems to be the case. I know this would never happen, but what if Apple decided to release Apple Maps for Android and even Windows and Blackberry and it became the most popular mapping service for them as well. I know Apple like to keep most things Apple only but iTunes sure made them a bundle on Windows. If Apple ever rakes in big money from Maps who knows and it could also be a huge FU to Google.
Mmm... When you authorize/logon to the iOS 7 and Mac OSX Mavericks Developer system, you have to sign an NDA that limits what you can discuss and publish about Apple's pre-release products.
What I would like is a map editor where I can report map issues around my neighborhood. Love the changes though. Using openstreetmap editor is a pain.
As I see it the main problem with map data is that there are numerous competing companies each with their own data sets. I believe eventually some official entity needs to take charge of this much like the US invented the Internet and took charge of the DNS naming system. The Internet would be totally unreliable if competing companies were in charge of different versions of DNS. These disparate map data sets in various offerings are creating a redundant and often conflicting source of unofficial information.
U.S. Geological Survey, National Ocean Service and International Occultation Timing Association are official sources for topographical maps, oceanic data and astronomical data, but there needs to be an official department with current satellite, low altitude imagery, landmarks, businesses locations and postal addresses that all mapping companies can use as their foundation and the differentiation would be in the presentation only but the underlying data would be from a single official source. That way if there was a mistake that needed to be corrected it would be done at a single location. It would work just like modern day relational database design or OOP programming - Never have duplicate data in different places. It will screw you every time.
What I would like is a map editor where I can report map issues around my neighborhood. Love the changes though. Using openstreetmap editor is a pain.
As I see it the main problem with map data is that there are numerous competing companies each with their own data sets. I believe eventually some official entity needs to take charge of this much like the US invented the Internet and took charge of the DNS naming system. The Internet would be totally unreliable if competing companies were in charge of different versions of DNS. These disparate map data sets in various offerings are creating a redundant and often conflicting source of unofficial information.
U.S. Geological Survey, National Ocean Service and International Occultation Timing Association are official sources for topographical maps, oceanic data and astronomical data, but there needs to be an official department with current satellite, low altitude imagery, landmarks, businesses locations and postal addresses that all mapping companies can use as their foundation and the differentiation would be in the presentation only but the underlying data would be from a single official source. That way if there was a mistake that needed to be corrected it would be done at a single location. It would work just like modern day relational database design or OOP programming - Never have duplicate data in different places. It will screw you every time.
I agree!
Idealistically, I would think that the United Nations Organization should be the responsible body...
Realistically, I think that the US Government (slightly less corrupt) is a better choice.
As for locating/reporting errors -- with a common maps database, the various maps providers could provide mobile, web and desktop tools to do this.
Currently. Google Maps on the web appears to be the most robust tool for searching/editing maps... However the web UI is not the best for certain mapping operations.
I suspect that Apple will expand its OSX and iOS maps offerings to add things like waypoints, track points, etc. -- and eventually offer a web version.
I agree with the other posters -- the issue with Apple Maps is not its features or interface, but the underlying data. The street data has improved, and the turn-by-turn directions IMO are now superior to the results I get from Google. But, the business location data remains a mess. It's all well and good that Apple has improved the interface for reporting errors, but what good does that do if the reported errors don't get fixed?
I've used Apple Maps on my iPad since December, and immediately flagged several problems with business locations in my neighborhood and close to my office. To date, only one of these errors has been corrected, and that did not happen until last month. These errors might not originate with Apple. But, shifting blame does not solve the problem, and end users don't care who supplied the data or how many hands it might have passed through before it wound up on the Apple Maps app. All that matters is that a lot of errors do show up on the app, and large numbers of them don't get corrected.
Yes, Google Maps also has a lot of errors with the business location data, but in my experience, they also update and correct the data more frequently. I would much prefer to not use Google's maps at all, but as long as Apple continues to offer up an incomplete alternative, I have no choice but to continue using Google Maps for certain queries.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corrections
So use Google Maps. Apple doesn't stop you, and you can even launch them from Siri as desired. It's not like you're on Android and have no choice for maps.
That's such a lazy argument. It basically boils down to, if you don't slavishly think Apple are perfect, don't have an opinion, just change to something else.
I happen to not think Google Maps is perfect. I think the interface, when compared with Apple Maps, is a pile of shit. Nokia's offering (Here Maps) has some plusses and minuses as well.
However, the opinion I'm airing is that if I had my druthers, Apple would sort out the search, since I'd like to be able to use their mapping tool, but as it stands, it's sent me to the wrong place too many times. Rather than just writing it off though, as you would have me do, I'm hoping Apple might fix the problems. I like Apples products, and Apple as a company, enough to want them to beat the competition.
i look forward to your in-depth unbiased analysis ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Google would like Apple's iOS Maps to go away, but the latest builds of iOS 7 show that Cupertino is working to deliver significant new improvements to its mapping app while also adding deep integration of Maps throughout iOS and with Macs running OS X Mavericks.
That's great. I really like some of the features Maps already has and will get with iOS7 and Mavericks.
Shame they won't do me a damn bit of good since the information it supplies, or more accurately, DOESN'T supply, makes the entire app useless to me.
I live in Vancouver (the Canadian one, not the one in Washington). For some reason I thought this might be the kind of non-USA place Apple would want to focus on, because it's one of the small handful of Canadian cities visited by bajillions of Americans every year. I guess I was wrong.
As recently as a few weeks ago I entered the address of an appliance store that has been in the same location for 20+ years. Apple Maps responded with "No such address exists" or something similar. Google Maps found it.
Then last week I was trying to show a news camera crew the location of a major fire. Not only could Apple Maps not find the address, when I entered an address on the next street over, the map that came up didn't even show the existence of the street we wanted. There was empty space where the street should have been.
I know it's fashionable to bash Apple Maps these days, but I'd much rather sing its praises. I WANT it to work, because it has so many potential advantages over Google. Sadly, it just doesn't.
I never before thought about the fact that a simple single tap in Maps does nothing at all. So... use it for toggling fullscreen? Makes sense to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DroidFTW
For how much you hate Android you sure don't seem to know much about it (or willing to do even a basic search to see if your baseless claims have merit).
There's no Apple Maps for Android. So if you want to roam offline without dealing with Google's wonky offline map saving and/or don't like ads, you're SOL.
I also like Apple Maps' touch navigation more. Google Maps and particularly Google Earth are awkward to navigate. The new Google Maps on the web/desktop taxes a fast computer, and is still much lower quality than iOS Maps in 3D images.
Both have big strengths and significant weaknesses, so being able to use either on iOS is a plus. Being left to use only Google's Maps on Android (and even worse support from third parties) on Android is not a feature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
That's great. I really like some of the features Maps already has and will get with iOS7 and Mavericks.
Shame they won't do me a damn bit of good since the information it supplies, or more accurately, DOESN'T supply, makes the entire app useless to me.
I live in Vancouver (the Canadian one, not the one in Washington). For some reason I thought this might be the kind of non-USA place Apple would want to focus on, because it's one of the small handful of Canadian cities visited by bajillions of Americans every year. I guess I was wrong.
As recently as a few weeks ago I entered the address of an appliance store that has been in the same location for 20+ years. Apple Maps responded with "No such address exists" or something similar. Google Maps found it.
Then last week I was trying to show a news camera crew the location of a major fire. Not only could Apple Maps not find the address, when I entered an address on the next street over, the map that came up didn't even show the existence of the street we wanted. There was empty space where the street should have been.
I know it's fashionable to bash Apple Maps these days, but I'd much rather sing its praises. I WANT it to work, because it has so many potential advantages over Google. Sadly, it just doesn't.
The quality of Apple's Maps in terms of POI & search is largely dependent upon the data partners Apple is relying upon. There are lots of errors everywhere, whether govt data, companies like Yelp (often addresses are wrong, even of popular places) or other map data vendors. But you know what? I've ran into similar major errors with Google Maps, even in major cities where you'd think popular places would be located correctly. Global maps is a huge task. It's going to take more than one year to reach perfection.
People's standards are far higher for Apple, so the reported anecdotes are obviously not flattering to Apple's newer product. All of its advantages are assumed & taken for granted or ignored, while every superior element of Google's is highlighted and its flaws are ignored.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson
That's such a lazy argument. It basically boils down to, if you don't slavishly think Apple are perfect, don't have an opinion, just change to something else.
I happen to not think Google Maps is perfect. I think the interface, when compared with Apple Maps, is a pile of shit. Nokia's offering (Here Maps) has some plusses and minuses as well.
However, the opinion I'm airing is that if I had my druthers, Apple would sort out the search, since I'd like to be able to use their mapping tool, but as it stands, it's sent me to the wrong place too many times. Rather than just writing it off though, as you would have me do, I'm hoping Apple might fix the problems. I like Apples products, and Apple as a company, enough to want them to beat the competition.
So it's a "less lazy" argument to simply complain that Apple doesn't impress you enough with its first party offerings? I do not follow.
The reality is that Apple just launched a brand new product one year ago and is not far behind Nokia and Google (who have been leading maps for several years). Compare Apple's position in maps to Microsoft's position with WP: that platform is now three years old and hasn't made a dent. Apple just jumped into the #2 spot for mobile maps.
I agree that Apple's interface is superior and its search/POI is not. But I think there's more value in a) reporting this and b) laying out options for users than in idly complaining that Apple's Maps aren't dripping with gold perfection and that there are still competitors with some advantages one year into the battle.
That seems like the lazy argument to me. Really, the only argument, because I don't think I'm arguing, but rather just outlining facts.
You are the worst poster on this site.
Forcing users to seek out and download a new transit app and deal with a new map interface every time they travel to a new city is the opposite of "It Just Works".
I haven't used Apple maps in a while because I really haven't been anywhere that I needed any navigation app. I am excited to hear about all these new advances and improvements. I knew when Tim Cook issued that apology about a year ago that Apple would make massive improvements very rapidly and that seems to be the case. I know this would never happen, but what if Apple decided to release Apple Maps for Android and even Windows and Blackberry and it became the most popular mapping service for them as well. I know Apple like to keep most things Apple only but iTunes sure made them a bundle on Windows. If Apple ever rakes in big money from Maps who knows and it could also be a huge FU to Google.
The best app I ever bought was TomTom ($35). AppleMaps is better except apple didn't have night node
Isn't DED / Corrections bound by the NDA?
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
... a distance legend briefly appears ...
Yay!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ny3ranger
What I would like is a map editor where I can report map issues around my neighborhood. Love the changes though. Using openstreetmap editor is a pain.
As I see it the main problem with map data is that there are numerous competing companies each with their own data sets. I believe eventually some official entity needs to take charge of this much like the US invented the Internet and took charge of the DNS naming system. The Internet would be totally unreliable if competing companies were in charge of different versions of DNS. These disparate map data sets in various offerings are creating a redundant and often conflicting source of unofficial information.
U.S. Geological Survey, National Ocean Service and International Occultation Timing Association are official sources for topographical maps, oceanic data and astronomical data, but there needs to be an official department with current satellite, low altitude imagery, landmarks, businesses locations and postal addresses that all mapping companies can use as their foundation and the differentiation would be in the presentation only but the underlying data would be from a single official source. That way if there was a mistake that needed to be corrected it would be done at a single location. It would work just like modern day relational database design or OOP programming - Never have duplicate data in different places. It will screw you every time.
I agree!
Idealistically, I would think that the United Nations Organization should be the responsible body...
Realistically, I think that the US Government (slightly less corrupt) is a better choice.
As for locating/reporting errors -- with a common maps database, the various maps providers could provide mobile, web and desktop tools to do this.
Currently. Google Maps on the web appears to be the most robust tool for searching/editing maps... However the web UI is not the best for certain mapping operations.
I suspect that Apple will expand its OSX and iOS maps offerings to add things like waypoints, track points, etc. -- and eventually offer a web version.
I agree with the other posters -- the issue with Apple Maps is not its features or interface, but the underlying data. The street data has improved, and the turn-by-turn directions IMO are now superior to the results I get from Google. But, the business location data remains a mess. It's all well and good that Apple has improved the interface for reporting errors, but what good does that do if the reported errors don't get fixed?
I've used Apple Maps on my iPad since December, and immediately flagged several problems with business locations in my neighborhood and close to my office. To date, only one of these errors has been corrected, and that did not happen until last month. These errors might not originate with Apple. But, shifting blame does not solve the problem, and end users don't care who supplied the data or how many hands it might have passed through before it wound up on the Apple Maps app. All that matters is that a lot of errors do show up on the app, and large numbers of them don't get corrected.
Yes, Google Maps also has a lot of errors with the business location data, but in my experience, they also update and correct the data more frequently. I would much prefer to not use Google's maps at all, but as long as Apple continues to offer up an incomplete alternative, I have no choice but to continue using Google Maps for certain queries.