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Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

openstreetmap.org

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Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#171

Post by ghaff »

adrianN wrote: post #144
ghaff wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhat similar. I have a multiple generations old iPhone in a waterproof Otterbox case and I mostly use it for various GPS and mapping apps. I do have to remember to keep it charged--its battery life isn't what it was--but at a minimum, it's a useful backup to have.

You could try one of the Garmin handheld hiking GPS. I have an eTrex 20 that can read OSM maps and runs for a week on two AA batteries.

I have thought about it but it's really just a backup device so never seemed worth it.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#172

Post by lucb1e »

anticensor wrote: post #141
lucb1e wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I simply wouldn't be able to remember or refer to Russia if it was always called Русский, but I do agree that we shouldn't translate as much as we do. Be it names in translated books, cities, countries, software... For example, the number of translations for a small city in Belgium called Liège/Lüttich/Luik is just confusing, and it's not even a popular tourist destination (everyone drives through it on their way sou…

Russia is Россия in Russian.

Ah, copied the wrong string from Wikipedia it seems.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#173

Post by robjan »

Fnoord wrote: post #169
1996 wrote: post #13

And if you can't use OSM, try Here maps. They are easy to download for offline use. Following the suggestion of friends, I have repurposed an old phone as a "travel phone" with maps of the whole world (or at least the parts I can download!) Not perfect, but when I catch a plane, I don't have to worry about local networks. Fun story: recently in Europe, Google Maps stuttered. Now and then, there was a networking issue…

Google Maps is also easy to download for offline use, you just have to plan ahead. If you're residing in EU, your data plan is valid everywhere within the EU. Here Maps or HereWeGo or whatever it is called is full with tracking software [1], just like Google Maps (actually more trackers than Google Maps [2] and Google Maps Go [3]; with Google apps you know it is just Google who tracks you plus whoever has authority o…

Google Maps only supports offline maps in selected countries. Places like China, for instance, are not supported even though the online coverage is perfectly good in most major cities.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#174

Post by gytdev »

ris wrote: post #157
gytdev wrote: post #154

I am an avid traveler currently traveling South-East-Asia. One of the most favorite tools used by travelers is an Android app Maps.me, that is based on Openstreet maps. You can download any Country or region and have it for offline use, only need a GPS connection. There are some practical caveats in using it though: -If You are planning a ride by car, the estimated time for Your journey most likely be way (waaaaayyy)…

Have you been improving the less-covered areas during your travels?

Only in available ways. When it is easy to update the situation (add place to map), I do it. But it's only easy to label areas and buildings, and much harder to add whole villages or roads that are missing

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#175

Post by Fnoord »

robjan wrote: post #173
Fnoord wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Maps is also easy to download for offline use, you just have to plan ahead. If you're residing in EU, your data plan is valid everywhere within the EU. Here Maps or HereWeGo or whatever it is called is full with tracking software [1], just like Google Maps (actually more trackers than Google Maps [2] and Google Maps Go [3]; with Google apps you know it is just Google who tracks you plus whoever has authority o…

Google Maps only supports offline maps in selected countries. Places like China, for instance, are not supported even though the online coverage is perfectly good in most major cities.

Which countries aren't supported?

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#176

Post by 2ion »

I've stopped using Google Maps as a map altogether and subscribe to the service of a navigation map maker directly. Their maps (they do combine proprietary materials and sources like OpenStreetMap) are of higher quality and have a satisfactory degree of completness as well as good search.

Gmaps has stopped being useful to me since searches in a given perimeter do not show all results spatially at any given zoomlevel, and whole roads and labels go missing if you zoom out a little bit to much or too far in. It used to be a fairly good product around 2012 but has since then declined in utility, especially in contrast to all the catching-up the competitors did in the meantime.

I suppose a huge part of Gmaps business nowdadays is the embedding of Gmaps in 3rd-party products.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#177

Post by JdeBP »

dmortin wrote: post #170
JdeBP wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One must supply a credit card or have an account with billing enabled. Existing users will have accounts. But they must be altered to have billing enabled if they do not have it enabled already. * https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/pricing/

There is a separate guide for existing users and it states: "If you choose not to add a billing account, there is a risk that if your usage exceeds $200 in a given month, your Maps API implementation will be degraded or other API requests will return an error." https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide/pricing-ch... So you can choose not to add a billing account if you are an existing user, but then maps won'…

You might want to re-read the "all Google Cloud Platform services require a credit card and billing account" in the first sentence of that. (-:

Which agrees with "Is a credit card or billing account required? Yes." on the other page.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#178

Post by dmortin »

JdeBP wrote: post #177
dmortin wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a separate guide for existing users and it states: "If you choose not to add a billing account, there is a risk that if your usage exceeds $200 in a given month, your Maps API implementation will be degraded or other API requests will return an error." https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide/pricing-ch... So you can choose not to add a billing account if you are an existing user, but then maps won'…

You might want to re-read the "all Google Cloud Platform services require a credit card and billing account" in the first sentence of that. (-: Which agrees with "Is a credit card or billing account required? Yes." on the other page.

I read it. And then comes the second part: "If you choose not to add a billing account..." If a billing account is required then the second part makes no sense, because then it would simply say the service won't work at all without it, but it talks about the monthly free credit instead.

That second part is the difference between the docs for new users vs. existing users.

But we'll see who's right soon. Tomorrow.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#179

Post by kyrra »

ganeshkrishnan wrote: post #163
kyrra wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be interested in hearing what issues you've had with adding a card on Google's platform. There is a chance you could diagnose it yourself by trying to add it, then contacting your bank and asking why the authorization was declined.

I dont think I should be chasing up my bank on why authorization failed. I have zero interest in using google maps for my production environment

(I'm a software engineer on Google's payments platform)

I'm sorry you've had problems adding your card. If there is a systematic problem with some bank, I can sometimes do something about it (but no guarantees). I've added my work email to my HN profile, incase you want to reach out to me.

Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?

#180

Post by dominotw »

kalleboo wrote: post #164
dominotw wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Germany is more correct because they write " made in Germany" on German products.

So since the Japanese write 日本製 on their products you agree all maps should write it 日本 then?

I bought a zojirushi rice cooker last year, It said 'made in Japan'. Not quite sure what those characters are in your comment or what you are trying to say.
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