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Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

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Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#231

Post by extra88 »

wrycoder wrote: post #180
extra88 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s in the store. It touts working offline, do you have save map data for an area first or can you use it the same way as other map apps? I’ve used Google Maps’ offline saving feature when traveling internationally and where cell service is poor or absent. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/organic-maps/id1567437057

OM is ok, but the contours are coarse and in meters. I use Gaia, which has far more capability and also works offline. But, note that Gaia has been bought recently by Outside. I’m concerned about maintaining privacy, based on the email they sent. I should mention that Apple Maps, being vector based, can be pre-downloaded using the hotel wifi when you are in a roaming area and will work for many blocks around the hote…

The Google Maps app will let you explicitly download quite large areas for use offline.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#232

Post by ehsankia »

pfranz wrote: post #124
ehsankia wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what many don't realize. Apple shows really fantastic and detailed 3D handcrafted maps each year at WWDC, then when you dig deeper, you find out that it's only for like 3 American cities and it's coming in a year... Basically useless for 99% of people. While Maps also has some discrepancies between cities and also different countries, in general it's a lot more consistent and features roll out more widely.

You make it sound like Apple's efforts stop after announcing at WWDC. They do seem to be following through. The "new maps" were announced in 2018. They finished the continental US in January 2020 and since expanded to Canada, UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy with the most previous update released last month. Justin O'Beirne has followed Google/Apple maps in detail for years https://www.justinobeirne.com/ Forbe…

Announced WWDC 2018, arrived to the neighbor to the north 2.5 years later in December 2020, that's still quite a gap. But to be clear I was referring to the brand new detailed maps announced this year.

> This will only be available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and London by the end of the year.

So 4 cities 6 months after announcements.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#233

Post by chipotle_coyote »

pfranz wrote: post #126
chipotle_coyote wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Business information in Apple Maps -- at least in the US -- comes from Yelp. I haven't really had the experiences you're describing, but I live in northern California, where Yelp seems to be pretty up-to-date most of the time. (With a caveat that it's been worse in 2020, but I suppose that's not unexpected for a crowdsourced directory during a year most of the crowd wasn't going out.)

I don't know if that's entirely true. I wouldn't say I lean on business hours in the app often, but things have gotten weird with Covid. In the last month I found a bunch of hours wrong in both Yelp and Apple Maps--they each had different wrong hours listed. Maybe Apple pulls from Yelp monthly or quarterly? Maybe Apple populated their own database years ago and maintain it separately? Whatever the method they each ha…

That is interesting! I haven't noticed discrepancies between Yelp and Apple Maps before, but now I feel like I'm going to have to start checking more closely. My assumption -- which now seems shakier -- is that if you reported an issue through Apple Maps, it basically got forwarded to Yelp.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#234

Post by smcl »

whoisstan wrote: post #229
RivieraKid wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, for example https://mapy.cz/cesko or https://mapy.cz/textova

Much appreciated!

Ha in the "textova" map there's a LOT of inside jokes and wordplay, here's what some of the actual placenames are, and some of the meanings in case you don't know the language:

- Stovězov (no idea) = Prague. Update: Ahhh could be "city of a hundred spires"

- Bryncl = Brno (in local hantec dialect)

- Malá videň ("Little Vienna") = Šumperk

- Jo, budě vice! (sort of "Yeh, there'll be more!") - České Budějovice which you might know better as Budweis as in "Budweiser". I feel like there's more to this one I'm mising

- Piveň (mixture of "Pivo"=beer and "Plzeň") = Plzeň, you might know as Pilsen as in Pilsner

- Baťovo Hlavní Město ("Baťa's capital city") = Zlín, original home of the Baťa shoe company

- Koněpůlky (I think horse's ass-cheeks but I've no idea why?) - Pardubice

- Camping - Tábor, which is the Czech word for a camp

You can probably figure out what "voda", "les", "dalnice", "silnice", and "hranice" mean from where they appear all over the map :-)

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#235

Post by FlyingSnake »

WA wrote: post #131
FlyingSnake wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OpenStreetMap >>>>>>>>> Google maps pretty much everywhere in EU (and RoW). I had better data in Harz, Bohemian Switzerland, Girona, Laos, Indian jungles etc which was way better than what Google provides. I would rather give my data to the qualitatively better option OSM than a controversial foreign firm that has questionable stance on user privacy.

Map data yes, traffic data no. And the latter is quite important for driving.

If we're talking about European cities, traffic data is pretty much secondary due to the ubiquity of public transport.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#236

Post by tibiapejagala »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #61
heliodor wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bad choices in rural areas for Google Maps seems to be a recent thing. My guess is that it's a result of a new approach of combining computer vision of satellite imagery with phone location data from ranchers driving on their private dirt roads.

Google Maps took me down all sorts of goofy unpacked backroads in Crete this past month. It’d cut the driving distance in half and double the driving time. Although my Fiat Panda rental did surprisingly well on uneven, unpaved roads.

I had the same in Italy (Tuscany) with Google Maps. One way it recommended a longer normal road, on the way back it was a shorter dirt road through fields and forests. Had to stop once to let a fox cross the road (it didn't seem to care much about me). In the end it took as much time if not more.

Those rental Pandas can take you everywhere though.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#237

Post by madeofpalk »

saurik wrote: post #56
madeofpalk wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was very happy when Apple "finally" added cycling directions in London. That was the only reason why I used Google Maps. Apple does give me some funky directions through Victoria Park, though I'm always surprised when any map service can route through parks somewhat well.

Why did you switch?

> seemed eager to leave Google Maps, but couldn't because of one critical feature

I never wanted to use Google Maps, but had to due to the feature. Using "Apple Maps" was the default preferred position.

I think Apple Maps looks better and is easier to use than Google Maps. I especially dislike the Google Maps turn by turn directions interface.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#240

Post by habi »

extra88 wrote: post #114
folli wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about OSM?

What is a good iOS app for turn-by-turn directions (driving, biking, walking, public transit) that uses OpenStreetMap data?

For car navigation I've used https://www.magicearth.com/, which I've found to be really good.
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