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If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

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Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#81

Post by aufreak3 »

headShrinker wrote: post #66
robomartin wrote: post #31

Just throw an old 3GS or 4 in your pocket and use Google Maps by creating a private WiFi hot-spot with your iPhone 5. Wait a minute. The iPhone 5 doesn't do that. Hey, but it's longer, thinner and faster. What else do you want? It almost reminds me of Microsoft Word. Once MS Word got to the point where it did pretty much everything the majority of users wanted it to do there really was not reason to upgrade. As my ow…

Yet another rant about how "Apple is loosing it". Very tiring. I can't wait until people stop complaining and start being constructive again. I miss that here. Yes the maps blow. So let's talk about maps, not the entire complete product which you seem to loth. No offense by this, just would like to move past venting for the sake of venting.

Users are human and such generalization is what we "lusers" slip into when we're so radically disturbed by something.

The post is a rant alright, but I'm pissed just the same that Apple's maps doesn't recognize "The Music Academy" in Chennai. It knows my local street, shows a hospital nearby on the map (with correct name) and yet when I put in the name of the hospital in the box to find directions, it can't find the location! The search results are total crap and unaware of the location from which I'm searching (though I've already told it that [edit: I'm in India and it gives autocompletion results to destinations in Austria ... by walk!).

I could go on .. but then again, this will be a rant as well. Here is a "constructive" comment to Apple - put in a new maps app and refine it over time alright, but let us keep the Google maps app alongside. Is that too much to ask?

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#82

Post by rogerbinns »

notatoad wrote: post #39
epoxyhockey wrote: post #7

My bet is that the end users aren't even going to notice. I switched my website maps from Google to OSM/Leaflet and absolutely no one noticed or cared enough to email me about it. Disclaimer: I didn't use OSM's default/ugly color palette. Disclaimer #2: I have used iOS 6 maps, and the most visible change (other than the color palette) is that subway markers are clickable and that Yelp is more tightly integrated into…

End users maybe won't notice if they live in a major city and never want to leave. My town (which is small, but not nowhere: a fairly major tourist destination near a large city) has gone from detailed satellite imagery to no more than about 500 total pixels. You don't need to be a power user to see that kind of regression.

One of my colleagues who is a foam at mouth rabid Apple supporter said he is switching to Android because of this. He lives in San Francisco and uses the public transit stuff extensively and now is screwed.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#83

Post by pinaceae »

If I were Google and my main stream of income was ads, I would not give a shit about platforms and release map apps with ads for any relevant platform.

Not like Google makes significant money off of Android itself.

But, the more apps and platforms switch off it, less eyeballs will see your ads. A bunch of apps switched to OpenMaps already, right? The whole GMaps API bruhaha already forgotten?

But this doesn't fit into that nerd-rage fueled platform war narrative, so disregard. First OS to include a neckbeard trimmer wins.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#84

Post by indy »

minikomi wrote: post #22

iOS6 maps simply does not work in Tokyo. Here's a comparison my friend posted.. Tokyo Station doesn't exist at all, and the level of details is woeful. https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/27725...

The level of detail for London looks just as bad: http://i.imgur.com/W6ksp.jpg

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#85

Post by Tichy »

Irfaan wrote: post #8

"If I were Google, I wouldn’t launch a native Maps app for iOS 6 for at least six months, [...]" If I were in Google's shoes, I wouldn't be launching a native Maps app. Period. It's not like Maps is driving vast amounts of search revenue for Google. And with the degraded functionality of Apple's own Maps app, Google's Map app has become a reason for a buyer to consider switching to a Google-blessed Android phone. And…

I think they collect a lot of valuable data with their mobile maps.

They don't care so much about people using Android as they care about people using Google products - because then they can collect more data.

Of course if people are on Android the risk is a bit smaller that Google search and maps will be swapped away under their feet.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#86

Post by ryannielsen »

aufreak3 wrote: post #81
headShrinker wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yet another rant about how "Apple is loosing it". Very tiring. I can't wait until people stop complaining and start being constructive again. I miss that here. Yes the maps blow. So let's talk about maps, not the entire complete product which you seem to loth. No offense by this, just would like to move past venting for the sake of venting.

Users are human and such generalization is what we "lusers" slip into when we're so radically disturbed by something. The post is a rant alright, but I'm pissed just the same that Apple's maps doesn't recognize "The Music Academy" in Chennai. It knows my local street, shows a hospital nearby on the map (with correct name) and yet when I put in the name of the hospital in the box to find directions, it can't find the…

put in a new maps app and refine it over time alright, but let us keep the Google maps app alongside. Is that too much to ask?

If Google had a maps app, it wouldn't be too much to ask. Google doesn't have a maps app; iOS has a maps app, which was powered by Google up until iOS 6. If/when Google creates a maps app, I'm willing to bet Apple will approve it for the App Store, just as they've approved Chrome and Gmail.

Apple's contract to use Google as the back-end data source for iOS's Maps app expired and, for all we know, Google refused to renegotiate another contract. I doubt that's the case, but anyone asserting anything either way is simply speculating unless they're sourcing from someone at Apple or Google.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#87

Post by ryannielsen »

batgaijin wrote: post #27
zachalexander wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a tricky question. Wait six months: increases the pain iOS users feel, and possibly increases migration to Android, but by how much? If you've bought an iPhone 5, in many cases that means a 1-year contract (or renewal). And in six months, Apple may have released a better Maps app that fixes the problem. Release Google Maps for iOS sooner: iPhone users feel less pain, but Google Maps keeps more users. Act…

Why does google care about people using Google Maps? The little bit of money + data they'd get from it is nothing compared to the level of frustration and outright hatred that a key app misfunctioning like this might create. I'm betting Apple won't fix it in 6 months unless they start buying map corps.

Apple has purchased mapping companies. According to Wikipedia[1], they've purchased Placebase, Poly9, and C3 Technologies – all companies associated with mapping.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisition...

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#88

Post by hellweaver666 »

dannyr wrote: post #26
zachalexander wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a tricky question. Wait six months: increases the pain iOS users feel, and possibly increases migration to Android, but by how much? If you've bought an iPhone 5, in many cases that means a 1-year contract (or renewal). And in six months, Apple may have released a better Maps app that fixes the problem. Release Google Maps for iOS sooner: iPhone users feel less pain, but Google Maps keeps more users. Act…

Well, not every IPhone user upgraded the past week or so. Some people might think twice about upgrading to the IPhone 5 based on the complaints on the Maps app. While there are people who are loyal Apple fans, there are some that are on the fence. This might be enough to push them over to Android or Windows Phone. Once you go to another platform, you're likely locked into a 2-year contract and it's going to be hard f…

I for one, won't be upgrading until there is a standalone Google Maps app. I've just moved to a new city and I use Google Maps a lot to find my way around. I've seen the iOS6 maps in use and it's utter garbage in comparison.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#89

Post by aufreak3 »

ryannielsen wrote: post #86
aufreak3 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Users are human and such generalization is what we "lusers" slip into when we're so radically disturbed by something. The post is a rant alright, but I'm pissed just the same that Apple's maps doesn't recognize "The Music Academy" in Chennai. It knows my local street, shows a hospital nearby on the map (with correct name) and yet when I put in the name of the hospital in the box to find directions, it can't find the…

put in a new maps app and refine it over time alright, but let us keep the Google maps app alongside. Is that too much to ask? If Google had a maps app, it wouldn't be too much to ask. Google doesn't have a maps app; iOS has a maps app, which was powered by Google up until iOS 6. If/when Google creates a maps app, I'm willing to bet Apple will approve it for the App Store, just as they've approved Chrome and Gmail. A…

whatever .. I reserve my right as a user (who's paid for the device) to have expectations of functionality - the business side of things be damned.

For now, I've done an "add to home screen" of the google maps mobile device page. Works much better for me than the native maps.

Re: If I Were Google, I Wouldn’t Release A Native iOS 6 Maps App For Six Months

#90

Post by starik36 »

philjohn wrote: post #72
joshu wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the fact that I can parachute in to some random city and walk around like I know what I am doing between maps and Yelp. I do not want to give that up.

Have you tried the new maps? The only real regressions I can see are poorer satellite imagery coverage (big whoop - it's a gimmick for 90% of the time) and non existent public transport routing. In my experience in the UK, the public transport routing never really worked on the google provided maps either. The maps themselves are provided by TomTom and in the UK and Europe at least they are very high quality, can't s…

I agree. I used it on the way home with the step by step directions and it was pretty nice and right on the spot. The graphics are also very pleasant and the visual cues are easy to grok.

The only thing I miss is street view. But I doubt that's coming back.

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