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Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

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Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#61

Post by nostromo »

kmfrk wrote: post #32
recoiledsnake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people most upset seem to generally be edge cases I love it how you dismiss 99% of people and the globe as an edge case by your anecdote of it working well for you. Let me take a guess, you live on the West Coast where Apple engineers live?

We're only talking about a demographic of ~5B people and 63 countries, don't be so hyperbolic: http://theunderstatement.com/post/31855177665/quantifying-th... .

This is exactly my point about the hyperbole. As if 5 billion people are wandering alone in the wilderness today because of a new map app.

To quote Steve Jobs, "Relax... it is just a phone."

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#62

Post by ajross »

FireBeyond wrote: post #39
cooldeal wrote: post #16

Wonder how this jives with Gruber's comments on the maps situation: >Using Maps to Improve Maps >> Scott Rafer: >>What’s missing from this conversation is that map usage is critical. […] Google’s maps are going to start degrading. Apple’s will get better. They’ll meet in the middle within 18 months. >The idea is that you need to collect usage data to improve your data. The only way for Apple to get from here to there…

I thought Gruber was getting more balanced. I guessed wrong. Maps don't improve by themselves. They improve by complaints, feedback, input. They also don't degrade by themselves. Unless Gruber et al are under some amazing assumption that Google now has no investment in Maps, is not getting street data, topographical data, traffic data any more. Though, mind you, this assumption isn't far fetched. Much as some of thes…

To be fair: maps do "degrade by themselves", simply because the world changes and they must be updated to prevent being wrong in the future. Obviously that's no more or less true of any data source, so Gruber still isn't making any sense...

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#63

Post by sirn »

kmfrk wrote: post #32
recoiledsnake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people most upset seem to generally be edge cases I love it how you dismiss 99% of people and the globe as an edge case by your anecdote of it working well for you. Let me take a guess, you live on the West Coast where Apple engineers live?

We're only talking about a demographic of ~5B people and 63 countries, don't be so hyperbolic: http://theunderstatement.com/post/31855177665/quantifying-th... .

From the article:

> The biggest losers are Brazil, India, Taiwan, and Thailand (population: 1.5 billion) which overnight will go from being countries with every maps feature (transit, traffic, and street view) to countries with none of those features, nor any of the new features either.

To be fair, Apple's Maps in Bangkok is actually pretty good. We never have Street View until a few months ago (and it only covers central part of Bangkok). Google Maps transit was never really good here since it only contains data from BMTA, traffic is possibly the only thing I truly miss.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#64

Post by mikeash »

mirkules wrote: post #48
recoiledsnake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people most upset seem to generally be edge cases I love it how you dismiss 99% of people and the globe as an edge case by your anecdote of it working well for you. Let me take a guess, you live on the West Coast where Apple engineers live?

The OP's point is that this feels a lot like Antennagate 2010, where a large number of non-Apple users latched onto the fact that there was something wrong with Apple products, and complained louder than the actual Apple users. At this point, we can call all the evidence anecdotal until we see some hard numbers on how much map data is actually incorrect, and what actual percentage of the population is affected (I'm n…

Everybody I've seen complaining is an iPhone user upset that they've lost functionality.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#66

Post by shinratdr »

mrintegrity wrote: post #33

Is it just me or has Apple "slavishly" copied the google maps app functionality, icons (that arrow looks like a copy paste) and rounded corners? The hypocrisy here is just mind blowing.. And it clearly demonstrates the utter bullshitness that is there fight against Samsung

> And it clearly demonstrates the utter bullshitness that is there fight against Samsung

The only thing it demonstrates is that you have no idea what you're taking about. The app "functionality" is "being a map" something Google has never patented. The UI elements are Apples, as they designed and built the iOS Maps app.

The only thing here that's a slavish copy is your comment. Reminds me strongly of the comments of a million other uninformed idiots that barely understand the concept they are trying to deride, yet insist it is hypocritical.

Yeah, it's the worst hypocrisy to use assets you designed and a concept that can't be patented in a new app. I heard Apple has a calendar app too? Is that also a slavish copy of Google Calendar?

Apple didn't sue everyone who made a phone FFS. They sued Samsung, a company that genuinely did rip them off and try as hard as they can to present Android and their devices as much closer to the iPhone than anything else.

Apple isn't doing a single thing that's similar with Maps. They're just making a Maps app. Google doesn't own the concept of mobile mapping.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#67

Post by mbesto »

kmfrk wrote: post #32
recoiledsnake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The people most upset seem to generally be edge cases I love it how you dismiss 99% of people and the globe as an edge case by your anecdote of it working well for you. Let me take a guess, you live on the West Coast where Apple engineers live?

We're only talking about a demographic of ~5B people and 63 countries, don't be so hyperbolic: http://theunderstatement.com/post/31855177665/quantifying-th... .

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the complaints aren't based on lack of those features, but very poor POI and mapping. How does one provide statistics on that without end users actively documenting every mishap?

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#68

Post by MartinCron »

qq66 wrote: post #42

If this is true, then Google is making a catastrophically bad tactical error, or Apple Maps are not as horrendously awful as the blogosphere is making them out to be (haven't had a chance to try them myself).

Google is making a catastrophically bad tactical error

I think Google has a lot to gain in terms of promoting their services to iPhone. Android phones are just a part of the Google ecosystem.

Also, "don't be evil"

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#69

Post by abraham »

nthitz wrote: post #14

Even if it is approved and released shortly it still doesn't solve the problem of it not being the default Map app. Contact links & location links will still open in Apple's Maps. Still waiting on something comparable to Android's Intents in iOS

There is a way for iOS apps to prefer Chrome over the default browser so I assume Maps will have the same feature.

https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/ios-links

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#70

Post by dmishe »

abraham wrote: post #69
nthitz wrote: post #14

Even if it is approved and released shortly it still doesn't solve the problem of it not being the default Map app. Contact links & location links will still open in Apple's Maps. Still waiting on something comparable to Android's Intents in iOS

There is a way for iOS apps to prefer Chrome over the default browser so I assume Maps will have the same feature. https://developers.google.com/chrome/mobile/docs/ios-links

Still, most apps show some maps inside them, and that cannot be changed.
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