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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

#111

Post by jser »

0xABADC0DA wrote: post #79
juiceandjuice wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a stupid assumption. Apple's maps will never reach Google's. Why? Because Google's business model is so heavily dependent on highly accurate maps at so many levels. There's been posts on HN regarding Google's usage of Streetview/OCR to improve their map directions, and it's absolutely critical that their maps be the absolute highest quality in terms of content and accuracy of that content for their drive…

Apple's maps will never reach Google's. There is one way Apple's maps already surpass Google's: no advertising. For instance the iOS 5 Youtube app never showed ads, whereas the new app store one shows tons of them. Sometimes 1/4th of the screen is advertisement. I'm sure it will be the same way for maps. Looking up a bus route, looking for used cars for cheap? Oh you are walking someplace, wouldn't you like a bicycle…

> There is one way Apple's maps already surpass Google's: no advertising.

For now. Let's not forgot Apple tried to push full screen, "interactive" iAds. While banners ads have been more popular, the extra screen real estate on the iPhone 5 could eventually become devoted to ads.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#112

Post by runjake »

Jim Dalrymple (who is an unofficial mouthpiece for Apple) says nope:

http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/09/20/on-the-rumor-that-goog...

If I were Google, I'd hold off on releasing a Maps for iOS just a little while. It's firmly in the "killer app" category at the moment and might help spur Android adoption just a little.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#113

Post by philwelch »

clark-kent wrote: post #81
msbarnett wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How to understand this in 3 easy steps: 1) Build a product. Any product, doesn't matter. 2) Walk into Wal-Mart and demand that they sell it. 3) Watch them laugh you out of the store. Stores aren't under any obligation whatsoever to sell something just because you, or I, or Google, wants to sell it in them.

That's because Walmart is not a marketplace like ebay. An app store is a marketplace with terms and conditions, any one that meets those terms should be allowed to list their app.

Empirically, the iOS App Store is not a marketplace like ebay, either.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#114

Post by msbarnett »

clark-kent wrote: post #81
msbarnett wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How to understand this in 3 easy steps: 1) Build a product. Any product, doesn't matter. 2) Walk into Wal-Mart and demand that they sell it. 3) Watch them laugh you out of the store. Stores aren't under any obligation whatsoever to sell something just because you, or I, or Google, wants to sell it in them.

That's because Walmart is not a marketplace like ebay. An app store is a marketplace with terms and conditions, any one that meets those terms should be allowed to list their app.

No, you'd like the App Store to be a marketplace, but the way it's operated since its inception clearly demonstrates that Apple, as is their right, runs it as a curated store.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#115

Post by bane »

steevdave wrote: post #110

I really do hope they do. I've been using the beta and all through it, there were no routing apps available for my area (San Antonio, so not exactly a tiny city, according to Wikipedia we are the 7th largest population wise) Now that iOS 6 is out, I decided to give the Maps app a shot again. So I pulled it up, thought for a second since I am used to the old interface, clicked the wrong thing a couple times, finally g…

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2008/06/24/full-text-an-...

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#116

Post by statictype »

0xABADC0DA wrote: post #79
juiceandjuice wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a stupid assumption. Apple's maps will never reach Google's. Why? Because Google's business model is so heavily dependent on highly accurate maps at so many levels. There's been posts on HN regarding Google's usage of Streetview/OCR to improve their map directions, and it's absolutely critical that their maps be the absolute highest quality in terms of content and accuracy of that content for their drive…

Apple's maps will never reach Google's. There is one way Apple's maps already surpass Google's: no advertising. For instance the iOS 5 Youtube app never showed ads, whereas the new app store one shows tons of them. Sometimes 1/4th of the screen is advertisement. I'm sure it will be the same way for maps. Looking up a bus route, looking for used cars for cheap? Oh you are walking someplace, wouldn't you like a bicycle…

I guess in that sense, my 'map app' (a photo of the street I live on) also surpasses google's because it doesn't have any ads.

No, maps are not of any use if you can't use them and rely on them. It has nothing to do with how Google chose to monetize it. If your ad-free version works well enough - great. But the whole point is that the new maps don't work well enough.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#117

Post by SoftwareMaven »

cooldeal wrote: post #19
uptown wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft held a monopoly.

Yes, but Microsoft did not completely ban Netscape from running on Windows like Apple did with podcast apps, Google Voice etc. so the situation is not exactly analogous. Everyone could and many did install Netscape, IE 3+ was just better after Netscape stagnated at version 4 for years because of a rewrite. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000069.html Microsoft shipped their browser default since an OS wi…

That's weird, because I have Google Voice and three other browsers on my iPhone...

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#118

Post by gleiva »

After checking out the bunch of complaints, I wonder what's going on with Apple's quality process. They must had seen some of this 'roller coaster street' bugs before... They either sacrificed quality for getting the product out soon... Or maybe they are assuming most of fans won't care about the bugs just because they'll get the new phone anyway... Or their quality process just needs some improvements.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#119

Post by Steko »

runjake wrote: post #112

Jim Dalrymple (who is an unofficial mouthpiece for Apple) says nope: http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/09/20/on-the-rumor-that-goog... If I were Google, I'd hold off on releasing a Maps for iOS just a little while. It's firmly in the "killer app" category at the moment and might help spur Android adoption just a little.

"If I were Google, I'd hold off on releasing a Maps for iOS just a little while. It's firmly in the "killer app" category at the moment and might help spur Android adoption just a little."

Based on this logic google should withhold search (after contract runs out) and only serve youtube in VP8. Releasing Maps soon but not immediately for Google (which is what it looks like they are doing) wins in several ways:

(1) reap the benefits of Apple's Maps launch negative publicity for a couple weeks.

(2) once your app hits, more people are using your services. Google loves people doing this.

(3) and less people using Apple Maps and helping improve it. Keeps the gap wide.

(4) finally, if not approved, you can use the disapproval as another competitive advantage.

Re: Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

#120

Post by fpgeek »

ryanhuff wrote: post #109
fpgeek wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me, Google's tone at their pre-WWDC Maps event (and the effort they made to demonstrate things on iOS devices) doesn't seem consistent with the hypothesis that they decided to force Apple's hand.

Its entirely plausible that Google framed the map situation one way publicly, but another with Apple in private.

Possible, yes. But given the way many people criticized Google's tone at the time (nervous, etc.) it doesn't seem likely to me.
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