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Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

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Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#51

Frankly, Tim Cook should shut down the entire Apple Maps division. Who in their right mind is going to use Apple Maps at this point? Try searching "Pier 39 San Francisco". The query can't be any more specific, and it's the most iconic location for tourists, and Apple Maps will bring you to a pretty shady area of town, only a mile or two away from Hunter's Point, one of the more violent areas of SF.

No wonder he is the CEO and you aren't. Think LOOOOONG term, in a few years Apple will catch Google for the most part (hello AAPL bank accounts and increase of usage!) and Apple will not depend on a major competitor for a crucial aspect of the mobile world. Google is the loser, despite Apple having a few growing pains.

I assume your assuming Google Maps will just stagnate during this time? Or are you assuming Google Maps has already reached its peak?

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#53
post #50

Edit: somehow I screwed up my response, should be a response to @kjackson2012. Apple's main issues are with their location information from TomTom. If apple is able to partner with a company with better data, these types of problems should not be nearly as bad. Here's where Apple's maps product is better... The maps are vector based so there is not such a huge dependence on a data connection. I live near the pine bar…

Google Maps are vector based as well...

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#54
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No wonder he is the CEO and you aren't. Think LOOOOONG term, in a few years Apple will catch Google for the most part (hello AAPL bank accounts and increase of usage!) and Apple will not depend on a major competitor for a crucial aspect of the mobile world. Google is the loser, despite Apple having a few growing pains.

Well, no worries then. A few thousand people who don't get to hospitals or who end up in dangerous situations is not LOOOOOONG term thinking and can safely be ignored.

Wow, what did people do BEFORE a smartphone!

It's a wonder a human being ever found a hospital before Google saved the human race from it's own helplessness!

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#55
post #44
post #25

App ranking is also a function of momentum.. while it's great Google Maps has risen so quickly, let's not make this more than what it is.

Were Bing Maps and Nokia maps #1 soon after they launched in the Apple app store, too? (or ever?)

Nobody was anticipating those, as they were never a part of the ecosystem then ceremoniously removed.

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#56
post #50

Edit: somehow I screwed up my response, should be a response to @kjackson2012. Apple's main issues are with their location information from TomTom. If apple is able to partner with a company with better data, these types of problems should not be nearly as bad. Here's where Apple's maps product is better... The maps are vector based so there is not such a huge dependence on a data connection. I live near the pine bar…

No, you're wrong. It's not with the data. It's with Apple's ability to search. Like I said below, look up "Pier 39 San Francisco". This is a dead simple query, extremely specific, and they point you to a really bad area of SF. This isn't Tom Tom data, it's how Apple resolves this query to something useful.

Search is Google's domain expertise. Apple needs to basically start from scratch and figure out how to create a search engine that will return relevant data based on queries.

It's the same thing with Apple's App store search, it's also terrible. But because we have no choice, we are forced to use it, and hopefully it will improve. But because Google's is so nearly perfect and getting better all the time, why would someone go ahead and use Apple's terrible search engine to help them improve their search?

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#58
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google submitting a turn by turn direction enabled google maps app is some sort of win nonetheless.

For Google, yes.

How is going from having your app presinstalled on every device and being maintained, for free, by Apple developers to having to write and maintain your own app and put it in the app store a "win"??

There is no win here for Google! Less users (not everyone is going to install it), less data coming in, more money spent, having to hire more dedicated iOS coders inhouse at Google...

People have a weird definition of "win".

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#59
post #34
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Google cares what platform you're accessing their services from. As long as they get your data, they're happy.

I'm sure the android part cares about how many people buy android and how cool it is compared to iOS. Apple use their apps as a competitive advantage and Google aren't. Itunes supported Apple podcast & music players would help android. Obviously Google maps helps iOS. I guess what I'm asking is "Is this helping maps at the expense of Android?"

The answer is clearly yes - this largely removes one reason why someone might prefer Android over iOS. Hard to say how big the effect is, though.

Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours

#60
post #50

Edit: somehow I screwed up my response, should be a response to @kjackson2012. Apple's main issues are with their location information from TomTom. If apple is able to partner with a company with better data, these types of problems should not be nearly as bad. Here's where Apple's maps product is better... The maps are vector based so there is not such a huge dependence on a data connection. I live near the pine bar…

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