Sort of off-topic and I've harped on this before, but when I search "google maps" in the app store, it's the fifth search result!
As a developer in the App Store, I really hope they do something to fix the abysmal searches in it.
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
#92Edit: 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…
> If apple is able to partner with a company with better data, these types of problems should not be nearly as bad.
There is none. As far as I know, there are two major providers for map data. One is TeleAtlas, which is now owned by TomTom. The other one is Navtec from the US. TeleAtlas is considered slightly better in terms of quality, as far as I know.
Google Maps used to use a combination of both providers. However, now they also have their own data from street view cars in many places.
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#93Actually I think Apple won here. Google was refusing to release a turn by turn direction update to their apps. By developing an Apple Map App with turn by turn, they kind of forced GooG to provide it on iOS platform. Also, it is very difficult for google to ignore ios users.
I have a really, really hard time seeing Apple's map fiasco as a win for Apple.
It may be a win in a similar way that the Chrome browser was a win. Google kicked browser competition into high gear in terms of performance and ACID compliance when they launched Chrome. Apple Maps may have had a similar effect. I hate to use "killer app" but a great GPS makes the phone a more valuable device.
I still have a standalone GPS in the car which we will definitely not need once we all upgrade to phones with turn-by-turn directions. I have relatives that pride themselves in not needing smartphones, but seeing turn-by-turn was very compelling.
My question which I haven't seen a definitive answer on is if Google had the ability pre-iOS 6 to do turn-by-turn? They already had it on Android. Were they slow on iOS, or were key APIs missing?
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
My first thought was along the same lines. What if this was a long con to get Google to release what Apple wanted for free? Any bets on if Apple Maps is gone in iOS 7 and google maps becomes the system mapping provider again?
Now that I've read this, I was starting to think the same thing. Apple is completely capable of creating good software. They have all the resources they need, and "polish" is what their company is all about, so why release a sub-par app? Yes it's far fetched, but not beyond possible.
Apple has created and released loads of rubbish software over the years, but most people have forgotten much of it. Consider the short attention given to OS X Server / AWO, MobileMe, the ongoing security problems with Apple IDs, forcing people to have iCloud email addresses in order to sync the Notes app... not to mention the VERY long span of time where Windows absolutely kicked MacOS's butt in being able to multitask effectively.
Oh yeah, and iTunes. It's better-looking now, but it remains a monster. To call it sub-par would still be kind.
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#95Still no bike directions. Why is that?
Couldn't you just use car/walking directions?
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#96Edit: 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…
Is there any particular reason for the dickish tone? Are we in grade school?
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
Surely you agree that your example is a non-standard address. The things are more important to get right: postal addresses, searches for company names, airports, schools, searches for intersections. Of course you want to get the other things right like, parks (what's the pinpoint location of a park?) and things like pier 39. But those errors don't make Apple Maps a non-starter. I've been using it in the Bay Area with…
If you need the user to visit the website of their intended destination to figure out how to search for it then you need to hit the drawing board.
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#98Edit: 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...
> Google Maps are vector based as well...
src: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/google-maps-is-now-av...
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#99Sort of off-topic and I've harped on this before, but when I search "google maps" in the app store, it's the fifth search result! As a developer in the App Store, I really hope they do something to fix the abysmal searches in it.
Maybe Google will come to the rescue.
Re: Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
Surely you agree that your example is a non-standard address. The things are more important to get right: postal addresses, searches for company names, airports, schools, searches for intersections. Of course you want to get the other things right like, parks (what's the pinpoint location of a park?) and things like pier 39. But those errors don't make Apple Maps a non-starter. I've been using it in the Bay Area with…
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