Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

Post by tasuki » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 10:21 AM UTC

cl3misch wrote: post #63

pjmlp wrote: post #48

What about actually improving directions, not sending us through barely usable roads in Mediterranean islands, if we can consider them roads at all. Or shortcuts that might be interesting in a computer game, how the RTS units select their path, but hardly so when driving through a medieval village, instead of the somehow longer circular road that everyone should use.

In this context (driving in central Europe) I've found Apple Maps to choose the conventional route more often. The trip may be slightly longer but more enjoyable, for the exact reasons you mentioned. Google Maps indeed seems to be weighted towards stressful shortcuts.

Post by cm277 » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 11:22 AM UTC

pjmlp wrote: post #48

What about actually improving directions, not sending us through barely usable roads in Mediterranean islands, if we can consider them roads at all. Or shortcuts that might be interesting in a computer game, how the RTS units select their path, but hardly so when driving through a medieval village, instead of the somehow longer circular road that everyone should use.

Post by yufeng66 » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 1:20 PM UTC

drc500free wrote: post #54

bandergirl wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I don’t know what the author is talking about. I loved his comparisons over the years, but Google Maps (and others, really) are atrocious to use because of extremely low contrast; the blue version is much better (even if potentially “uglier”) For a product meant to be used outdoors, Maps does an awful job at being readable.

Interesting, do you mean contrast between non-roads and roads, or between map and text? I think (bear in mind I have some color blindness) that it's gone from a low-contrast road grid with high contrast text to a high-contrast road grid with low-contrast text. It would be easier to trace the shape of the roads, but that's not how I personally use a map. I'm much more focused on the name of a neighborhood or the name…

Post by mcphage » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

switch007 wrote: post #46

KMnO4 wrote: post #13

I can’t believe there’s only one image of Apple Maps in that article. Every image is captioned with “See! Look how similar it is” but I have nothing to compare it to.

I’m not sure if it’s a law already but if not I’m claiming it in my name: The more useful some graphics would be in an article, the less likely it is to contain any.

Post by MiddleEndian » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 2:41 PM UTC

n42 wrote: post #94

MiddleEndian wrote: post #81

I just want Google Maps to slide the location of the street labels so they always stay visible. Zooming into an area and having a street label simply vanish is an absurd behavior for software in the 21st century.

I don't know how to say this without it coming off as typical internet hyperbole. I mean it quite literally that this makes the thing unusable (as a map) for me. it is a major contributor to why I use Apple Maps for actual maps now. unfortunately, I still have to use Google Maps to find POI. I suspect this is all they want me to use it for, anyways, since that's all that gives them money.