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What Happened to Google Maps?

justinobeirne.com

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Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#161

Post by nud »

lucb1e wrote: post #142
nud wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OpenSteetMap is very difficult to compare to Google Maps as it uses pre-rendered raster map images at fixed resolutions, rather than a dynamic vector-based approach. For me at least, this makes it far slower to load in non-cached areas, and the lack of precise zooming is super annoying.

For me Google Maps is slower than OpenStreetMap anywhere in the world, cache or no cache. Might have something to do with not using Chrome, where Google makes their websites work the best of course. What do you mean by "the lack of precise zooming is super annoying"? In my experience, zooming in Bing Maps and OpenStreetMap are very fast, and only in Google Maps you're waiting ten seconds for the region to load and br…

On Google Maps, your zoom factor is any real number within a range. On Open Street View, you are stuck using one of several predefined zoom levels (integers 1-20).

To test out, try modifying the "10" in both of the links below: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7058316,-74.2581905,10z

https://maps.here.com/?map=40.71455,-74.00714,10,normal&x=ep

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#162

Post by cr3ative »

DanHulton wrote: post #159

Is it just me, or is that site unreadable ? Chrome 50, Windows 10, and the font is about the thinnest I've ever seen.

Chrome/Win 10 and I had serious trouble making the site readable; zooming to 175% just about worked.

Default rendering: http://i.imgur.com/uhbRcsR.png

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#163

Post by givinguflac »

swiley wrote: post #111
Gustomaximus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For driving Google Maps getting quite bad. See this screenshoot: http://imgur.com/uPO8QJh This kind of crowded display is fairly common now. I use Here Maps now which is much better + I like supporting a second option to avoid one service getting 2 monopolistic. My theory of why google maps is getting worse is there must be designers dedicated to this that need to constantly look for 'new' things to add even if its t…

The worst part about Google maps while driving is that it won't read directions until your right up on the turn.

I agree. Apple Maps and Here maps are both a much better navigation experience now in my opinion. Google maps still has a bit of an advantage on POI, but for 98% of my uses Apple and Nokia do a better job.

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#165

Post by maxerickson »

nud wrote: post #161
lucb1e wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me Google Maps is slower than OpenStreetMap anywhere in the world, cache or no cache. Might have something to do with not using Chrome, where Google makes their websites work the best of course. What do you mean by "the lack of precise zooming is super annoying"? In my experience, zooming in Bing Maps and OpenStreetMap are very fast, and only in Google Maps you're waiting ten seconds for the region to load and br…

On Google Maps, your zoom factor is any real number within a range. On Open Street View, you are stuck using one of several predefined zoom levels (integers 1-20). To test out, try modifying the "10" in both of the links below: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7058316,-74.2581905,10z https://maps.here.com/?map=40.71455,-74.00714,10,normal&x=ep

There's vector stacks using OpenStreetMap data, I guess it will be a while before one is in use on openstreetmap.org.

Mapbox has one, Mapzen has one, various apps have their own vector map implementations, there are convertors that take OSM data and output maps in the custom vector formats used by GPS devices and so on.

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#167

Post by deelowe »

swiley wrote: post #111
Gustomaximus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For driving Google Maps getting quite bad. See this screenshoot: http://imgur.com/uPO8QJh This kind of crowded display is fairly common now. I use Here Maps now which is much better + I like supporting a second option to avoid one service getting 2 monopolistic. My theory of why google maps is getting worse is there must be designers dedicated to this that need to constantly look for 'new' things to add even if its t…

The worst part about Google maps while driving is that it won't read directions until your right up on the turn.

This is my #1 complaint as well. "Turn right" Welp, guess I'm making a u-turn.

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#168

Post by Cerium »

swiley wrote: post #111
Gustomaximus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For driving Google Maps getting quite bad. See this screenshoot: http://imgur.com/uPO8QJh This kind of crowded display is fairly common now. I use Here Maps now which is much better + I like supporting a second option to avoid one service getting 2 monopolistic. My theory of why google maps is getting worse is there must be designers dedicated to this that need to constantly look for 'new' things to add even if its t…

The worst part about Google maps while driving is that it won't read directions until your right up on the turn.

For me this is not a problem. I glance at the top left of the screen to see the direction of the next turn, left or right, then I get in the left or right lane. Also, when I miss a turn the rerouting is fast enough it's hardly a problem.

My big complaint is that Google maps announces I'm on the fastest route even when I know I'm not!

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#169

Post by yardie »

swiley wrote: post #111
Gustomaximus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For driving Google Maps getting quite bad. See this screenshoot: http://imgur.com/uPO8QJh This kind of crowded display is fairly common now. I use Here Maps now which is much better + I like supporting a second option to avoid one service getting 2 monopolistic. My theory of why google maps is getting worse is there must be designers dedicated to this that need to constantly look for 'new' things to add even if its t…

The worst part about Google maps while driving is that it won't read directions until your right up on the turn.

Indeed. I'm that idiot driving in circles around the roundabout because Google Maps gives me the turn right as I'm passing it.

Also, it's forking is completely fucked. If there are 2 right turns coming up it does not indicate which lane I should be in. In once case I had to drive 60kms, 30 kms there and back, because the interchange had 3 right exits and I chose wrong.

Now I use Google Maps to find the location and copy the coordinates into Apple Maps. Or use Waze.

Re: What Happened to Google Maps?

#170

Post by lobster_johnson »

hueving wrote: post #28
kylec wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure Google knows more than the author about their own maps, but please give the author his due: he wrote a successful blog called 41Latitude that did a lot of in-depth analysis of Google Maps's display of information, and later led the Apple Maps team. If he has something to say about information density on maps, I'm inclined to listen.

>and later led the Apple Maps team I'm not sure that puts him in a position to be trusted to criticize google maps. Apple maps has been considered inferior to google maps since its launch. Just because he has ideas about how to pack an overwhelming amount of information onto a map doesn't mean it's a good idea for normal users.

Apple Maps today is much better than Google Maps. In the context of the article, for example, Apple shows all the cities/towns that Google Maps did in 2010 but no longer shows in 2016.
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