The Amazing iOS 6 Maps

[Love.Forever.]

Ya I heard the new maps were just terrible, you'd think they would correct that problem before shipping out millions of iPhone's but no.

[Love.Forever.]

Originally Posted by Iznogood

I'm reading through the blog now, and found this example:


For once, Apple seems to be more up-to-date than google*.

*) I say "seem to be" because I haven't been able to reproduce that result myself. I could easily be photoshopped

[mores]

I know this is all good natured fun, but Apple Maps is a new and (obviously) hastily compiled software that needs its quirks ironed out.
Google Maps has existed for a long time ... so long, in fact, that nobody seems to remember similar situations from way back when ...
http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/012529.html

[Iznogood]

What is being made fun of is not that apples map service isn't perfect. Everybody understand that a new software system of this scale will have errors and flaws, and a lot of them.

The point is that Apple chose to replace a good and reliable service with an inferior service when it's obvious that apples own map service is at beta quality, if not worse. Apples own system was launched prematurely

[Tuberocity]

I may be wrong, but have done a lot of reading on this subject over the years, and as such, felt compelled to respond. Why, oh why do I read these posts? lol anyway, the way I understand A-GPS is that it can be a full GPS circuit that receives information from satellites as well as Wi-Fi or cell towers (the assisted part) which would be the best of both worlds. However, A-GPS can also be dependent on a connection whether cellular or Wi-Fi to download maps which in most case, is cost prohibitive if using you GPS on the run. This type of A-GPS is the least desired as you absolutely need a connection to the net or a cellular connection to load you data, and this type is the least accurate depending on the maps used, but is perfectly fine in most cases for a correct landing at your intended residential or business destination. Also, I read somwhere TomTom maps though not equal to Garmin's in the USA, are preferred in European markets. That last comment was a comment from someone who lived in Europe so take it for what it's worth. Hope this sheds a tad more light on the situation. Take care all.

[johnnyb]

Originally Posted by Iznogood

What is being made fun of is not that apples map service isn't perfect. Everybody understand that a new software system of this scale will have errors and flaws, and a lot of them.

The point is that Apple chose to replace a good and reliable service with an inferior service when it's obvious that apples own map service is at beta quality, if not worse. Apples own system was launched prematurely

Plus: forced on customers without opt-out, which is in fact hindering competition!

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Tuberocity

I may be wrong, but have done a lot of reading on this subject over the years, and as such, felt compelled to respond. Why, oh why do I read these posts? lol anyway, the way I understand A-GPS is that it can be a full GPS circuit that receives information from satellites as well as Wi-Fi or cell towers (the assisted part) which would be the best of both worlds.

This is correct.

However, A-GPS can also be dependent on a connection whether cellular or Wi-Fi to download maps which in most case, is cost prohibitive if using you GPS on the run. This type of A-GPS is the least desired as you absolutely need a connection to the net or a cellular connection to load you data, and this type is the least accurate depending on the maps used, but is perfectly fine in most cases for a correct landing at your intended residential or business destination.

This has nothing to do with A-GPS. A-GPS is only about how your location is determined, and how quickly. The question of maps is a separate issue: you can have regular GPS *or* A-GPS with (or without) streamed maps. Also, sometimes streamed maps are more accurate because they are updated more frequently. But, again, nothing to do with A-GPS.

Also, I read somwhere TomTom maps though not equal to Garmin's in the USA, are preferred in European markets. That last comment was a comment from someone who lived in Europe so take it for what it's worth. Hope this sheds a tad more light on the situation. Take care all.

This was the conventional wisdom 5 years or so ago; I don't know if it's still the case.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Iznogood

What is being made fun of is not that apples map service isn't perfect. Everybody understand that a new software system of this scale will have errors and flaws, and a lot of them.

The point is that Apple chose to replace a good and reliable service with an inferior service when it's obvious that apples own map service is at beta quality, if not worse. Apples own system was launched prematurely

Yeah, there's a bunch of press coverage on this, but it's not clear *at all* that, for normal users, Apple Maps are inferior. They are fine in the US, and they provide turn by turn directions, which Google maps didn't do. For many users, this alone makes them superior.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

This is correct.
This was the conventional wisdom 5 years or so ago; I don't know if it's still the case.

Speaking only from own personal experience, Tomtom US maps have improved considerably over the last couple years, or at least, long standing errors here in the North Eastern megalopolis have finally been corrected.

When I was at my wits end a few years ago, and about to dump my Tomtom for a Garmin, I borrowed a friend's Garmin and quickly found many different errors, so who knows.

The most egregious issues I personally ran into with my Tomtom was in Philadelphia, as it had all incorrect knowledge of one way streets, and listed many one-horse-width alleys as navigable streets. I haven't been back to Philly to compare since then.

[injapan]

Google maps back to iOS today?

at last?

http://allthingsd.com/20121212/googl.../?mod=atdtweet

[HarryT]

It would seem so:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20694028

[FlorenceArt]

Downloading now...

I said before that I thought the iOS maps app wasn't so bad, but I changed my mind since. Last night the app tried to send me to a town in the suburbs instead of the street in Paris I was looking for. I got to the store barely 10 minutes before closing time, after almost running to make up for lost time going in the opposite direction.

[jswinden]

Installed it just now. It is only a few hours since it was posted to the iTunes store and it already has nearly 10,000 reviews and a 4+ rating! Suck it Apple!!!

Hey, now Santa won't get lost on Christmas Eve and wind up on Mars.

[robertc88]

Grabbed it, thanks for the heads up.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by injapan

Google maps back to iOS today?

at last?

http://allthingsd.com/20121212/googl.../?mod=atdtweet

Thanks. Karma to you.

Carol