teonyc

Q: Why Does Apple Maps Still Suck?

I'm standing in the pouring rain on Broadway 12th Street in New York City, trying to find 33 East 12th. Not sure if to go left or right so I access Maps and type in my address "33 East 12 Street". The results are in Augusta GA. This is inexcuseable. How can simple logic like, "If no city/state is input then find address by proximity to current location." Worse, out of the other optional hits that Maps suggested, only one was in New York State, but about 800 miles away.

 

I recently added an event to my iCal calendar with a full address of the Metropolitan Pavillion event space, including city, state and zip. The location is on 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 yet Apple Maps gives me "Did you mean West Street?"

 

I'm not going to harp on how Google Maps is better, and how could Apple screw up so badly, I'm really interseted in knowing how, after 18 months after release, is it still as bad, or worse than at launch. I don't believe that crowdsourcing corrections is the answer, given there has been virtually no improvement in location logic in the time since release.

 

What I find even more frustrating is there is no option to have Google Maps be the default mapping service, meaning we're all stuck in the rain trying to figure if 33 East 12 Street is in New York City or Augusta, GA.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on May 1, 2014 11:28 AM

Close

Q: Why Does Apple Maps Still Suck?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by CT,Helpful

    CT CT May 1, 2014 11:30 AM in response to teonyc
    Level 6 (17,882 points)
    Notebooks
    May 1, 2014 11:30 AM in response to teonyc
  • by mikeindc,

    mikeindc mikeindc May 7, 2014 3:56 AM in response to CT
    Level 1 (15 points)
    May 7, 2014 3:56 AM in response to CT

    I am still amazed at how poor the maps are. They don't have the correct street name for the recycling center in Washington, D.C.  Google and bing both have it right. So unable to use for directions.

     

    Tried t o get directions to st michaels in Maryland. Kept trying to take me to stores called michaels. Finally found a work around by finding a specific restaurant in st michaels. But why can't it take to just the downtown sera?  It's only about 6 blocks?

     

    And still has little logic. If I ask for name of specific restaurNt by name. In all likely hoodi want the one 2miles away and not the one on the other side of the country.

     

    Maps are bad enough that I seldom use them. It seems like every time I do they dail me or make it difficult.

  • by richardfromspring lake,

    richardfromspring lake richardfromspring lake May 20, 2014 5:36 PM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 20, 2014 5:36 PM in response to teonyc

    Apple maps is prob not even the 3rd best GPS available for iOS.  Two things Apple can do to at least have a solid product in my book. First to show the compass on time map all the time!! Second is let me school the Map even while I'm receiving turn by turn directions. Two very easy things they could implement That would make using the application so much more enjoyable.

  • by Andrew Polemeni,Helpful

    Andrew Polemeni Andrew Polemeni Nov 12, 2014 6:27 PM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 12, 2014 6:27 PM in response to teonyc

    Yeah apple maps is absolutely horrible It sometimes gets me there but then I'll tell seri to take me home and end out in an air port, church, the middle of a desert or the other side of the world.

  • by instinctive31337,

    instinctive31337 instinctive31337 Apr 15, 2015 12:57 AM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 15, 2015 12:57 AM in response to teonyc

    I can confirm that it ***** in Germany as well. Wanted to set a location-based reminder in Reminders, and it doesn't know the street "Jahnallee" in a city with 80.000 people. The street has existed for at least 3 years by that name, and is quite prominent and about 1 km long.

  • by ecmorrell,

    ecmorrell ecmorrell Jul 9, 2015 5:46 PM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Jul 9, 2015 5:46 PM in response to teonyc

    Yes I don't get why when I start typing an address it auto-suggests things in EUROPE (I'm on the east coast of the USA).  It looks in my mail for addresses but doesn't seem good at spotting them- only if they're formatted with city state and zip all laid out nicely.  Seems weird compared to how smart other apps are.

  • by ecmorrell,

    ecmorrell ecmorrell Jul 16, 2015 7:25 AM in response to ecmorrell
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Jul 16, 2015 7:25 AM in response to ecmorrell

    Oh and another thing is it doesn't remember places where I've been for long.  It seems like "I've been there before" would be a good indicator that "I might go there again" but no.

     

    Also I tried to go to the new discussion (at the top it said this thread had been branched to a new discussion) and it said it's restricted.  I guess I don't have clearance.

  • by Manfred34,

    Manfred34 Manfred34 Aug 29, 2015 1:45 PM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Mac App Store
    Aug 29, 2015 1:45 PM in response to teonyc

    Apple Maps is pathetic in comparison to Google Maps.  Sorry.  When i type in my home address, and then switch to the satellite view, my place has not even been built yet in the satellite image that Apple has.  That means their satellite images are over 2 years old at the bare minimum.  And in fact, there is a similar complex to mine just down the street from me, that was built before mine, and even THAT ONE is not shown as having been built yet with Apple.  SO that means probably a minimum of 3 year-old-maps with Apple.  Not only does Google show my place on their satellite images, it also shows the CVS they just finished building, like, a month or two ago....  I am currently on an overnight in OKC and when I type in my street address minus my city and state, Google shows me the closest address in OKC.  I type in "chinese food delivery" in Apple Maps without putting in OKC and I get a location in Brazil  named "Chinese Delivery".  Over 5000 MILES AWAY.  Type the same thing in Google Maps and BAM!, get all the nearby in locations in OKC. 

    Pretty sad Apple...pretty sad.

  • by Travis Johnson,

    Travis Johnson Travis Johnson Nov 22, 2015 10:29 AM in response to teonyc
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 22, 2015 10:29 AM in response to teonyc

    Yes, Apple Maps SUCK and is wholly unacceptable.

     

    I wish I could use Google Maps as the default. Now with traffic update and rerouting! I can find anything and everything accurately!

     

    I wanted to find my local courthouse and showed me one 300 miles to the east. I wanted to find other places locally and never finds them. When I was on US 69 N and traveling to Kansas City; I looked up QuickTrip (I knew there was one somewhere ahead and could not remember exactly how many miles).. It showed me the Quicktrip over 80 miles away and Google found it 15 miles ahead (151st St)..

     

    Apple Maps should abandon TomTom and license a better database (Navtech, Google, etc.) but I cannot depend on Apple Maps at all and have to always manually open and use Google Maps.

     

    Apple Maps has got to be one of the largest current flop and failures of iPhone/iOS

     

    Oh.. And forget about trying to improve or suggest anything as your input is ignored!

     

    P.S. Apple... If you give two cents about your users "experience" and "quality"... Fix the stupid maps or GET RID OF THE CRAP and DELETE APPLE MAPS FROM iOS !!!!! (If you don't do it right than why do it at all?) You are only making Google and others look "competent" and "good" by your complete lack of competency in navigation and insistence of enhanced integration which you don't allow Google or others...

  • by CT,

    CT CT Nov 22, 2015 10:58 AM in response to Travis Johnson
    Level 6 (17,882 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 22, 2015 10:58 AM in response to Travis Johnson
  • by CT,

    CT CT Nov 22, 2015 10:59 AM in response to Travis Johnson
    Level 6 (17,882 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 22, 2015 10:59 AM in response to Travis Johnson
  • by Travis Johnson,

    Travis Johnson Travis Johnson Nov 22, 2015 11:14 AM in response to CT
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 22, 2015 11:14 AM in response to CT

    They do not place credence in this mechanism. They used to many years ago. I have been a Apple customer since 2000.

  • by Travis Johnson,

    Travis Johnson Travis Johnson Nov 22, 2015 11:22 AM in response to CT
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 22, 2015 11:22 AM in response to CT

    If it is not intuitive and fails to compensate for user error or lack of "proprietary" methods to successfully use than it should not be an app that is published by Apple nor by default installed.

     

    Google Maps it intuitive, does not need anything special from the user other than the vagueness of thought or interest to reliably, accurately and concisely deliver results every single time.

     

    Apple maps is still garbage and highlights their ineptness, incompetence and hubris in navigation.

  • by CT,

    CT CT Nov 22, 2015 4:32 PM in response to Travis Johnson
    Level 6 (17,882 points)
    Notebooks
    Nov 22, 2015 4:32 PM in response to Travis Johnson
Page 1 Next