Q: Apple maps very disappointing

If those usage stats are true then Apple can now claim, "Well, nobody uses Maps anyway."

doug

KC7GNM wrote:

 

I have to ask you what type of business puts untested software out to use? Where I work at we use windows computers yet every software update is tested on several machines that are not used for daily use. You should have tested on a few of your systems and not all of them and you would have found out that it wasn't working. Maybe you should have tested before deploying new software.

That is very well put!!!   Anyone RELYING on ANY type

of software for BUSINESS should NEVER jump on a

x.0 release in early days of release without investigating

any issues that are happening with that release.  That is

just basic common business sense.

:-)

http://vator.tv/news/2012-09-29-ouch-only-4-of-ios-6-users-still-using-apple-map s

This is not about a buggy app. It is about taking away core functionality.

Here is an analogy - Lets say Microsoft releases a free "update" to MS-Word. As most corporations will have their computers switched on to autoupdate Microsof Office (I know that over 55% of Fortune 500 corporations do), the updates happen.

Now, the update, removes support for all languages except english.

What happens to the MS-Word users in Europe, Asia, Africa? The idiots that they are, having updated in trust, all that they can do is whine and cry - is that right?

I think not. I think they can enforce a revert to the older version.

I think those statistic really say it all. Very enlightening.

Thank God I have iPhone 4s and iOS5. I won't update to iOS6 just to keep google maps.

a frequent maps user.

KC7GNM

This'll be quick 'cos I'm busy. You comment isn't actually that helpful is it?

However I'd agree with you.. Re. Updates - we shouldn't have done it..

But:

1. We're a small family business (run by 3 of us)

2. We are used to just getting updates that work...Not ones that don't.

3. The 'nag screen' sits in full view and only requires an OK to load. The account is used by all of us. That's a big flaw in how we use this - but we're on very tight margins and wanted something very simple... Until now this has been it.

4. We thought that like most software, we'd be able to go back to a prior version if the software didn't work. Only later did we discover that option is locked. That's the real issue.

We're not blameless here, but we should be allowed to go back.

Woodmeister50

See my response to KC7GNM

I don't say this is all Apples fault, but when:

1. IT is not your forte - you are just users

2. You are told this is the most 'beautiful map ever'

3. Until now you've not had any issue at all with Apple - ever

4. You think you can go back if you don't like it

Then it's not really that hard to see why.

We made a mistake though, and we're paying dearly for it now.

We just want the functionality we bought with the device restored. Apple Maps won't be ready in the next few days, so the only viable option to prevent us HAVING to change platform is to allow us to go back.

We don't want to leave Apple - but give me your suggestion of what we do to fix this instead of - "you should not have done that"  it's not helping much if you think about it...

We know.

No JBDelivery this is not your fault.

I still have 1 x iPad that is still on ios5.

Below is what it says on the 'Learn More' on the update page.

No-where does it say you cannot go back to ios5

This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

Maps

Apple-designed, vector-based maps

Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken directions on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (2nd and 3rd generation)

Real-time traffic information

Flyover for photo-realistic, interactive 3D views of major metropolitan areas on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation) and iPod touch (5th generation)

Local search results with Yelp photos, ratings, reviews and available deals

Siri integration for requesting directions and finding places along a route

Siri improvements

Sport: scores, player stats, game schedules, teamsheets and league standings for American football, baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey

Films: trailers, showtimes, reviews and facts

Restaurants: reservations, reviews, photos and information

Send a Tweet

Post on Facebook

App launch

Eyes Free in supported cars

Local search available in Siri-supported countries (availability may be limited during initial rollout)

Additional country and language support for Canada (English and Canadian French), China (Mandarin), Hong Kong (Cantonese), Italy (Italian), Korea (Korean), Mexico (Spanish), Spain (Spanish), Switzerland (Italian, French, German), Taiwan (Mandarin), US (Spanish)

Supported on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad (3rd generation) and iPod touch (5th generation)

Facebook integration

Single sign-on from Settings

Post from Photos, Safari, Maps, App Store, iTunes, Game Center, Notification Centre and Siri

Add location and choose audience for any post

View up-to-date Facebook profile photos and contact information in Contacts

View Facebook events and birthdays in Calendar

Like content and see your friends' Likes in App Store and iTunes Store

Shared Photo Streams

Share selected photos with the people you choose

Friends can view shared photos in Photos app, iPhoto and Apple TV

Friends can like and make comments on individual photos 

Passbook

One place for boarding passes, store cards, film tickets and other passes

Barcode display for boarding flights, buying coffee, getting into films and other actions

Passes displayed on Lock Screen based on time or location

Passes can be automatically updated

Supported on iPhone and iPod touch

FaceTime improvements

FaceTime over mobile network support for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation)

Receive FaceTime calls, sent to your iPhone number, on your iPad and iPod touch

Phone improvements

Do Not Disturb to suppress incoming calls and notifications

'Reply with message' option when declining a call

'Remind me later' option based on time or location when declining a call

Mail improvements

VIP mailbox to quickly access mail from important people

Flagged email mailbox

Insert photos and videos when composing email

Open password-protected Office docs

Pull down to refresh mailboxes

Per-account signatures

Safari improvements

iCloud tabs to see open pages on all your devices

Offline Reading List

Photo upload support

Full-screen landscape view on iPhone and iPod touch

Smart app banners

JavaScript performance improvements

App Store and iTunes Store improvements

Updated store design

iTunes Preview history

Complete my series

Complete my album

Game Center improvements

Challenge friends to beat high scores and achievements

Post high scores and achievements to Facebook and Twitter

Friend recommendations based on your Facebook friends

Accessibility improvements

Guided Access to limit device to one app or restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen

VoiceOver integration with Maps, AssistiveTouch and Zoom

Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S

Improved privacy controls for Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Photos and data shared over Bluetooth

Reminders can be reordered in the Reminders app

Custom vibrations for alerts on iPhone

Clock app for iPad

Clock alarm with song

Search all fields in Contacts

Automatic film mode for improved video sound quality

Definitions of a selected word for Chinese, French, German and Spanish

New keyboard layouts for French, German, Turkish, Catalan, Arabic and Icelandic

Keyboard shortcuts shared across devices via iCloud

Bluetooth MAP support

Global network proxy for HTTP

Features for China

Baidu web search

Sina Weibo integration

Share videos to Tudou

Share videos to Youku

Improved text input for handwriting and Pinyin

Bug fixes

Some features may not be available in all countries or all areas. Please visit this website for more details:

http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability

To extend the MS-Word analogy further, the solutions offered by Tim Cook are on the following lines -

1. There are many more free and paid word processor apps out there. You can buy one of them. (Wake, MapQuest etc.)

2. I know that those apps will not integrate with the rest of Microsoft Office and will not interoperate with Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. But I am sure you can live with it for a few years until I figure out how to get back other languages into MS-Word (Maps and Calendar, contacts, mail etc.)

3. You can also use notepad, wordpad to write your text in other languages and cut and paste them into MS-Word. So, you really have not lost anything as you can still write text in your language. (Google and Nokia web apps)

This is something Microsoft would never dare to do.

Apple has so far been absent from the corporate world - it was the domain of Blackberry etc.  I don't think they ever had to deal with litigation from end users - most cant afford it and it is simply not worth the trouble. They took this decision in a context that may have worked in an all consumer end  users scenario.

Litigation from corporate users is new to Apple - I think some action is likely this time from companies. We may still get IOS 5 Maps back as an interim solution. In addition, Maps may cause a new level of damage to some vulnerable individuals - older people and tech challenged people - there could be unfortunate loss of life and limb because they expect it to work the same way as the older App. If nothing, the new App should carry an explicit warning for such vulnerable people.

Whoa!

Test software that your business depends on before rolling it out to all your employees? What a radical idea....Easy Tiger!

If you are serious, and you want to go back to iOS 5 with the minimum amount of cost and delay I suggest you do the following because as unpopular as it sounds there is not going to be an easier way in the near future: Buy replacement iPhones and iPads on eBay ensuring you buy from vendors who have not upgraded to iOS6. Once you have these up and running sell your existing devices on eBay to cover the bulk of your costs.

You will be out of pocket, and it may be that you will prefer to trade to Android out of pricncipal anyway, but for a pragmatic solution to your desire to downgrade this is your best option.

Oh and by the way, I may be able to help you here. I have an iOS5 based iPhone 4S, and am happy to sell it to you for a price equivalent to me replacing it with an iPhone 5.

Humor requires more effort than that. This is a better attempt - https://www.youtube.com/embed/GkDz4wMI9J8

And in all seriousness, my even feebler attempt a couple of days back was deleted by the host. Obviously, there are other factors at play here.

The only real solution is for Apple to enable a regression path to IOS 5 Maps and that will happen soon enough. One way or the other. In the meanwhile, noise levels must remain high - on all forums - by all Apple users badly effected by the change.

http://www.businessinsider.com/people-are-calling-for-this-apple-executives-head -2012-9