Q: Apple maps very disappointing

Please read my earlier posts where I have explained the problem and also provided an analogy using MS-Word as an example.

Difficult t go into detail again-

Basically three issues -

1. Convenience and ease of use

2. Unnecessary costs

3. Lack of integration with other apps that work with it

Man...for God's sake...why should we use work arounds if the full solution is there?

Who made that holy untouchable decree that if you have upgraded to IOS 6 then you won't have the right to go back to IOS 5.

If all that Apple Maps on IOS 6 show on my region is the digital map then when and how am I supposed to give feedback to apple to improve the application? I need directions, route selection, and integration with other programs.

Man..the person who made this decision should be fired. You just can't get away when you take a decision that upsets groups of customers, lowers their faith in the product, and destroys their loyalty to the company. Apple is going to fix this and allow IOS 5 signing soon because it is logic and most probably illegal not to as pointed many times in different posts.

What is the logic in applying the unworking workarounds when the shortest simplest solution is there? People who didn't upgrade are still using their devices happily. Groups of the people who upgraded aren't happy and I don't see why they should be helping in fixing something for a company that didn't respect them. Respect me then ask me for help or favors. This is simple logic and basic 101 customer relationship.

I think some people are getting carried away.  It's the same people complaining over and over agin and then belittling people who are sharing more positive experiences.  No one is disputing the overall problem.  Just understand that not everyone is as outraged as some in this forum.  I agree that people should express their frustration.  I hope you would agree that all of our experiences are valid.  When I get attacked for having my own opinion, I begin to think those attackers are disingenuous.

pedramolar wrote:

 

  I understand that you are not satisfied -- you have made it clear over and over again.  When the same people keep raising the heat on the issue, it doesn't change things.  Apple has acknowledged the problem.  What else do you seek to gain?  Apple has named a lot of workarounds that will help you; Are they not good enough?

 

Are you serious? It's the only way to change things. If you get short-changed at a store and the clerk refuses to make good, what are you going to do? See the supervisor, then the manager, then the CEO until you get satisfaction. You keep on keeping on.

What else do I seek to gain? The Maps experience (or one of equivalence) that I paid for. And no, the workarounds are not good enough.

Everyone here acknowledges that there is a problem

No they don't.

  Complaining and attacking on a message board is accomplishing nothing.

Well, so far it's got an apology from Cook and the website description of Maps hastily re-worded. Hopefully, increased pressure will get more.

If you don't like Apple, don't use their products.

It's a bit bloody late for that! If I was starting from scratch I wouldn't. However, I'm several iPhones, iPads and thousands of £  and hours into Apple - and all devices  were with functioning mapping systems until iOS 6.

There is a problem, which they will attempt to solve in a way that they think is best.

Their attempt to solve their mapping 'problem' (you know, the one that didn't exist) didn't work out too well, did it?

The simplest solution -- for Apple AND its customers -- is the Google Maps web app.  It is the same data that was used by the app.  I understand that it is an inconvenience in some ways, but it works.

pedramolar wrote:

 

Please explain, so we can all understand.  I have used some of them, including the Google web app; they're all well-functioning.  If Google's data worked for you in iOS 5, it should work for you as a web app.  What am I missing?

What you are missing is the Integration Factor. This has been pointed out pretty well in many past posts by JBDelivery and others.

There are no work arounds for this to my knowledge.  Yes, you can buy a 3rd party map app but it is not integrated with Contacts, Calendar and even other 3rd pary apps which link to the native Map app.  The difference in usefullness is like Night and Day. You may have never used the integrated features of Maps much.  Some causal users don't know much about it but once you use these integrated features and ways of doing things there is no substitute except spending much much more time than necessary.

It would also be nice if just getting another phone to meet our needs were an easy option. After spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on Apple iDevices and getting them all working together smoothly you just can't go out and by a better phone to replace the iphone. How would you transfer all your data over and get apps for a different smartphone which can use the same data you have spent months or years accumulating on the iPhone.  This is no small task.

I don't wish to share in any arguments here, I'm just answering your question.

Have a Great Day!

You seem like a nice person and I mean no disrespect to you. Please understand that your suggestion was mooted on day one of the iLost saga and has been dismissed by anyone who uses mapping in any depth.

The web interface of Google Maps is slow, clunky, buggy, has no Streetview (rumoured to be coming) but most importantly is not integrated into iOS.

Yes, it's an alternative but not an acceptable one. It's not 'inconvenient', it's simply nowhere near as good as what we already had (and have paid for).

It would also be nice if just getting another phone to meet our needs were an easy option. After spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on Apple iDevices and getting them all working together smoothly you just can't go out and by a better phone to replace the iphone. How would you transfer all your data over and get apps for a different smartphone which can use the same data you have spent months or years accumulating on the iPhone.  This is no small task.

 

<applause>

I think you are giving the boards a little too much credit.  Also, thank members of the press who have pushed this story. 

I've been sidetracked.  You have the right to your opinion; express it.  However, accept that yours is not the only experience.  People have the right to share their experiences just as much as you.  That's where this started.  I shared my opinion and experience and you didn't like it, so you attacked my post, others defended me, and here we are.  Where we differ is that I think that Apple has handled the failure as well as they could and you don't.  I will wait to see what corrections they will make and you don't want to be inconvenienced for the moment. 

Ultimately, Apple will have to decide what's best for them based on not only customer input, but also an evaluation of the problem and how it might be solved.  If they think it can't be fixed, they'll likely offer an update with Google Maps until next year.  If they feel it's fixable, you will never see the old app again.  I think Apple has spoken and that's all you'll see from them until they make their assessment.

Complain all you want, but leave others with other experiences alone.  I would encourage both side to do that.

 

Complain all you want, but leave others with other experiences alone.  I would encourage both side to do that.

Well, I will have to agree with you on that.  Arguing back and forth is not helping anything.

Sharing our own experiences and even complaints can be very useful however.

Agreed, the press have pushed this, but where do they get their stories, especially the lazy ones? Straight from boards like these.

This thread and countless others are about the serious shortcomings of Maps, which for some, is a very big deal. Two-liners stating "well, it works ok for me" are at best banal and at worst mischievous and provocative, especially to people who are upset  enough as it is.

I respect your opinion but cannot see how Apple have handled this as well they could, when all they need to do, in the short term at least, is allow us to revert to iOS5.

We're trying to draw attention to a problem. Others' experiences will vary, of course, but anecdotal "all is well, any who suggest otherwise is a troll" posts will likely draw a reaction from some.

Great post, pretty much a round-up of this whole discussion:

Doug Lerner2 wrote:

 

It's actually useful to complain. It's part of helping make Apple realize the extent of the problem. And also part of warning others about the existence of the problem (which is useful for users visiting these forums). In essence, the complaints are technical.

 

Calling those with legitimate complaints "whiners" and "trolls" just makes Apple supporters appear unempathetic and unsupportive. Is that a good impression to leave? The people who are complaining are not trolls.It's just silly to keep on saying they are. It's denial.

 

It is also factually true that most people do not like the new Apple Maps. As has been posted in this thread (with reference links) people who use the app on a daily basis have dropped from 25% of iOS users to just 4% since the upgrade to iOS 6. That's a huge indication that the overwhelming majority of people find the new app unusable.

It is not just on these forums. It is everywhere.

Enterprise customers who were planning to move to IOS from Blackberry will now stop and wait.

Less than 1% of smartphone users are using Apple Maps - so, to say that the majority find no use for them is correct. See here -  http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/nokia-oracle-apple-maps-94623

Here is 30 B gone- http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2012/oct/01/apple-30-billion-maps-mist ake?

The consumer and business legal action is also going to begin all over the world. leading to even more bad press and loss of reputation and value.

So much damage, when all that is needed is to simply allow the option to revert to IOS5 Maps! What a waste! I feel really sorry for Apple - The management must protect the company - and it is so easy - one simple action - just allow regression to IOS5

Otherwise all I have put to you is a pragmatic way forward.

<Edited By Host>

Pedramolar,

I appreciate our point of view I really do.

What you have to realise that if you read back through all the posts on this particular thread (of which there are many) you will see a large number from those of those who use the integrated applications in iOS to the benefit of our businesses.

Some of us have been with Apple more than quarter-century, and we love Apple products.

I am one. I have no wish to change from an Apple platform as I have managed to build several businesses successfully around the technology, function and ease-of-use that Apple provide.

I will not take time here to go back in detail on things that have already been written by me and others on this forum explaining just why the proposed solutions by Tim Cook (and other Apple 'helpers'

on this forum) are simply not workable, or do not have the same functionality.

Unlike some here, I have read every single post on this thread, and I have summarised it in an earlier posting So that both myself and others here do not have to keep repeating themselves. The answers to why all of your suggestions are not the answer can be found earlier in this thread.

However, it is important not to overlook some key points.

In brief these are simply:

1. The Apple Map software is not as described

2. The Apple Map software is not fit for purpose

3. Devices purchased for their suite of features have had some of these features removed arbitrarily

4. Apple have deliberately blocked access to the firmware originally purchased

Just one of these items breaks UK consumer law.

I am trying everything I know in order to avoid resorting to remedy using the law.

I want to stay on an Apple platform with a working solution, whilst if necessary and if I have the resource available we help get Apple Maps to the point where it should be. It does seem to have far more promise in the long term than Google maps on iOS being vector based.

However the situation today is that in the UK Apple Maps is not 1/10 of the application that Google maps was as an embedded part of iOS 5.

Apple's refusal to allow a return path from iOS6 to iOS5 not only contravenes several statutes, it also importantly for Apple, alienates their biggest supporters - Apple customers who are early adopters.

Eventually, someone will force Apple to reinstate the product they purchased, and the floodgates will open.

In the interim, those of us who need a working solution fast are looking at alternates.

I wouldn't be looking if I could go back, but it is Apples action that is forcing me away.

It's a kick in the teeth frankly, and a breach of trust.