Tim Cook apologizes for iOS 6 maps problems

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dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
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Steve Jobs also let Ping, MobileMe and the G4 Cube happen. No person is infallable.
 
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ITHURTSWHENIP

Senior member
Nov 30, 2011
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Talk is cheap. Time to open that billion dollar wallet and either make a deal or buy a proper mapping company. More user data wont solve the fundamental problem they are facing
 
Phokus

Phokus

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
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Last edited by a moderator:
rcpratt

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
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An apology is one thing...surprised he actually told people to go out and use other products.

Just because God Steve didn't do something doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do, though.
 
Phokus

Phokus

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
22,994
779
126
rcpratt said:
An apology is one thing...surprised he actually told people to go out and use other products.

Just because God Steve didn't do something doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do, though.
Click to expand...

In an alternate universe where steve is still alive:

"Dear Apple Customers, DEAL WITH IT" - Steve :D
 
D

dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
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ITHURTSWHENIP said:
Talk is cheap. Time to open that billion dollar wallet and either make a deal or buy a proper mapping company. More user data wont solve the fundamental problem they are facing
Click to expand...

The problem isn't money. That's what led them to believe that piecing data together from different companies would actually work reliably.

Google didn't get where it was simply by throwing a lot of money at the problem. They soon realized that it takes time, physical bodies, and collecting data yourself to get consistent data you and your users can trust.

I suppose they could drop $10 billion on such a project, but then you'd have to wonder what strategic advantage is there to have your own maps instead of paying someone who's already done a ton of the hard work. There is no point in re-inventing the wheel, especially when someone has already made an airplane.
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
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dagamer34 said:
The problem isn't money. That's what led them to believe that piecing data together from different companies would actually work reliably.

Google didn't get where it was simply by throwing a lot of money at the problem. They soon realized that it takes time, physical bodies, and collecting data yourself to get consistent data you and your users can trust.

I suppose they could drop $10 billion on such a project, but then you'd have to wonder what strategic advantage is there to have your own maps instead of paying someone who's already done a ton of the hard work. There is no point in re-inventing the wheel, especially when someone has already made an airplane.
Click to expand...

Google made that airplane, and as a result everyone has been booking their flights (searching) through them, providing all kinds of data. Apple wanted a piece of that pie, and that's why they tried to make their own solution.
 
I

ITHURTSWHENIP

Senior member
Nov 30, 2011
310
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dagamer34 said:
The problem isn't money. That's what led them to believe that piecing data together from different companies would actually work reliably.

Google didn't get where it was simply by throwing a lot of money at the problem. They soon realized that it takes time, physical bodies, and collecting data yourself to get consistent data you and your users can trust.

I suppose they could drop $10 billion on such a project, but then you'd have to wonder what strategic advantage is there to have your own maps instead of paying someone who's already done a ton of the hard work. There is no point in re-inventing the wheel, especially when someone has already made an airplane.
Click to expand...

hence the "time to make a deal or buy a proper mapping company" part of my post. I never stated they should build it from the ground up, it would take them a decade just to reach equal parity with Google/Nokia. It would be cheaper and less time consuming to simply license Navteq or buy TomTom or a similar company
 
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dagamer34

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Aug 15, 2005
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ITHURTSWHENIP said:
hence the "time to make a deal or buy a proper mapping company" part of my post. I never stated they should build it from the ground up, it would take them a decade just to reach equal parity with Google/Nokia. It would be cheaper and less time consuming to simply license Navteq or buy TomTom or a similar company
Click to expand...

I think the issue is that there really isn't a company to "buy" to fix the problem. I don't think there's that much of a difference licensing data from TomTom and buying them. Perhaps they could license data from Navteq, but why on earth would Nokia do something like that? Apps Maps is weak and they know it.
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
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I think Apple just wants to have their own in house solution, not be tied to another company through licensing and whatnot. That and they want the search data.
 
cheezy321

cheezy321

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2003
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Does this really need another post? We have a long ass thread specifically about Apple maps
 
jhansman

jhansman

Platinum Member
Feb 5, 2004
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Poor Steve...spinning in his grave. I can just see Cook in front of the board: "Well, see, we saw how well Google was doing with it and thought, uh, ...."
 
P

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
7,419
22
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The apology is unusual for Apple. It's news. I'm ok with a different thread on this new development.
 
S

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
9,427
16
81
slugg said:
Okay, I missed it... What's the problem with Apple's maps?
Click to expand...
Check the other thread.

Basically: they dumped Google, made their own app, got the "buying a ton of raw data" part, but barely scratched the "years of hand-massaging/fixing" part, and underestimated how important it was.

That NYT piece by Pogue ripping Apple is really surprising, given that he's usually a big fan.

So is this apology. But... it's not like they're going to change the default or let you change the default, so you still get screwed.
 
jpeyton

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
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Phokus said:
I have to agree, classy move from Tim, even going so far as to suggest obviously superior products from competitors. Steve would have just told everyone to fuck off.
Click to expand...
That's why Steve was a better CEO, and Tim will eventually run Apple into the ground.

The people who buy iPhone pay a hefty premium to buy something that "just works". And even if it doesn't work, admitting a glaring error like this puts chinks in your product's armor. The iPhone is supposed to be the best smartphone on the market, with software from the best tech company in the world.

Steve "you're holding it wrong" Jobs would have deflected and deferred the issue until the company had a solid fix for it, and then the entire debacle would have faded into obscurity. Tim Cook just told everyone in the world who bought their $700 premium smartphone to dig through their drawers for their old Garmins.
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Apple Maps wasn't designed to take you where you wanted to go, but rather, where you needed to be.
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
jpeyton said:
That's why Steve was a better CEO, and Tim will eventually run Apple into the ground.

The people who buy iPhone pay a hefty premium to buy something that "just works". And even if it doesn't work, admitting a glaring error like this puts chinks in your product's armor. The iPhone is supposed to be the best smartphone on the market, with software from the best tech company in the world.

Steve "you're holding it wrong" Jobs would have deflected and deferred the issue until the company had a solid fix for it, and then the entire debacle would have faded into obscurity. Tim Cook just told everyone in the world who bought their $700 premium smartphone to dig through their drawers for their old Garmins.
Click to expand...
Well the Steve email was one example of douchiness, and I don't think it was meant for public consumption. And plus this was before they came out and did that whole free bumper thing.

The public thing they did was came out and talked about the issue. It was a PR spin. They admitted the iPhone wasn't the best at dealing with attenuation and offered bumper cases, but then also pointed at other phones as having trouble. I think Apple itself acknowledged the antenna issue. And plus, attenuation is a known issue. While the iPhone 4 did it, other phones like the Nexus S and Galaxy S 1/2 were prone to attenuation too. The iPhone was just probably the worst offender, and it was more of an issue given the bars to dB correlation on an iPhone.

But Tim Cook probably took it a step further and used a full blown apology.
 
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