Tim Cook apologizes for iOS 6 maps problems

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm not a fanboy of either Apple or Google, but there is a very real difference in how the two companies present their new products. Google is usually up front about software that is still in the beta stage. Many times there is a big "BETA" right on the software just in case the user isn't aware of the fact. Apple holds huge press events with long agonizing run-ups and then presents their products as the most polished (and finished) that money can buy. Everyone knows the "it just works" line by now. Apple prices their stuff accordingly. When something turns out to be half assed like the Maps application that can turn around on Apple much more than if they had been up front about the state of things.

Ok but when Google launches everything Beta and keeps everything Beta for years, does that word mean anything anymore? It's like having a Grand Opening sign on your restaurant for 2 years. It doesn't mean anything anymore.

When Apple launches a Beta product, it's more Beta than a Google Beta product.

Google's launches, whether Beta or not, are launches. They have enough flops on their side to look bad too is all I'm saying. As for press events where they show things off? Come on. Google throws media events too. NFC is the biggest flop ever. It's not only about low adoption, it's their botched execution.

Furthermore, if you're launching something, you would never come out and sell yourself short saying this is beta, sorry if not everything works, etc etc. Apple had it right to go sell its iOS Maps app in all their media events. Of course you would show things off.

I think yeah it should get dinged for poor execution kinda like Google should for its NFC launch. But at the same time I think Apple gets extra attention with mistakes while Google gets to slide.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm not a fanboy of either Apple or Google, but there is a very real difference in how the two companies present their new products. Google is usually up front about software that is still in the beta stage. Many times there is a big "BETA" right on the software just in case the user isn't aware of the fact. Apple holds huge press events with long agonizing run-ups and then presents their products as the most polished (and finished) that money can buy. Everyone knows the "it just works" line by now. Apple prices their stuff accordingly. When something turns out to be half assed like the Maps application that can turn around on Apple much more than if they had been up front about the state of things.

Ok but when Google launches everything Beta and keeps everything Beta for years, does that word mean anything anymore? It's like having a Grand Opening sign on your restaurant for 2 years. It doesn't mean anything anymore.

When Apple launches a Beta product, it's more Beta than a Google Beta product.

Google's launches, whether Beta or not, are launches. They have enough flops on their side to look bad too is all I'm saying. As for press events where they show things off? Come on. Google throws media events too. NFC is the biggest flop ever. It's not only about low adoption, it's their botched execution.

Furthermore, if you're launching something, you would never come out and sell yourself short saying this is beta, sorry if not everything works, etc etc. Apple had it right to go sell its iOS Maps app in all their media events. Of course you would show things off.

I think yeah it should get dinged for poor execution kinda like Google should for its NFC launch. But at the same time I think Apple gets extra attention with mistakes while Google gets to slide and gets more free passes. Heck half the excuses about Google not finishing X, Y, Z is about "Don't like it? Get a 3rd party app, or root your phone"

 

[ControlD]

Ok but when Google launches everything Beta and keeps everything Beta for years, does that word mean anything anymore? It's like having a Grand Opening sign on your restaurant for 2 years. It doesn't mean anything anymore.

When Apple launches a Beta product, it's more Beta than a Google Beta product.

Google's launches, whether Beta or not, are launches. They have enough flops on their side to look bad too is all I'm saying. As for press events where they show things off? Come on. Google throws media events too. NFC is the biggest flop ever. It's not only about low adoption, it's their botched execution.

Furthermore, if you're launching something, you would never come out and sell yourself short saying this is beta, sorry if not everything works, etc etc. Apple had it right to go sell its iOS Maps app in all their media events. Of course you would show things off.

I think yeah it should get dinged for poor execution kinda like Google should for its NFC launch. But at the same time I think Apple gets extra attention with mistakes while Google gets to slide.

I would say it is a difference in philosophy. Google embraces (perhaps too much so) the concept of having millions of users perform beta testing on their products. Having a huge base of users from which to pull data is a powerful tool, one only need look at Linux or BSD for an example. Apple on the other hand prefers a more closed testing methodology. I'm not saying one is more right than the other but the two companies operate in very different ways when it comes to software design.

Why does Apple get dinged more that Google? Maybe it is because Apple usually delivers on their releases or just because they set themselves up for more scrutiny simply by the way they present their products.

 

[slugg]

Breaking news:

My girlfriend works for Disney reservations. They've been getting calls left and right from guests using iPhones with the new maps software getting lost and being late to their appointments, missing shows, tours, restaurant reservations, you name it. Disney's unofficial (not in writing, but in practice) policy is to advise against using Apple's maps for directions.

 

[dagamer34]

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.

How do you spin what can be visually proven to be inaccurate and wrong? At least with the antenna issue, the simple fix was easy: use a case. And if you had bought the phone without anyone ever mentioning the antenna issue, most people either wouldn't know or wouldn't care.

But Maps is different, because when it's wrong, it causes a LOT of problems. It becomes untrustworthy. It actually points out a crutch we've all been relying on for so long: if a person goes to an unfamiliar place and needs to find XYZ, we implicitly trust our maps app to find XYZ location and give us correct directions to go there. When you screw with that, you make a LOT of people angry.

Antennas - verifiable with scientific testing.
Maps - verifiable by looking at a picture.

One is far easier to complain about than the other.

 

[WelshBloke]

... But I never see Google catching the same amount of flak. How about something basic that still affects practically every phone out there? Launcher redraws? It's a proven fact that google's memory management is horrible and that's why there's a thousand page thread on XDA regarding the V6 supercharger script. I feel like people are more forgiving when Google releases mediocre products than when Apple stumbles. Let's not even talk about the halfassed products like Google+, Google currents when they first debuted. Google+ video hangouts completely flops for Samsung Exynos devices. Last I checked that makes up a huge portion of the Android user base.

Honestly there is a bias and people expect Apple to be at 100% execution. I'm not saying iOS maps is great. I'll show off my Google Maps as the superior product to my iOS friends, but I see too many people laughing at Apple's shortcomings with maps simply because they're fanboys or whatever.

Firstly a launcher redraw is nothing like the same as the maps error. If your launcher consistently launched a different app than the one you wanted it to you might be closer to a similar situation.

Secondly its easy to fully replace a Google app with a third party one and have it deeply integrate with the OS. Google don't block apps that have the same functionality, they compete and you can use the best one.

 

[Phokus]

Breaking news:

My girlfriend works for Disney reservations. They've been getting calls left and right from guests using iPhones with the new maps software getting lost and being late to their appointments, missing shows, tours, restaurant reservations, you name it. Disney's unofficial (not in writing, but in practice) policy is to advise against using Apple's maps for directions.

 

[psych2]

Ok but when Google launches everything Beta and keeps everything Beta for years, does that word mean anything anymore? It's like having a Grand Opening sign on your restaurant for 2 years. It doesn't mean anything anymore.

When Apple launches a Beta product, it's more Beta than a Google Beta product.

Google's launches, whether Beta or not, are launches. They have enough flops on their side to look bad too is all I'm saying. As for press events where they show things off? Come on. Google throws media events too. NFC is the biggest flop ever. It's not only about low adoption, it's their botched execution.

Furthermore, if you're launching something, you would never come out and sell yourself short saying this is beta, sorry if not everything works, etc etc. Apple had it right to go sell its iOS Maps app in all their media events. Of course you would show things off.

I think yeah it should get dinged for poor execution kinda like Google should for its NFC launch. But at the same time I think Apple gets extra attention with mistakes while Google gets to slide and gets more free passes. Heck half the excuses about Google not finishing X, Y, Z is about "Don't like it? Get a 3rd party app, or root your phone"

Apple overcharges for it's products, and in return you expect to get a product that is polished and free of major flaws. Google offers Beta products that are free and get better over time. So yes, when you plunk down $600 dollars for an iPhone I would at least expect usable maps or at the very least open alternatives.

 

[MagickMan]

I find Maps to be usable, and I can download the Google app for free. I'm not seeing the disaster here. More like a tempest in a teapot.

 

[ponyo]

I find Maps to be usable, and I can download the Google app for free. I'm not seeing the disaster here. More like a tempest in a teapot.

So you can download the Google app for free? Do tell.

 

[Phokus]

So you can download the Google app for free? Do tell.

I think he travelled to the future/alternate universe when Google releases the maps app and came back in time to tell us about it.

 

[MagickMan]

I think he travelled to the future/alternate universe when Google releases the maps app and came back in time to tell us about it.

So you can download the Google app for free? Do tell.

It takes a little work to use the iOS 5 app.

 

[Mopetar]

So you can download the Google app for free? Do tell.

Perhaps he meant Google's web-based maps application.