“There is no company on Earth that knows how to spin a negative story into good positive vibes better than Apple (AAPL), and the company did it again on Friday,” Chris Ciaccia writes for TheStreet. “Apple CEO Tim Cook released a letter on the company’s Web site, apologizing for the poor mapping application the company released as part of iOS 6, its latest mobile operating system.”
“Not only does Cook pull a page out of Steve Jobs’ playbook by apologizing (Jobs apologized for the iPhone pricing debacle), but he even mentions other mapping apps, such as Google’s, Microsoft’s Bing, and even Nokia,” Ciaccia writes. “For the CEO of the most powerful tech company in the world to come out and apologize for a piece of software, then mention his competitors’ products, is a sign of humbleness and an incredibly powerful statement.”
Ciaccia writes, “An apology from Cook on this issue will go a long way in smoothing over some of the negative response from customers. Heck, it may even help sell more iPhones.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related article:
Tim Cook open letter: We fell short with new Maps app; we are extremely sorry – September 28, 2012
Baloney. There was no reason for an apology.
Of course the shysters of WS love it. Now they can continuously push google stock price to the stratosphere. The logic will be google is unbeatable and their esearch income stream will go unabated.
Until Apple delivers and then it’s ball game over. Apple wins!
Even so, there’s room for humility (humbleness is NOT a word in original article)
Agreed. Cook’s apology was masterful. People who seek this as a weakness are mistaken. Only the arrogant refuse to believe that they are never wrong in a significant enough way to warrant an apology.
Good show, Tim! We cannot expect perfection from Apple because it is a company staffed by fallible human beings. The best that we can hope for is that Apple strives for perfection and attempts to learn from its inevitable mistakes.
Let he or she who embodies perfection cast the first stone.
Apparently a lot more fallible under cook…
Cook joins 100’s of CEO’s who do care for their customers and who have posted public apologies. Caring for your clients is not exclusive to Apple Inc. Come on people there is life outside Apple Inc.
Really Gary? Name one. Definitely not Samsung!
Well said. It takes an awfully big person to come out like that and apologize. It would work wonders if other companies who make honest blunders applied too. Tim’s apology was a breath of fresh air, especially from a company as big and powerful as Apple. That’s the reason why I have gone with iPhone.
I keep waiting for Ballmer’s apology for 31 years of computing Hell.
Seems like you think you’re always right King. You preach “your take” on everything Apple constantly with no objectivity. You are always the “last word” on anything Apple. Everyone else is wrong King. A bit arrogant are ya King? But you do call yourself “King”! I guess that says it all.
+1
Something government can learn from the private sector. There are politicians (ie public/community leaders) eager to cast stones, and they do.
Agreed that there wasw no need for an apology. It should have said something like, “Apple Maps is a bold new mapping service. We realize that thesis a significant undertaking. As such, it will get better and better with more data contributed by you, our loyal customers.”
Had they not done the maps shit an apology would be unecessary. Quit making excuses. They fucked up. No excuses please. Can you say Beta? That would have eliminated most of the negativity about an obviously flawed and stupid release. Quit making excuses and blaming everything and everybody else for Apple’s fuck up. The attention should be on the release, not on an apology. Hell, even Apple realizes they screwed up.
“Had they not done the maps shit an apology would be unnecessary.”
Well that is the very nature of apologies, isn’t it?
It’s funny how some MDN readers possess more knowledge about corporate management than people who’ve been on the job, in the trenches. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, regardless of how much experience they’ve had at high level management and decision making. I’m just grateful they have no voice whatsoever in making decisions in a company that’s putting along nicely. Smart money is in it for the long term, a la S.J. Me too.
Didn’t cha know…
All MDN readers are experts in all fields.
/s
Some of us run companies.
Owning a car does not a race car driver make.
“Some of us run companies.”
So does Steve Ballmer. I’m not taking his advice either. I don’t like it. I don’t like it a lot.
I knew that.
Each one in it for their agenda – think different
Perhaps no NEED for an apology, but VERY SMART for Tim Cook to offer one for the following reasons:
1. It lets Apple’s customers know that Apple has heard them and is acknowledging the problems;
2. Cook can tell everyone that Apple will get it fixed, and quickly;
3. Cook diffuses any of the mounting calls of Apple demanding to control the entire sandbox just because it wants to because Cook tells people to use other apps until Apple can deliver something better;
4. The apology takes the charge out of the situation, and consumers and pundits alike can say, “Gee, Apple apologized for the bugs, even though they really didn’t have to”.
5. The apology shows Apple’s customers that Apple puts customer experience above all else by promoting other map apps, and promising to get Maps improved soon.
Right on. He demonstrates an awareness of the marketplace and defuses much criticism of Apple’s perceived arrogance. If only politicians were this civilized.
1
In 2 months, nobody will remember the maps “issue”
+1
Right and it’s only an app after all
And a much nicer looking, feeling and funtional one at that which will measure up to any, very soon
You only have to look at the crap satellite imagery for the town I live in, in North Wiltshire, UK, compared to the Google version, to see how poor the source mapping is for iOS mapping, and in the town centre there are a number of shops marked that are either in totally the wrong place, or have never existed, and a national cycle route, in existence since 2000, isn’t even shown. These are not minor flaws. Unless you are one of the metropolitan elite who couldn’t give a fuck…
So now people who live in big cities are the “metropolitan elite”? Will this childish, “us against them” thinking never end?!
+1
+2
I love how we’re piecing Rorschach’s identity together slowly. Keep flapping sir.
Now Watch for the Google shorts as Apple mapping updates that fix the problem!
I love the new app and looking forward to it getting even better.
Even consumer reports (apple haters) says there was no need for a apology.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/28/consumer-reports-compares-ios-6-maps-directions-to-googles-android-maps
Of course it could be they delayed their. Now they can embarrass apple for having a CEO who seems to be masochistic.
Sure, until Consumer Reports evaluates the iPhone 5 and puts a Not Recommended label on it because the Maps app isn’t 100% accurate.
I liked it much better when Steve, in his signature arrogance, would say – “you’re holding it wrong” and “get a life” our stuff is the best there is and if you can’t use it right, that’s your problem. Tim Cook is a wuss.
And you are a constant troll.
Jobs is dead. Quit living in the past. Get a life. Apple fucked up. They realize it, finally. Heads should roll. But won’t.They will improve but never catch up with Google maps. Before long (now for some) fanboys will claim Apple’s maps are really different and great. Jobs had has mistakes but rarely even admitted it. His personality. Cook is a mere mortal and understands its better to acknowledge,fix and move on. Well except for Browett. And I think Browett is a huge mistake going forward. Do not mess with the customer. Browett is still there so look for small changes that will hurt Apple. He needs to go. I think the maps issue will die down some and fanboys will settle for something from Apple maps. They had better keep Google maps for quite a while for the rest of the world. By the time the iPad mini arrives in the next few months or weeks maps will be a small thorn in Apple’s foot. The mini will remove the thorn and make everything better. I have hope that Tim Cook will do a better job going forward. I believe he is well suited for inventory control I’m hoping that he can manage the whole company better. Browett needs to go Tim. And you know, Browett might just “resign” somewhere down the road. I’m long AAPL as an investor and user and professional for many decades.
GM: “[Apple] will improve but never catch up with Google maps.”
On what basis can you reasonably make that assertion? Some claimed that Apple couldn’t make a better OS, or portable digital music player, or smartphone, or tablet, either. But they did. Not everything that Apple hits is a home run. But your lack of confidence in Apple’s ability to beat Gogle at their own game is unwarranted.
Your overall post isn’t too bad except for your annoying use of the fanboy terminology. There are relatively few fanboys in the true (negative) sense.
He sure as hell needed to apologize, i have seen my Aapl drop $40k. Sometimes a company needs to outsource skills it does not have. A half baked product is stupid for Apple. I hate comparisons but if I had my car called in for service update and they swapped out my GPS for thier new one I would take it back in anger.
He should not only apologize every day but he should beg Google to come back. You must not own much AAPL, those who do deserve more than an apology. Maybe cover our losses with some of that $118 billion cash.
Just relax. Your APL shares will go up again, and Cook is much better qualified to make long term decisions for APL than you are. Keep your mouth shut and leave the running of the world’s most successful corporation to those who know how to do it…
1
Hey Joe, lighten up. Try $100k+ drop. As one AAPL investor to another, everything will be just fine.
Whoa, Joe. Your analogy is flawed. You were told by Apple way before iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 came out that a new Maps app was coming, and that it didn’t use Google’s data. You could have chosen not to upgrade.
Cook should absolutely NOT beg Google to come back. Apple simply needs to fix the data and rendering errors in Maps.
Regarding: “Cook should absolutely NOT beg Google to come back.”
There might be some begging going on, but I don’t think Apple is doing the begging. During last weekend, Google lost 100 million maps consumers as they upgraded to iOS6. 100 million well heeled consumers at that, in just 3 days.
Another way to look at this.
Apple felt strongly enough about its customers and their privacy that they were willing to risk the public embarrassment and damage to their brand and loss of sales of their number 1 product that went along with removing the google maps from their products.
Have to agree. On a day when the iPhone was released in 22 more countries, the stock dropped 14 dollars! This is extremely atypical of previous product releases.
Maps was not ready and should have been labeled Beta at the very least.
Helllo? The iPhone 5 is the best engineering feat of any other phone or electronic devise anywhere – are ignoring that because of a fucking user upgradable app that is still a swan?
Youbsound like you just got into Apple, it’s volatile because of gamers, everyone games it but , getvsome Rolaids if you’re in, but you’ll be at 900 beforebyou know it and so will Apple.
AAL did not drop because of maps. It dropped because the big shareholders always trade AAPL like this at an iPhone launch. They take short positions, then start selling shares to lock in gains, especially this week as it is end of a quarter.
Not only did they lock in existing gains, they make money on the short positions as well, and then can also go long again at a lower price.
This had nothing to do with any actual business issues at Apple. It is purely stock trading related
Just more fodder for the WS manipulators. I haven’t had any issues with Maps and I’m glad google is being thrown off IOS devices. I don’t think an apology was necessary even though it might be the right thing to do and appreciated by Apple users, it makes Tim look weak, feeble and easily manipulated thru media FUD. Competition now thinks Tim will cave to media pressure on any issue. I don’t like the Apology.
I do miss streetview
There is a free street view app (Streetviewer).
I never found Street View useful. Heck, most of the time there wasn’t a Street View available for places I wanted to look at, so I quit trying. And the times I did use it, the views were so out of date that the business I was searching for hadn’t moved into that location when the photo was snapped.
Yet no one is bitching about that.
The only time I found Street view cool was to look at childhood neighborhoods. Reminisce a little bit where I grew up at. Other than that no biggie. Maybe if it was implemented in a little more like Android phones maybe then I would of liked it. Like I guess it gives you street view when you arrive at destination. But to never really have had it makes it no biggie to me. Of course it has been in iOS Google maps but I never use Google maps because it was useless to me. With no turn by turn.
No folks! No. Tim Cook didn’t do apology this time, he is actually doing far more better move a genius move in marketing strategy. This is really a very clever move. He is telling you to go to all his competitors and try to use their maps and solutions and then you will quickly realise that each of them is not perfect in one or the other way! In the same time his apology is being rather a commitment that apple is crazily engaged to quickly improve their Maps app and further catch up with its competing solutions.
And that address that Motorola is touting as something iOS won’t find (315 E. 15th St., Manhattan) is an address that doesn’t actually exist because the entire block is a park, so no odd addresses on that side of the street.
However, both Apple Maps and Google Maps put a pin there. So Moto lied.
My joints exactly.
My thoughts exactly.
Apologizing makes you appear weak…ask Obama/Carter. Look at today’s stock. Google has never had my address correct and there was no easy way to tell them.
Maps for version 1 is very nice…had zero problems. I’d blame Apple for using Tom Tom instead.
I have tried many many mapping challenges for iOS6 and ALL of them have been precise and accurate. I have no complaints about the maps. The negatives always seem to be the ones who post often and early. Get a life. Stuff happens and at least you are not getting the blue screen of death.
Apparently Tim Cook didn’t agree with MDN’s take that this was all FUD…
MDN doesn’t take being called out as the most extreme Apple apologists on earth very well. You can expect your post and my reply to be around for about the count of ten or so… 9,8,7,6…
Hmm, it’s 7:25 pm Friday, September 28, 2012 and the post and your reply is still here… 5, 4, 3… still here! 2, 1… still here! Maybe we should have a count up since your count down is done with, huh? 1, 2, 3, 4,, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9… nope, everything still here.
I think it’s gone. Where are we? In limbo. It’s getting dark.
PP le troll
“Them’s fight in’ words, varmit”
Maps is here times faster than the droid version in a drag race with my biz partners, I’m impressed!
I just don’t get it…
The new maps have been more accurate, faster, and far easier to use (love that vector mapping) than the former slow, often impossible former maps app.
For how I use this product I have enjoyed an IMPROVED user experience.
Apple hts Grand Slam with a Universally Acclaimed technological gem and engineering masterpiece – iPhone 5.
The sale numbers will silence the over hyped maps distraction.
Apple’s map is good. Yeah, I said it. I have been badly directed to three different closed Burger Kings while toting around a hungry toddler by google maps. I have also almost collided with other cars following along on google maps, I have been in the middle of Oregon high desert looking for a “Fred Meyer” only to be directed to corporate head quarters hundreds of miles away. The same happened with “Hotdog on a stick”. Apple’s 3d view looks a little weird compared to Actually flying over stuff. But it is also way cooler than a flat photo glued to a topo from one angle. This is Apples first crack and is better than what google offered when the stole the idea from mapquest 10 years ago. Google maps; who needs you….
It’s good that Mr. Cook saw the errors in the app and acknowledge it. He didn’t blame anyone else for this mistake and admitted their was a problem. The App Store has other apps you can use in the mean time until Apple gets theirs product working better. In a world where everyone blames someone else for their failures it’s refreshing to see a company do the right thing and admit to it and tell their customers they will make it better. I respect that.
When Apple makes a public apology, they actually move forward quickly to rectify the problem. That’s why I’m not worried at all about “Maps”, I guarantee a year from now the App will be indispensable!
I have been “enjoying” reading about the so called Map-Gate problems since IOS6. Some good but mostly bad stories, but mostly unimportant. I especially like stories like this: look, where is my town? I can´t find it in Maps, and… the satellite pictures show just clouds where my town is. Terrible. Not acceptable, bad Maps and Apple! …and that in England where it’s rainy/cloudy most of the time! Apple screewd it great they say.
Should one wonder it shows some clouds in UK sometimes? And then there are stories of people not finding their Burger Kings. What a pity.
I have been travelling in Sweden since upgrading my 4S to IOS6 and “testing” the turn-by-turn of the new Maps against my top of the line Garmin. It’s been fantastic, a totally new and a much better Maps than before. Yes, I had bought GPS from Garmin because the old Maps did no turn-by-turn before IOS6, that’s simple. But now I don’t use my Garmin anymore or my TomTom (other car). When comparing my IOS6 Map program to my Garmin it has been a lot more reliable than my Garmin GPS. My tightly scheduled meetings would have been a disaster without the new Maps in IOS6! Gothenburt is truly a disaster to drive in without any GPS, a reliable one that is.
My biggest surprise has been that my Garmin has shown a lot more faults on multiple of occasions (up to x4 fold) compared to my IOS5 Maps in just short trips, especially while driving in Gothenburg Sweden.
I have especially enjoyed driving through the tunnel system in Gothenburg when most of the time Garmin lost satellite connection but my iPhone made it smoothly through them, without any pop-ups of any satellites missing. And the Maps don’t show so much clutter, almost a distraction sometimes, while driving. But on the other side, less is not always better. You should have more options what the screen shows. I bet we will in time.
But looking for any gas stations, pizzas or the likes has not been a reliable experience. Even standing outside of a gas station Maps/Siri recommended a gas station some 2 miles away. Well, that part of Maps is a total miss at least in Sweden. Even looking for an Apple related store it found one in Täby Stockholm some 400 miles away.
Has anyone anytime before had a perfect experience with any of their GPS´s? He’s a liar who says so, I think we all now that. Should Apple Maps be?
Summa summarum:
Game changer in Map programs is turn-by- turn: Apple delivered with IOS6, thank you.
Needed (reliable):
1. siri, find me a gas station on the way
2. ….or find me a place to eat on the way, Burger King anyone
3. ….or find me a hotel on the way or at my destination
4. ….or Siri, drive home, to John Andersson or to my hotel
5. etc etc
Just fix whatever others seem to be having problems with.
For me, it’s been flawless. Thanks for a great app Apple!
What I want to know is where was this problem in all the prerelease builds of iOS 6? If this was as big of problem as everyone wants to make it out to be, (I love the new app, haven’t had any problems) why didn’t this show up. Why didn’t developers go “apple you really screwed up on this one.” Why is this only a problem after millions of people get it?
Worked perfect for a scenic drive using the lesser highways for a long trip yesterday to 3 separate cities hours apart. Never lost connection in the winding hills either.
Great move Tim. Shows that Apple is working on updates and they care about making the app better.