“While it has its flaws, the outsized reaction to Apple Maps comes more from media hype and unrealistically high expectations than any severe problem,” Louie Herr writes for Digital Trends. “Like the uproar over “Antenna Gate” in 2010, we’ll soon forget all about it.”
“We’re used to seeing high-quality experiences from Apple. There is dramatic tension in the idea that Apple may have made a miscue,” Herr writes. “That dramatic tension is also the reason that news coverage of the Maps app has been so thorough… This tension may make for a good story, but it’s precisely the reason that we are all overreacting.”
Herr writes, “Maps seems to be the new Antenna Gate, all the way down to drawing a reaction from Apple’s CEO. The most recent development in this story, occurring just before my deadline, was Cook’s release of a statement that Apple is “extremely sorry for the frustration” that Maps has caused. This is the clearest indicator so far that Apple is aware of the Maps problem and moving to deal with it.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
This is no different than “iPod screen scratches,” “Antennagate,” etc. Take a minor issue (or invent one) and then blow it all out of proportion in the media echo chamber in a quixotic attempt to slow down the inevitable record-shattering iPhone 5 sales. These sort of FUD campaigns have been going on after major Apple product releases for years. Antennagate was a two-parter – they actually used it twice! (Nothing smells worse than recycled FUD.)
Just like all the anti-Apple FUD that’s gone before, this won’t work, either. – MacDailyNews Take, September 20, 2012
Just watch those cretins at the nytimes.
They will not do a fair story of the imaps. Watch them.
Shysters is as shyster does..
Don’t forget to read “Apple flops with new maps update | Fox News“
No thanks…
Apple Maps failures are so insignificant that Tim Cook refused to make a public apology…..oh, wait, he did.
Yeah, Apple screwed up. But in six months this will mostly be water under the bridge. MDN, you make fun of others who flip-flop on their stories. How about focusing that same scrutiny on your own Takes?
MacDailyNews Take, September 20, 2012
“Just like all the anti-Apple FUD that’s gone before, this won’t work, either.”
The much more sensational MacDailyNews Take, September 28, 2012 (emphasis added):
“No matter what Apple does, no matter how much better they make Apple Maps, it will now always “suck” in the minds of a large segment of the population. This open letter from Cook only helps cement the idea that Maps is a “failure.” The fool(s) responsible for preparing Maps for release and then releasing it with obvious issues (overblown as they are) and therefore tainting Maps forever should face severe consequences.
Apple seems to have learned nothing from the Newton: First impressions mean everything. Apple’s Maps have been Newtonized. All that’s missing is the Doonesbury strip.“
NYT mapgate story is out…
But let’s not foget “Crackgate”. My G4 Cube with the “cracks” that were not cracks…..
Where’s Cubert, he and Canada Mark have something in common!
F**K that! My iPhone 5 is IN my delivery city and it in a truck deliverey soon.
I can’t even write coherently, I am so excited.
I’m an avid MDN reader, but can someone please tell me what the D stands for in FUD. I’m pretty sure I know what the FU stands for!
Become an avid google-er. It is your friend.
Probably wrong about the FU.. It is Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
You could try “Doubly”. It would be incorrect, but then, so is your “FU”.
Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt
“Fear, uncertainty and doubt, frequently abbreviated as FUD, is a tactic used in sales, marketing, public relations,[1][2] politics and propaganda.” Wikipedia.
I like F••kin’ Ugly Droids
Best answer, I have heard!!!!!!!!!! Lol
That comma, is unnecessary.
😉
I used to get frustrated when I read those out of proportion news from “No bodies” who want to get attention and have no talent to came out with a real story. But now that I realize that those stories are target to stupid and ignorant people that will complain about a product that they have NEVER USE OR SEE, then I fell happy to know I’m not in that poor bastards group thank God.
I remember also how much people complain about the virtual keyboard in the iPhone even when none of those complainer never use one before. Or all the people whit old nokias complaining about the antenna gate. They are so stupid that they just repeat what they hear from another stupid that jus hear it but ne’er tried. I fell sorry for them.
The truth is that there is nothing that Apple can or cannot do that will make any Apple fandroid/fanboi confess was either wrong or inept. It’s the fairy unicorn syndrome.
“… the fairy unicorn syndrome.”
And that’s why there are no unicorns today.
No fairy unicorns in my world, but, then again, it’s not the same world populated by Apple fandroids/fanbois.
Says someone who calls himself “MacFreek.”
Just because I find some of Apple’s actions or decisions perplexing, infuriating, or frustrating doesn’t mean I hate or detest Apple. Do you always agree with everyone you care about? What about two people you care about with divergent ideas, opinions, or perspectives? The mindless Apple fandroids/ fanbois expect complete and unwavering support and agreement with whatever Apple says or does even if doing so requires abandonment of rationality, objectivity, and personal integrity. It’s easy to identify this mindless hack. They’re the ones who are quick to use insults and personal epithets whenever they are contradicted or feel threatened.
“Apple FANDROID”??? What the hell is that?
BTW, Apple does plenty wrong, which I as an Apple fan can admit. But, it does so much that is right that it just wins out in the end in everything. On the other hand, an iHater/Fandroid like yourself acts like an outraged Afican-ized killer bee on the slightest hiccup from Apple.
So, if you find fault with Apple it’s OK, but if I find fault with Apple it is not OK. Why is a person so perfect in intellect and expert in decision-making wasting time here at MDN, shouldn’t you be saving the whales or eliminating homelessness or something?
I want to credit Apple for trying to make it own map , it is what a hard working company should do ! Why do we criticize Apple ? We should instead give Apple time to improve !! Unlike shamesuck which depends on android and copies , we should feel pleased we have Apple , a true innovator !
It is very important for Apple to have its own map , as map is a key function which should not depend on others especially which are Apple direct competitors .
1,1,1,1.
Which is why google is very scared. They need to totally destroy imaps credibility. Probably, not by collussion, but the Waze gave them the opportunity. Why apple even gives credibility to wake is beyond comprehension.
this apology and public recognition is pretty brilliant if you ask me. the public’s attention span is very (read:extremely) short. we only remember the last thing that was told to us: Apple’s maps are not reliable and are crap, Apple CEO apology, says to use the competition in the meantime. it’s officially a non-story.
forf Apple’s competition this public apology is sheer placation. it’s a brilliant move—it’s a sort of “don’t worry your pretty little head” type message to the people (Google) who have the most to lose from any Map adoption. the Maps are nothing to be concerned about, do not worry.
but there is a LOT at stake here for Google. yet, they need not worry because Maps is certainly nothing to worry about, right?
right?
think of Apple’s current Maps as a trojan horse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Horse)
Raymond : you don’t owe Apple anything. They make a product. You buy or not. Apple isn’t your best friend that needs your support or sympathy. Geez, it’s the biggest company out there Raymond!! Almost as big as Mister Softy and the GOOG combined. No Raymond, they’ll do just fine if you don’t try to defend them when they fail. It’s just a business Raymond. Apple will weather this storm and move on down the road. Support your family,friends and our troops Raymond. That’s where your efforts should go. Move on Raymond. Act like an adult. Grow up.
Once you have the iPhone 5 in your hands and you see its ‘quality’, ‘design’ et al and what it is capable of then all the ‘criticisms’, ‘misconceptions’, and ‘doubts’ evaporate. The iPhone 5 is a jewel of ‘craftsmanship’ and ‘perfection’. There is NOTHING out there that comes within a ‘Bulls Roar’ of this product. Just get it!!!
Everything else is in the ‘Thanks for Coming’ category!
Much as I hate to agree with the NY Times, they have a great article concerning Apple and their Internet failures as compared to their hardware winners. Not slanted. Not FUD. Just truthful. And very accurate. Apple needs to get that side of their business together because that’s going to eventually be more important than devices. C’mon Apple, get your shit together!
The fact that you “hate to agree with the NYT” explains a lot, I believe. I better understand your biases now.
Ok king. I guess we can figure out you rather easily too. Right? But yes, I do hate to agree with a liberal rag like the Times.You on the other hand must be on the right coast and left side of the fence. Your choice. Doesn’t bother me. It’s a free country. Eh? But to mock me about biases? In that case you can suck shit through a dead pig’s ass. Cocksucker. King.
I disagree with MDN on this one. Antenna-gate was a fatuous beat-up, granted, but Maps is a core service that has to be reliable (not just 99% error-free). While the TomTom-based data for cities seems OK in Oz, my hometown is marked on Maps as in the middle of a swamp 30 km (!) north of where it really is. And it’s the same for all the rural towns in Oz I’ve checked so far. This would have been very easy to discover and fix before release from available post-office coordinates for the towns of Australia.
Somebody dumb or careless must have been in charge for such basic, obvious and avoidable errors to get into a finished product. As captain of the ship, Cook was right to own up and say sorry but the Maps team need to be hauled over the coals for this lot.
Sorry to hear your hometown got relocated to a swamp. Must be really tough now to walk in for an 8 Wired iStout!
😆
I just tested Apple Maps turn by turn directions going from my house to another house a few miles away and it was exceptionally perfect, easy to read, and just plain obvious.
Yes Maps has problems, which Apple will fix. I the mean time I really like the looks and feel of the new Maps, and I am very excited about the upcoming updates
I just tested for a relatively obscure area in the Laurentians and Maps showed two routes, one shorter route 2 in light blue, as this is over gravel roads, and route1, dark blue and longer, and preferred as over paved roads. The interface is better than my iPad’s TomTom app, and, with voice added for turn directions, plus road signs, Apple has a big hit on its hands. From the comments here, maybe some regions such as Australia are not as well done, so I conclude that accuracy depends on the region, location, etc.
I can check Maps against TomTom in my case, and I hope TomTom learns from Apple’s more intuitive interface. Apple should consider buying Garmin anf/or TomTom as the new mini pads enter the market. The Pad screens outclass the GPS gadgets already, so a lower priced Pad would soon provide a cost effective replacement. Or, Google will buy them to prevent Apple. Which CEO will act first?
Note that the original iPad does not support IOS6, so has the Google Map for those who prefer it or to check accuracy of Apple’s app.
I just used my iPhone 5’s map to take me from an obscure address in Germany to an obscure address in France, and it worked beautifully both ways. Even continued to work outside of Germany withou data roaming tuerned on. I don’t know what the issues with maps is.
Sorry MDN but you’re wrong on this one. Any new app should have FEATURE PARITY with the one it replaces and the new Maps app takes away features. The real problem here is that Apple didn’t allocate the resources needed to get it right and now people are understandably pissed off. They tried to go cheap and now they’re paying for their mistake with the bad press they deserve. The lack of street view and the totally lame handling of transit system data requests make the new app a nonstarter for many users. It’s clear from this and many other recent decisions that Apple had made that they have put their profit margin ahead of customer satisfaction.
It is not like this is Apple’s first time doing this. Whenever Apple re-engineers some solution, some features get lost. When iMovie went from v. 6 to the completely new version in iLife 08, lots of features were lost. When Final Cut Pro went from 7 to FCP X, professionals screamed their heads off for a loss of features. We can go back 12 years; when System 9 was replaced with OS X, you couldn’t even watch DVDs in OS X (among many other lost features). Apple does this fairly regularly. Whether it is good or not, we can debate, but without precedent, it certainly isn’t.
Are you suggesting that Apple should have given into Google’s demand to keep voice-turn-by-turn off the iPhone in order to keep street view?
Just download a free copy of Live Street View and be done with it.
Unlike “Antennagate” which was a non issue, first generation iPod nano’s did have a tendency to scratch.