“Just a few days ago, Apple released information about changes to dozens of its products, which is of interest to ordinary consumers and industry observers alike,” Jared Hill writes for Memeburn.
“Apple is gearing up for war with competitor Google Maps and trying to emulate its Street View functionality,” Hill writes. “Now that Apple is pouring significant resources into its map offering, it may be able to chip away at Google’s market share.”
MacDailyNews Take: Markets share is meaningless without context. Whose Maps dominate the premium platforms where all of the coveted consumers with disposable income and the proven will to spend it are amassed? Apple Maps is used 3.5 times more frequently than Google Maps on iOS devices. Google can have all of the raw numbers it wants. One iOS user is more valuable than many Android settlers.
“It will be interesting to see how the rivalry between Apple and Google shapes up in the near future,” Hill writes. “However it turns out, we’re likely to see many more user-friendly and accessible systems from Apple before it runs out of steam, which may not happen for decades to come.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. — Steve Jobs, August 24, 2011
Steve knew more about how the Apple he built ran than anybody. I wouldn’t bet against him.
Maps is getting better but still has along way to go.
Maps on the Mac could not find a 500 bed hospital this morning that has been there for 30+ years.
Google maps finds it, has street view and more.
Can’t blame it on Scott these days.
The same is true in reverse. Google’s maps aren’t magically perfect and are missing plenty of features that are on Apple’s maps.
Google also has a massive head start. The fact that the examples you point out are somewhat rare shows that Google’s massive lead has largely evaporated. Apple still has a ways to go, but it could very conceivably overtake Google.
My own experience is that both map programs are off by the same amount for the exact same locations. Both have my home two doors down from where it actually is, for example. My car GPS beats both.
I wonder how many remember that as Google prowled the streets with their camera equipped vehicles that they also listened for open network routers. That database is much more troubling to me than faces they recognized along the way. With Apples reverence for our private information, will they ignore this data free for the listening? It is a prize almost impossible to ignore….
Apple knows well what it has to do and it will. Maps has improved significantly and will continue to do so. It will be neck and neck soon. After that, we’ll see whose resources and imagination prevail. I’ll bet on Apple.
I live in Southeastern Washington and Apple Maps failed at finding things at least 60% of the time so now I don’t even launch it anymore. No big fan of giggle but when you need directions you have to go with what works.
Channeled scabland! That’s some jaw-dropping geology out your way. Rivers making right turns? Whoa.
I’m in the Apple Store app and at the page for my nearest Apple Store. Press the Directions button and it switches to Apple Maps. Dialog box says it can’t give me directions at this time. Have to use Google Maps to get directions now!😖😡
To be considered ‘FutureMedia’, you might want to learn about today’s technology. Neither Apple Maps nor Google Maps will give you directions if your WiFi or cell signal are poor. That is why you get a message from Maps saying it “can’t give you directions at this time.”
You don’t have to be bright to post on this site, just have an internet capable device and maybe some random idea. Note: this is a fact free zone.
When you’re on top, the mostly likely direction you will take is down.
I know I’ll get many down votes, but it will be very difficult to maintain Steve Jobs’ culture of innovation over a long period.
Eventually, a CEO will take the company in the wrong direction for some reason or another. Tim Cook may have played out the hand that Steve Jobs left on the table, and we may be seeing the start of that now.