How accurate is Google Maps for you?

[Rene Ritchie]

Google Maps is very hit or miss for me. Routinely instead of showing me where I am it shows me in a parking lot outside or a street or two away.

I have to go do a demo tonight and I just checked to make sure the Google Maps location was correct and was told the icon was off by a couple hundred meters.

It was also next to useless at Macworld when trying to find a place to eat. We'd head towards the place it said a restaurant was only for the pin to leap somewhere else when we got there. Happened so many times we gave up.

I know it's free, but free and broken can often not be worth the price.

Anyone else having trouble with Google Maps?

 

[audit]

It's been very accurate for me. Never had a single problem with getting directions at all with it when I drive my Honda that doesn't have the GPS in it.

 

[Kryptonal]

No real issues with it myself other than a few occasions when it would take forever to pin point my actual location (Massive transparent blue circles). Once it has me though it's usually locked on me after that. This is on Rogers though.

 

[Speedv1]

I find that it's either within 2,3 meters or 200 meters away. Recently it's been more on the 2-3m area, but still, it's weird that it can adjust so much.

 

[applejosh]

Once I get a decent signal/lock, it's generally pretty accurate. My only real beef is that if I look up addresses or businesses, then those aren't always in the correct place on the map. (A local Starbucks is actually shown in the middle of a 6 lane freeway rather than a shopping center a few hundred yards/meters from said freeway.)

 

[whmurray]

For me, the issue is not so much accuracy as precision. The maps that I see generally correspond with the ground that I am on. Every now and then, it will fail to show the correct direction of a one-way street or a street name. I call this accuracy and I am generally pretty satisfied with it.

On the other hand, it sometimes fails to place me precisely on the map. I see this not so much as a Google Maps issue as it is a hardware issue. I find the "circle" very useful. As a rule, when I am not placed precisely the circle is large. This indicates that the system knows that it is dealing with imprecise data.

 

[dragonsgoalie]

I find it to be hit or miss, a lot of the time. Usually close, but never reliable enough to count on. I usually see the same "parking lot" or "next street over" type of results.

 

[scorpionfangs]

1 or 2 houses away mabye.

 

[sinsearch]

Its a bit hit and miss for me too. Its sent me to wrong locations a few times and I never rely on it - You just can't!

 

[JohnH59]

I'm just glad I can use my GPS apps again. Since I upgraded my 3G to a 3Gs, my GPS apps haven't worked properly, including Google Maps. I contacted Apple support and they simply said it was my 3rd party apps and not the hardware. I kept reading how others had no problem with Navigon, Google Maps, Magellan, etc., but I couldn't get signal unless I placed my iPhone way out on the dash.

I recently had to get a replacement and my GPS works like it should. I can get great satellite lock nearly anywhere. Sadly, I own too many nav apps since I kept trying them hoping one would work with previous iPhone.

More on topic for this thread, I do find Google Maps to be hit or miss on accuracy. I have had it be dead on, other times several hundred yards off. This is with the new iPhone with the better GPS reception.

 

[xpunksbeendeadx]

I guess I've had great luck with Google Maps. I've never had any problems and I use it all the time for bus tracking in the city and directions. Actually the biggest problem I have been having with Google Maps is the compass but that's probably more of an iPhone hardware issue.

 

[whmurray]

I guess I've had great luck with Google Maps. I've never had any problems and I use it all the time for bus tracking in the city and directions. Actually the biggest problem I have been having with Google Maps is the compass but that's probably more of an iPhone hardware issue.

I think that we forget how hard it is to do what Google Maps does. It is about as close to magic as anything I can imagine. it is a real game changer.

Just one example is "transit" routing. After fifty years, I am now pretty good at using the NY subway system but have never had the necessary special knowledge to use the buses. Google maps has it. It knows the routes and schedules, it can figure out the connections. Amazing. I am headed for London and Paris where the Underground and the Metro are wonderful. Taxis are OK in London but terrible in Paris. Google Maps.

Nobody listens to me. I repeat myself and I have an attitude.

 

[NFaMuS one]

I've always seemed to have the issue of, when I'm at home it shows my location as down the street, thought that may be because where I live is on the map as a plot of dirt, lol.

Also, when following the map while driving, it's quite slow to update where I'm at and sometimes it takes my blip off on side roads even though I'm following the roads mapped out on the screen.

Not really too terribly bad, and I hardly use it for GPS anyhow, but it sure would be good for them to update the mapping I guess, thought I'm sure thats no simple task.

 

[damule6666]

All in all fairly accurate, more good than bad.. Has yet to NOT find my current location...Has gotten a bit wonky on the move a few times tho..

But over all i give it an 8 of 10

Just my 0.02