[Jaguarr40]

I would have to agree, Sean. iOS 6 is a worthy update, in my opinion, and to avoid it altogether because of the mapping system is pitiful. If people were to comb the forums, they would find numerous post about people using MapQuest, TomTom, Garmin, Waze and other 3rd party apps to help them get from point A to point B so it doesn't make sense to avoid or discard iOS 6 because Apple's own mapping system does not compare at this time. Heck, I still have Waze installed, just in case and I will keep it installed until I feel that Apple's mapping system is as great or greater than its competitors, but hey, that's Just Me, D...

Once again agreed... I use Mapquest right now with voice guided turn by turn and will continue to until Apple gets their Map App together although it is not as bad as people make it to be and if you read the links I have posted on the stance Apple is going through with it's employees in the stores and everything else they are doing, It will be handled in short order which means most likely another software update very soon. Everyone hang in there.

[Roo Zilla]

It will be handled in short order which means most likely another software update very soon.

They don't need to update the software. The app works fine. It's the data that's being fed to the app that's the problem. They have to fix the data stored in their servers that's pushed to the device every time the app is used.

As an aside, I use Apple maps daily and I've noticed a marked reduction in data usage when using maps. I looked around the web and found that most are saying that the new maps uses about 80% less data than the old version. Another reason Apple switched to their own solution was because Google was reserving vector graphics for Android only, and using raster graphics for iOS. The benefits of using vector graphics are many. First, it uses less data, 2nd, it's resolution independent, so scaling back and forth is faster and smoother, 3rd, it allows more data to be downloaded to use when offline. It seems Apple maps can store street level data for much larger areas than the former maps could.

[Lightingguy55]

They don't need to update the software. The app works fine. It's the data that's being fed to the app that's the problem. They have to fix the data stored in their servers that's pushed to the device every time the app is used.

Well,, not it's not quiet that simple. All the app is, is a shortcut to the cloud based map server. None of the actual maps are resident on the device, which requires either a WiFi or cellular connection to download and display the maps.

There are really 2 parts to the mapping system. 1) A graphic display (the Map) linked to GPS coordinates. All this does is find where you are and shows it on a display. That graphical display data comes from the server, or can be downloaded as a map set. Google lets you cache a set of maps for use in the event that cell or WiFi data is non-existent. Stand-alone GPS devices have the graphical map set resident on the device, so no cell connection required.

Then there's 2) The data the map links to, based on the GPS coordinates and/or current view of the graphical map. That data can be something as simple as a street address, or be considerably more complicated and can be a huge volume of data based on the search criteria. This has always been where Google has shined, having started as a web search engine, thus their data base is vast.

The stand-alone GPS devices have been struggling with the competition from real-time data searches linked to a GPS device (Google, Apple, Mapquest, Bing, etc..) , as they have no way to push updates of the data to the users. Thus they do updates via computer link and downloads to the devices. TomTom is much the same as Magellan and Garmin in that they use a separate company to generate the map and search databases, that then get sent to the users and subscribers. There are folks in the field constantly checking and resolving reported errors, as well as simply tracking changes in the landscape - new housing developments, road additions, etc.. This all gets added to the data base.

What has me puzzled is that Apple seemingly used the TomTom map data base, as well as Yelp for search engine data, plus other companies ?. So my puzzlement has been, if the Apple map data base is full of holes, why isn't TomTom's data base also full of problems ?. As example, one of the "easy" map data queries is address. This is a very basic search and one would think that at the very basic level for a computer map, the addresses would be correct. They are not and that's a big issue. Forget finding a Starbucks. If the map thinks my address is 4 towns over then there's a basic and fundamental problem that makes me think that there's a lot more going on with the Apple map "system" that is not going to be an easy fix.

Thus I think it's going to be a long wait.

[kch50428]

http://forums.imore.com/ios-6-forum/...igon-ipad.html

I used the Maps app on a trip today and it was no worse than my Nuvi, or Navigon on my iPad.

[Guacho]

I've used it to go to Miami, Fortlauderdale and Tampa ( from Naples ), spot on all the time..

[Daniel Gaming freak]

Absolutely right! Apple Maps has no local transit recommendations. Altogether, a very inadequate start by apple company.

[Timhewitt]

Google really gave them no choice, as they refused to support turn by turn on iOS. Apple had to go on their own and its going to take a little time for them to fully recover.

[kch50428]

Absolutely right! Apple Maps has no local transit recommendations. Altogether, a very inadequate start by apple company.

It is not Apple's place to provide public transit mapping baked into the iOS or in the Maps app. It is the responsibility of each public transit service to serve their customers with apps that can be integrated into the Maps app... like is happening. Just go to the AppStore and see the plethora of 3rd party apps that are now available for various public transit systems.

[nmeredith13]

I haven't had any problems in my area with the maps on iOS6. In fact, I absolutely love the new maps.

[Roo Zilla]

Well, I've been using Apple maps all around Guangdong China and it's great, much better than the previous Google powered maps. I get stuck in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, with a cabbie who has no idea where to go, and I make it back every time. There are very few missing streets and I can find just about anything, whereas previously, POI was terrible. I'm also on a limited data plan, 650MB/month and I haven't gone over yet like I did last month on the 19th, even though I've been using it a lot more. I suspect, once I return to the US, it won't be as good except the turn-by-turn thing.

---------- Post Merged at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:09 PM ----------

Well, I've been using Apple maps all around Guangdong China and it's great, much better than the previous Google powered maps. I get stuck in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, with a cabbie who has no idea where to go, and I make it back every time. There are very few missing streets and I can find just about anything, whereas previously, POI was terrible. I'm also on a limited data plan, 650MB/month and I haven't gone over yet like I did last month on the 19th, even though I've been using it a lot more. I suspect, once I return to the US, it won't be as good except the turn-by-turn thing.