Comments on: A question about Apple vs. Google maps

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:35:16 +0000

Waze is my favorite, though what bothers me is that with automatic night mode set to OFF, client does not save the mode setting for night. Each time you start the client, the mode reverts to day.

By: Doc Searls Weblog · A simple market-based solution to Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:20:09 +0000

[...] few days ago I asked A question about Apple vs. Google maps. Noting that Google’s Maps app on iPhone lacked at least two features found on Android [...]

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:11:52 +0000

Jeff, does Apple Maps vocalize for you, or re-route if you go off the original course? I tried to get it to do both tonight on the way back from LaGuardia Airport to my destination in Manhattan, and it wouldn’t do either.

You’re in one of my stomping grounds in NH. My kid goes to a boarding school there. Soon as you mentioned Dunkin Donuts I visualized one on 101 in Nashua where I always stop on the way back to Boston from there.

In fact, my model of a good GPS is one that will tell me how to get to the Boston place after I decide not to take 101 and 3, but instead head down backroads. By the time I get to, say, Brookline (NH), it’s telling me how to drive the right backroads the rest of the way. The TomTom app on the iPhone and iPad will do that. Will the Apple Map app do that, and talk the instructions along the way?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:38:19 +0000

Well, apart from the experiences of big city folk, the GPS navigation for me has worked great. I live in New Hampshire and every time I have used it, it has worked great. You see, I am a full time dad and a part time employee at Lowe’s that sometimes has to go out on the delivery truck. Yesterday was one of those days. We drove from Kingston, MA to Pepperell, MA to New Ipswich, NH to Milford, NH to Nashua, NH with a conversation with Siri to find a gas station that has deisel pumps and later for Dunkin Donuts when the need for caffeine kicked in. No problems at all. Although I would’ve liked to been able to put all the stops in for the day at once, but I but my Telenav app and Scout app do not do that either. But Telenav does keep track of your driving mileage and figures your expense for driving for you. Just my experience for what it’s worth.

By: inscore

inscore — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:18:15 +0000

In Germany waze is very good as well. I can only recommend it and assume that it will work in france as well. I think Apples effort to be independent from Google because of the Android system is the first milestone that will make Apple history again in the next decade. I have heard from a lot of internal sources that since Steve Jobs is not running the company anymore they can not find consensus on any important topic. A company needs clear leadership and I doubt that Tim Cook can provide it in the long term.

By: Fatemeh

Fatemeh — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:29:41 +0000

+1 for Fraser’s comment on the shift of Google from data source to app developer. I think the Google Maps app, when its released, will be a far better experience. We’re a cross-platform household, and I am routinely shocked at how insidious (and poorly marked) Sponsored places are in iOS — less of a problem with that in Android.

By: Joe Crawford

Joe Crawford — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:06:25 +0000

Waze is really excellent and does both turn-by-turn and vocalized directions. Kind of amazing considering it appears to be free as in beer and free as in freedom.

By: Doc Searls Weblog · A question about Apple vs. Google maps | Apple News Gator

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:46:32 +0000

[...] from: Doc Searls Weblog · A question about Apple vs. Google maps This entry was posted in Blog Search and tagged android, devices, directions, features, google, [...]

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:17:36 +0000

These are three great responses.

Fraser, do you have any links to sources on that? Or is it just common knowledge I missed?

Seth, I use TomTom, iGo and other Navigation apps. iGo is especially helpful in Europe, because it works while off-Net from its own database of maps, just like a real stand-alone GPS. (Oddly, TomTom doesn’t.) I have GPS Drive, but haven’t looked at it for a couple years after finding it wanting for reasons I forget.

But for walking around a city, biking, hiking and some other purposes, the Maps app on the phone is better. Partly because I’m not always navigating. Sometimes I just want to see where I am, and switch between “standard,” “hybrid” and “satellite” (aerial) views.

All of them fall down in places. iGo didn’t know what to do with canals in Venice. As I recall, Google Maps wasn’t good at that, either.

I’d love more control over the clutter of promoted restaurants and other veiled forms of advertising.

Hanan, I’ve downloaded Waze and will see how it goes after I get back in the U.S.

Thanks again.

By: Hanan Cohen

Hanan Cohen — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:24:39 +0000

Try downloading Waze, the free community-based GPS traffic and navigation app.

For Apple and Android.

It has the turn by turn feature you are looking for.

I don’t know how good it is in France, but I know it’s great in Israel and in some parts of the US.

http://waze.com