business newsA Walk With iOS 6 Maps: Apple's Horribly Revamped App Does New York
By
Jonah Loeb Sep 27, 2012 4:30 pm
What can Apple's problem child tell us about the world's most valuable company?
PRINT
MINYANVILLE ORIGINAL Okay, so it’s been well-documented that the Maps app for Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS 6 is terrible. After Apple removed Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) maps system and inserted its own in the latest update to the mobile operating system, public outcry has reached comical levels—as have Apple’s errors.
The east side of Portland, Oregon, has become a nature park; all the rivers have been removed from Belgrade, Serbia; and Kevin Rathbun Steak House has opened a new location in the middle of the outfield at the Atlanta Braves’ home stadium. Even better, many cities in the Czech Republic have reverted to their old pre-World War II names.
But how bad could iOS 6 Maps really be for most day-to-day tasks?
When I moved to New York, I needed that app just to make it home. Could I do the same thing with the updated version? In order to determine the answer, I left the Minyanville office Wednesday morning equipped with a MetroCard and an iPhone 4, ready to push a piece of software to its very limits. What I found was pretty interesting, and it says a lot about the future of Apple—among other companies.
As I started out, I checked the map. It placed me a block or so away from where I actually was, but I figured that was forgivable. Avenue blocks are short, so the total error was only about twenty yards. It was Yom Kippur, but I decided to break my fast early, so I searched for “breakfast near Union Square.”
"I guess I’ll be a good Jew today, then," I thought, walking past a good half-dozen breakfast places whose existence iOS 6 Maps flatly denied.
The east side of Portland, Oregon, has become a nature park; all the rivers have been removed from Belgrade, Serbia; and Kevin Rathbun Steak House has opened a new location in the middle of the outfield at the Atlanta Braves’ home stadium. Even better, many cities in the Czech Republic have reverted to their old pre-World War II names.
But how bad could iOS 6 Maps really be for most day-to-day tasks?
When I moved to New York, I needed that app just to make it home. Could I do the same thing with the updated version? In order to determine the answer, I left the Minyanville office Wednesday morning equipped with a MetroCard and an iPhone 4, ready to push a piece of software to its very limits. What I found was pretty interesting, and it says a lot about the future of Apple—among other companies.
As I started out, I checked the map. It placed me a block or so away from where I actually was, but I figured that was forgivable. Avenue blocks are short, so the total error was only about twenty yards. It was Yom Kippur, but I decided to break my fast early, so I searched for “breakfast near Union Square.”
"I guess I’ll be a good Jew today, then," I thought, walking past a good half-dozen breakfast places whose existence iOS 6 Maps flatly denied.
No positions in stocks mentioned.
Daily Recap
Everything you need to know for the next trading day.
Trading Radar (weekly)
Your road map to all the events that will effect financial markets in the week ahead.
Name
Email
*
Phone
* required field
