The switch from Google Maps (a trusted mapping tool utilized by just about everyone everywhere) to a home grown mapping solution was brave, but what Apple didn’t expect was such a backlash from the consumer base. I myself was incredibly excited – jumping up and down in my Apple pajama pants, Apple icon slippers, and my turtleneck and “Steve Jobs” glasses.
The hands on experience with the new maps leaves much to be desired. The word on the street is that well…it sucks. So upgrade if you will but be warned – you will lose Google Maps. My suggestion and my move here in this masterful chess game of lawsuits and malcontent between Google and Apple…
1. Don’t upgrade 2. If you do upgrade – get Waze (the guys they should have partnered with or bought out) 3. Cry hopelessly because the search engine switched from glorious Google to the anti-user-friendly Yelp 4. Switch to a different phone or buy a new one if you break it or feel like you can’t live with the changeGone are the days of transit system directions, street view, great venue searching and onward with the loss of function (3D viewing pleasures / turn-by-turn direction) if you own an iPhone 3G or an iPhone 4. Gone.
I am hoping and praying that Apple gets it right over the next updates and releases in days to come. But for all my turn-by-turn directions on my iPhone 4…I’ll be using Waze.
Here is a link to some screenshots of the new Map app.
