Apple, Google: Battle of the Cloud Maps 179
Nerval's Lobster writes "Google has sent invitations for a June 6 event in which it will apparently unveil 'The Next Dimension of Google Maps.' Meanwhile, rumor suggests Apple is preparing its own mapping service for iOS devices. The escalating battle over maps demonstrates the importance of cloud apps to tech companies' larger strategies." I only wish my phone would hold by default the X-million data points that my outmoded (but cheap and functional) dedicated GPS device does, without quite so much cloud-centric bottlenecking, and leave all expensive data use for optional overlays and current conditions.
Re:Google Maps Gripes (Score:2, Insightful)
That's still retarded. It's like when you turn off the stereo it burns all your CDs.
Is there no way to permanently (at least until you make a positive decision to remove it) store the data locally?
Don't you get it? (Score:4, Insightful)
The reason they don't make it easy to download an entire map has nothing to do with storage or bandwidth. It has to do with *tracking*.
Location Based Services -- Since we know where you are, we can suggest you turn right and have a pizza at the restaurant that pays us to steer customers their way. etc... etc... etc...
Google has a talent for fooling people into thinking that they are offering all these great FREE services out of the goodness of their corporate heart. On the contrary, those services are very profitable, and the way they accomplish all that money making is by knowing a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT about YOU.
Anyway, it's up to you folks. But don't bitch about not getting the whole free map thing - now that you understand why it is not in Google's or Apple's or Microsoft's (or fill-in-the-blank-megacorp-giving-away-services) to provide them.
That's my $37.00 worth (I'm old and that's about what 2 cents used to be worth when I was a wee one)
Re:I have a feeling (Score:2, Insightful)
At the end of the day if it's only available on iOS and Mac then it's essentially on a minority of devices on what is now a minority platform.
Uh, you're kidding [businessinsider.com], right? Apple's inventory stock has been compared to restaurants, that must get rid of it because it's perishable. It's ridiculous how competitive Apple is right now against ALL of the Android phone manufacturers. I'm not sure their growth rate will last, but you're just silly to claim the iOS platform is merely a "minority platform." It's not like 2-5% marketshare, like the Mac used to be... they're neck and neck against EVERY OTHER phone manufacturer put together. Mac's marketshare is growing, too, but still under 20% I would guess. I doubt seriously anyone at Microsoft now, or even Google, would share your dismissive views of the "minority" that's ever increasingly eating their marketshare.
Backwards from reality (Score:1, Insightful)
Apple are highly unlikely to put out an API for other to use as they wish like Google did.
That is 100% wrong.
The strongest reason I see for Apple to replace Google with their own mapping solution is in fact to give iOS developers an API they can "use as they wish".
The current Google Maps API is rife with restrictions. Have to watch the geocoding load from your app or it will be shut down. Can't overlay turn-by-turn instructions (what? You thought that restriction, meant to drive you to back to Google Maps, came from Apple?)
Apple having their own mapping system means NO restrictions on developers, or at least ones directly related to load only and not the protection of Google revenue streams...
At the end of the day if it's only available on iOS and Mac then it's essentially on a minority of devices on what is now a minority platform.
There are still more iOS devices than Android devices overall.
Especially in the U.S. Here's a conundrum for you. Sprint & AT&T and Verizon have all said the iPhone is leading smartphone sales, usually by a good margin.
So how exactly would Android have more units sold in the U.S. if that continues to be true?
Re:Google Maps Gripes (Score:4, Insightful)
You can already precache a 10km square area around any point (saved permanently) plus cache 150 Mb of rolling data. That's been good enough for me to travel everywhere I've wanted so far (including a five month backpacking trip last year).
Yes, it would be great to have continent maps available for download, but the current options are a lot better than nothing.