Apple Maps falls in that category. Maps was bad when it came out but after years of effort (and a lot of money), it's pretty good now. That was no small feat given how good Google Maps already was when Apple Maps started.
In my area (Long Island), Apple Maps works great (better than Google Maps). I hear that it falls down, in rural areas, though.
[edit]
Looks like I pissed in someone’s cereal. Didn’t mean to, but different strokes, and all that…
I was just recounting actual personal experience, which, I suppose, isn’t popular, hereabouts.
Just for context, I have been writing Apple programs, since 1986. I am totally committed to their products, and their vision (although I have no opinion, –yet– on their Vision), and have every right to be critical. Those of us that have been on the ride for that long, have seen a very bumpy road.
I just checked my area in Apple Maps out of interest and my own house, which I've lived in for longer than Apple Maps has existed, is listed as belonging to a business I've never heard of. The only actually existing business I can find with that name is at the opposite side of the country.
Not a great first impression. Also while I can view Apple Maps via a third party like DuckDuckGo, you can only report a map issue through an Apple device, so I guess it's staying wrong.
It's possible a previous tenant used that address or was attached to a business with that name. It happens to offices all the time as well. We had like 8 businesses attached to one of our offices, where only 1 ever existed. They were all tied to the owner and original filings used the address temporarily.
Apple Maps in New Zealand is really, really good. Travel estimates are nearly perfect.
In smaller countries though, it's total rubbish. Samoa, travel guidance is nearly non-existent. Tahiti, very patchy. In those countries, Google Maps was perfect.
It really is location dependent. I find that Apple Maps has much better driving directions and a better UI that doesn't get in the way. Google Maps on the other hand typically has much more up-to-date information on businesses and restaurants. I am in the habit of using both if I am trying to find an unfamiliar business address.
I generally find the quality of Apple Maps to be quite good here in Tokyo, although unfortunately Google does still seem to have them beat pretty consistently. The recently completed Azabudai Hills complex, for instance, is correctly rendered on GM, while AM still shows the pre-development layout.
However, one bug that is a showstopper in AM is the dreaded “can’t reach the server now”, which I get probably more than half the time I try to use it, and with apparently no solution other than wait.
I gave Apple Map a second chance after hearing good things about it recently.
But it gave me a route where I need to turn left right after taking a right-turn ramp, except that the left turning line are separated by road dividers before the exit of the ramp. So I would need to either go wrong direction and do a 180, or bulldoze the dividers. As a comparison, Google Map never gave me that route in the past.
This happened in a moderately sized town so I guess I will still stick to Google Map for now.
In my particular rural area, Apple Maps knows the street I live on exists. Google Maps still needs a call to delivery people to explain to them that their map is lying to them.
Apple Maps could be improved with classic hard work on the software etc. Apple Vision Pro is against the same problems of physics and usability that other VR and AR headsets are up against. I’m leaning towards they will never be “solved”, because using a monitor and keyboard or tv and controller works really well.
I live in the UK in a small village next to a large city. Just had a quick look and there are tons of issues within the 1 mile radius, that don't have issues on Google Maps.
* A pub that doesn't exist - there is one about 15 miles with that name, but there's never been one called that here.
* The local church is in the wrong place
* The opening hours of the local cafe are wrong (11:30-3:30 instead of 10:00-3:00)
There’s a clear strategic reason for that — reduce dependence on Google for more vertical integration.
I don’t see the VisionOS play here and wonder if it’ll be Tim Apple’s first major fail at the helm. There’s no clear set of competitors or established industry for Apple to just polish like they have with most products. There’s not an obvious large tam for VR headsets and I’m skeptical optical ar is close.
I don’t get it but I’m sure the internal Apple and board view it as a strong thesis.
Duckduckgo uses Apple Maps and it's completely unusable. Might be a Duckduckgo issue but last I tried a few weeks ago I couldn't even pan in Firefox without randomly snapping back to the pin. When I wanted context I'd work around it by just zooming out and be done with it. Still have to turn to the Devil if I want a decent map experience.
