The miserable state of MAPS app in iOS6

[soundslikejustin]

Except their response to the fiasco is just that.

Download a separate app.

Yes, well now they're in damage control, which I think is a separate event - to the fact that their maps are being so poorly received.

[johnpaul215]

This is my first iPhone, so I don't understand how iPhone driving people survived without a 3rd party nav app anyway. I will still say THANK YOU APPLE FOR THIS BOLD MOVE! YOU HAVE SAVED MY LIFE!

I am so so so so so so so so so freaking sick of pass van drivers trying to follow directions on an iPhone without voice guidance when they have a whole crew with them. It drove me effing insane that my safety was compromised because people never realized there was a far better way to do that. In some small way I had resentment to Google for holding back that feature when it had a direct effect on my life, and the other vehicles we could have collided with.

I realize I may seem like I lack hindsight, but in 2012 it seems completely insane that people would drive while trying to follow a map. Analog or digital. I would rather have crappy spoken turn by turn directions than somebody reading phone directions off a screen.

[Marc Wielage]

One thing that makes me crazy with GPS systems -- and I've had four or five over the years -- is that when you get directed to take an exit, there's a big problem when the exit leads to two different directions. The GPS is often slow on the up-take when it comes to telling you in advance, "ya don't wanna go North... ya wanna go South." So there have been moments when I'm in an unfamiliar city or a weird part of town where I take an exit then have to hurriedly change lanes, because the GPS didn't warn me precisely where I was going to have to go.

The voice-activated ones are no better in this respect. This is a user interface/design flaw, not a voice-activation vs. on-screen flaw per se.

I once had a Hertz "NeverLost" system almost take me off a cliff back in 2004, and that was from Garmin. They've gotten better since then, but you gotta really, really keep you're eye on them.

[Tom Duffy]

One thing that makes me crazy with GPS systems -- and I've had four or five over the years -- is that when you get directed to take an exit, there's a big problem when the exit leads to two different directions. The GPS is often slow on the up-take when it comes to telling you in advance, "ya don't wanna go North... ya wanna go South." So there have been moments when I'm in an unfamiliar city or a weird part of town where I take an exit then have to hurriedly change lanes, because the GPS didn't warn me precisely where I was going to have to go.

Oh man, this. I recently moved to L.A., and there are many freeway exits where the correct route depends on selecting the correct lane up to 1/2 mile in advance, then not getting distracted by other close by exits during the process.

My old Garmin is no help here, it's position sensitivty is not good enough to trigger instructions accurately, and the text doesn't tell me which way to go (that's the next instruction) until I'm already on the interchange.

But, the newer Garmin I used once in a rental car has lane assistance, and it was spot on. I didn't believe it a couple of times, and went the wrong way just those times.

Tom.

[Marc Wielage]

Yes, I agree, Tom -- if the GPS tells you to take a turn 1 or 2 seconds late, that can mean the difference between life and death, especially in rush hour. Not fun.

Great fake New Yorker cartoon from Mad Magazine on the situation:

[headpooch]

That is brilliant!