
Replacing iOS 6 Maps: Hands-on with MapQuest, Bing, Waze, Google, Nokia - evo_9
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/replacing-ios-6-maps-hands-on-with-mapquest-bing-waze-google-nokia/
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kenjackson
If the author searched for John Hancock Center on Bing (which is the actual
name, not the John Hancock Building), he would have not only got the right
building, but he would have gotten Venue Maps for the inside of the building.

As someone else noted... he doens't use the term "John Hancock Building" or
"John Hancock Center" consistently, which you can see from the screenshots.

He used "Building" for Bing and Mapquest (neither found it). He uses the term
"Center" for Waze, Google, and Nokia (they all found it).

I'd suggest the author use the same search term for all tests if he wants to
draw reasonable conclusions.

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muzzamike
While I agree the author should use the same search terms for each test (which
he very well may have), Bing should still be capable of finding the "John
Hancock Center" with a search for the "John Hancock Building".

A quick check verifies that Google Maps recognized both. It's little things
like these that make the experience less painful.

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cktse
If US experience is subpar, international is even worse. Take HK for example,
iOS 6 Maps doesn't even come with basic street numbers! To add to the insult,
just try searching for "Hong Kong" on Waze, for a laugh... Yes the deformed
blob is meant to be HK! Obviously Tim Cook never tested international searches
before recommending it...

Commercially this just doesn't make sense given China is the fastest growing
market for Apple.

All in all, a very disappointing user experience.

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snogglethorpe
> _try searching for "Hong Kong" on Waze, for a laugh_

Of course, Waze seems to be unabashedly car-oriented, not really a general
mapping service—and nobody in their right mind drives in Hong Kong...

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dpcx
I've been using Waze pretty heavily for almost 3 years, and have only had
problems with it very early on, when it didn't have great road connection
data.

The fact that I can contribute corrections to the data set makes it a win for
me.

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acomjean
I second Waze. Its replaced my GPS, a mr T voiced TomTom (Mr T yelling
directions at you is awsome...) Only one problem years ago when Waze couldn't
give me directions. Its gotten a lot better as more have used it. There are
enough drivers using it that don't feel I'm testing the roads for all the
drivers behind me anymore.

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bigtech
Thirded. It seems to be more aggressive about shaving time of your trip than
Google Maps.

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twodayslate
I like Waze for when I drive because it gives you pretty accurate traffic and
police reports. Of course this is all socialized so if you live in a less
populated area these features become less useful.

