Nothing about this article convinced me that "Mavericks is a move against the open web". Instead, I'm pretty convinced the title is just as sensationalist as the article linked at the bottom of the page: "Why did Apple name its operating system after a lethal surf spot?"
That said, a Web-based Apple maps would be lovely. I'd like to point out two things that make this whole article seem a little premature:
1. Google Earth (a desktop app) preceded Google Maps
2. Apple already had a lot of the code in place for a native maps app. I can imagine porting the iOS app to the desktop is a pretty trivial task compared to developing an entirely new Web-based solution.
That said, a Web-based Apple maps would be lovely. I'd like to point out two things that make this whole article seem a little premature:
1. Google Earth (a desktop app) preceded Google Maps
2. Apple already had a lot of the code in place for a native maps app. I can imagine porting the iOS app to the desktop is a pretty trivial task compared to developing an entirely new Web-based solution.