Apple v. Google Ping!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!
Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
PLEASE IGNORE THEM!!!
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Posted on 11/17/2012 5:58:20 AM PST by ExxonPatrolUs
Google has nearly completed work on a new version of Google Maps for the iPhone. Citing sources familiar with Google's plans, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is now field testing the app outside of Google. It should soon be ready for Google to submit to Apple for approval.
Apple booted Google Maps from the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch earlier this year with the introduction of iOS 6. Google Maps was a part of iOS from the very first iPhone through September of this year -- a partnership that lasted more than five years. But Apple has been divorcing itself from Google's goods and services ever since the two began battling head-to-head with competing smartphone platforms.
Apple replaced Google Maps with its own mapping product. Embarrassingly for Apple, Apple Maps has been a complete failure.
(Snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at mobile.informationweek.com ...
Apple is TOO proprietary, IMO. However, it is because of their hardware-specific programming that their products work so well.
That being said, they’re “pulling a Microsoft” by denying the world’s largest online cartographer on their own phones. I understand their reason for doing it: promotion of a competitor’s product, but the simple fact that their own product failed so miserably AND so many people in the world have come to rely on Google maps for wayfinding, it makes more sense for them to just suck it up and drop support for their own dreadful app while standing by their third-party app support model: don’t blame us if it doesn’t work!
I don't care for Apple because of this. But, I don't care for Google because of its insatiable appetite to track every thought and action a person has ever considered - including breaking into their WiFi network from their specially equipped vans that are taking pictures of every thing in sight - harvesting all of the personal information they can get their little Orwellian sniffer on (passwords, private emails, contact lists, programs installed, IP and MAC addresses)...
Then again, Gmail is good enough for our CIA Director - so what do I know?
Apple ping
I delayed upgrading to the new iOS because of the negative hype on the map application. Finally went ahead with the upgrade. So far, it’s been GREAT. The voice directions when driving are fantastic as a now free inclusion.
Failure? What, the iOS6 maps are great, way better than google.
These electronic platforms are useless without controlling the Apps and data that run on them. This is corporate warfare -- survival of the fitest. Who has the better hardware or software is often beside the point (though it is a factor).
Not true. The hardware/software discussion is the largest part of the equation.
Apple locks their users into specific hardware for use with their software. Their software works exceptionally well, because it is designed to function flawlessly on the hardware on which it ships. For instance, you can’t install iOS on an ASUS motherboard with nVIDIA graphics cards and expect the same performance or stability as with what they ship it now.
On the other side of the coin, Microsoft tries to be everything to everyone, and as a result, you have a security-hole-ridden, bloated set of software that’s expected to run on a dishwasher if you have enough disk space. Then when you want support for a fault, failure, or operating SNAFU, you spend hours or even days finding answers on the web, installing software, scanning, snooping, monitoring, and even if you find the problem, you often create new ones down the line.
Then you’ve got the middle ground with Linux. Linux can be installed on almost anything from a LiveCD (or USB disk), and generally only the necessary drivers, firmware, and software are installed based on the preferences of the user. There is, however, much less professional, paid support, and unless you’re doing the basic web, email, videos, pictures, and music thing, you’re likely going to spend a lot of time in a bash CLI.
I understand controlling interests for corporations, and I don’t fault Apple for their decision to do what they did. I do not believe, however, that they’re going to overtake Google in something that they’ve already perfected over the course of the last 10 years. Just like with YouTube, people are going to flock back to what they know if it’s taken away from them but still left out there as an option.
We used the maps application to get us to our honeymoon destination, and I agree, it was pretty neat and very accurate.
It’s more about market dominance. A temporary advantage in hardware or software can be very important to winning a battle in the overall war. If you can hem your opponent in to a small slice of the market even the best platform goes obsolete very quickly.
Apple maps suck. So do their iPhones for Bluetooth and voice commands. Neither work. We switched to Android phones this past month. The Bluetooth works perfectly and so does the voice commands. Motorola RAZR M phones. They work far better than the Apple iPone 4 trash that we had.
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Yeah, look where that secure email got him. LOL!
You might have an argument there if game consoles did not exist.
Yes, but consider the options in the market for these products. Apple products, while they work well, are obscenely priced over other big manufacturer options (i.e. HP or Dell) or even DIY-ers who build custom machines.
Do you actually own any Apple product?
I think they’re pretty pricey, but what you get is worth it. You have to buy into their closed world, but it’s a very good world. We only currently own a Ipad V1, but it’s been solid. Getting ready to outfit my wifey with a mini-mac. Personally, I’d LOVE to have one of those Mac Pro towers with the 12 core processing, dual GPUs, etc. But that’s dreaming. No can afford.
Not entirely true - you might want to look at "Hackintosh" and you will see that there are some clever boot-loaders that do precisely what you are suggesting. There are thousands (if not close to a million) assorted users who are booting into the Apple OSX environment without purchasing a single apple product. However, IMHO you would be best served procuring a Gigabyte motherboard for this exercise, as they seem to work very well without any hiccups at all. For some reason, Gigabyte motherboards "mysteriously" seem to support Apple configurations - and it is quite easy to build a better Mac, than what Apple sells in the Mac Pro market-space (at a fraction of the cost, btw).
Your point with MSFT is quite true, spent years doing regression testing when I worked R&D for both Intel and AMD. Although "Compatible" and "Compliant" may appear to by synonyms - there are subtle differences that make life absolute hell to the motherboard designers. MSFT works on literally tens, if not hundreds of thousands of potential combinations of components, processors, memory, peripherals - that is a HUGE undertaking.
However, the very strengths you list for Linus are equally legitimate with the OSX, as it is based off the Darwin kernel of Unix.
Might I make one small suggestion? Buy the minimum configuration ($599) and then hop over to Amazon.com and drop $58.99 on 16 Gig of RAM. It's super easy to install, and works like a champ! Or, you could pay Apple $200 to install them for you. I did, and shall we say that the performance of the i5 chipset on the Mac Mini absolutely screams when you go from 2 Gig to 16 Gig.
IMHO, best $60 upgrade you can buy.
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