[Macworld]

Post your comments for Australian police warn against using Apple Maps application here

[MacRaven]

Problem seems to be not squared away overseas. I've had no problems and the accuracy has been dead on so far. All my friend report the same successes, but obviously there is still work to be completed for certain places in the world.

[ConnorMeeblings]

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Problem seems to be not squared away overseas. I've had no problems and the accuracy has been dead on so far. All my friend report the same successes, but obviously there is still work to be completed for certain places in the world.

I haven't had problems either. It isn't perfect and not quite as good as Google Maps, but it ought to improve.

[Stewsburntmonkey]

It is a bit silly, though completely predictable, to single out Apple given that GPS systems have caused millions of accidents due to people slavishly relying on them prior to Apple entering the market. And of course maps (the analog variety) have caused no small number of tragedies themselves. I still think about James Kim (TechTV and CNET contributor) dying after following a map into the mountains and becoming snowbound.

Of course Apple should correct the maps, but people have to take some responsibility for looking to see if the directions being given are sensible (that applies to any GPS system).

[meade78]

I agree that other GPS apps and units certainly have their own issues. Before smartphones were widespread, I used a stand alone unit. Mostly it was great, but I always remembered to "trust, but verify." That's not to say there are no problems with Apple Maps, but for some of us it works just fine.

[RobK]

The one and only time I used Apple Maps for site to site driving directions it left me down a dead-end street about a half mile short of my destination. Nice first experience eh?

[AussieTrev]

So whats new. Before Google Maps became the perfect maps, in the days before smart phone mapping, the dedicated navigators have been leading stupid people astray for years. A trip from Mount Glorious to Dayboro in Queensland is easy, just follow the signs on the bitumen. But the local police officer has more than once had to rescue people because the navigator has directed them along Lacey's Creek Road, which requires a forestry key to unlock the gates and a 4WD to drive the rather challenging track.

The problem in Australia with Apple maps is that towns have a very large locality area of many square kilometres so who ever provided the data has just plonked the the pin in the centre of the area, not in the centre of the town. Back in the day the centre of the town was always the post office, and distances were measured from there and town centres were marked at that post office.

Another problem is roads that don't exist. The data is drawn from government information. Roads are planned, but will never be built. Each rural property has a number of deeds, yet is owned by one person. Between each deed is a gazetted road, it is often on a fence line, often up the side of a cliff. There will never be a road there, just a gazetted road reserve. Mapping software then shows this as a road. Try navigating by this, we have just for fun and the directions, "In 2 hundred metres turn right." Comment in reply, "Not over that cliff."

Don't cane Apple Maps, cane the lazy incompetent government departments that are suppose to maintain the data.

Remember there is no offence of being stupid.

[lkrupp]

Well, as one poster pointed out, it's entirely predictable that the tech media would present this as an Apple only problem. Only Apple's maps have issues, everyone else's are perfect. Any sane person knows that's not the case but that's how the tech media spins it. And thats how they spin the Chinese factory labor stories, and every other "gate" scandal. When you're the top dog the backbiters go for your gonads every chance they get.

I'm beginning to wonder about MacWorld itself in this respect.

[RobK]

All's I'm saying is that I've had a dedicated Garmin GPS for YEARS and it's NEVER been wrong. First time I didn't have it with me and used Apple Maps... it was. It's not like I'm in a rural, lesser traveled area.

Coincidence?

[RexRay]

The Register is reporting that the issue was fixed by Apple:

http://www.guardian....stralian-police

[Hologram]

How quickly one forgets:

http://technology.ez...36f411e06e.html

... oh, yes and what about Google "accidentally" collecting private WiFi data while taking pictures for Street View?

[Mike56321]

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All's I'm saying is that I've had a dedicated Garmin GPS for YEARS and it's NEVER been wrong. First time I didn't have it with me and used Apple Maps... it was. It's not like I'm in a rural, lesser traveled area. Coincidence?

YES! Coincidence: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection; also : any of these occurrences. You needing it and it not being accurate had no causal connection.

In addition to not being a coincidence your story is barely anecdotal evidence. The one time you happened to use it it was wrong. There were likely numerous times you were using your garmin when maps would have been right. And there are likely many times when it would have been wrong as well.

And your Garmin cannot have always been right if it is years old. You just have not needed to find new locations. If you had a friend in a new development your garmin wouldn't find the address. My house is two years old and my address still does not appear on google maps. It took them a year to get my street.

The general trend of comments is valid. If a third party had released maps for 99 cents we wouldn't be blogging about it. We expect more from Apple and hold them to a higher standard. They also hurt themselves by overhyping the product.

Final thought for those who lament the loss of google maps on the iPhone: Google was never going to deliver turn by turn to the iPhone. All of thier good data was trapped in a weak app. Maps is a strong app, it just needs the data to drive it. You will be better off in the near future than you were in iOS 5.

[jpellino]

Just doesn't smell right. Yes, the map is wrong. But how do you drive to what it says is a city of 30,000 and then get out and walk to try and find it or call on the very phone that apparently has a signal as you just used it to get there? The phone has a browser which if you search for the city you can't seem to find will cheerfully drop you into the Google Maps Web App.

[sternlight]

I' m an Apple user since the first Lisa. I like Apple products and the company. Nevertheless there is no excuse for robotic Apple supporters to defend an app that could kill people. Maps was a major blunder, someone got fired, and Apple is trying to fix it. They have already corrected the particular error reported here. But there are others and Apple should consider withdrawing Maps and reinstating Google maps or adopting Waze.. That way responsibility for any blunders becomes Someone else's. Like any human agency Apple has made mistakes; prompt acknowledgement and correction is what's required. It won't be the first time Apple has discontinued something.