Did Tim Cook Need To Apologize For Apple Maps? [Let's Talk]

Buster

Apple doesn't have a rich history of apologizing for their errors, big or small. When AntennaGate shook the web, Apple held a conference but they never said they were sorry. They just told us that antennas suck sometimes but they'll give us a free bumper to be quiet. In fact, I can't remember many times at all where Apple came out and publicly admitted a mistake.

Tim Cook's apology this morning was a great gesture. It was almost a first for the company. Admitting that Apple's not perfect and made a mistake isn't easy, but did Tim Cook need to apologize? Could they have done something else to resolve the situation? We'd love to hear your ideas.

trieuth

Absolutely not! This thing has been blown out of proportion like antennagate...Apple just took the high road. The maps work just fine for me and friends I know

thegraphicmac

My take on the situation:
If Steve Jobs were here, THIS is what would have happened: http://bit.ly/Ou6Viv

William Howard

No apple did not need to apologize. They have a great product with iOS 6. With anything new that is developed by a company there are going to be problems when it is first released. The media blows everything out of proportion and this can be said about antenna-gate, and even with the how some people say the new iPhone 5 scratches to easily. If 1% have a problem, the media makes it seem like everybody is having that problem. Last year Siri was released, and compared to how it is now on the iPhone 5 it is a huge improvement. Give the new maps app some time and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be great. I have played with it and it is like any kind of mapping software, there is going to be problems that will arise with where the map thinks something is compared to where it actually is. Again while the apology is apart of the Cook era and is a nice gesture, the apology was not needed. As always I enjoy Apple products.

iHKDesign

People have seemed to have forgotten when Steve Jobs apologized for this (any many others things): http://www.apple.com/hotnews/openiphoneletter/
The same thing would have happened with him around.

bakes

I think it was a fantastic show of good will. Cook seems to understand the culture that that iOS has created a little better than Jobs. And he gave some great apps some well deserved recognition. I have been pimping WAZE to my friends for quite some time now.

jrupp873

I actually like Maps. My biggest complaint is distorted images. Google has the same problem with some areas though. Glad to see Apple respond to the media's over-blown reports even if the apology was not necessary. iPhone 5 is my first iPhone and I love it. If you think Apple has shitty features try using an HTC Evo 4G. That thing was a joke compared to iPhone 5!

Tony Mitchell

I find that like trieuth the maps app is working fine for me as well, from my perspective and from what I have seen most of the problems weren't in the US of A so everyone from the Americas shouldn't have a say in it...... which is never the case.

bakes

The Maps Apps has been less then reliable for me more than a few times. And let's face it, a Map App needs to be reliable and accurate.

Justin H. Furr

Still waiting for my i5 and haven't updated my 4S yet so I can't comment as to how the new Maps performs. But what I can say is I also think this whole matter is being over-exaggerated. Apple is always a prime target when new hardware/software is released. This kind of thing doesn't really happen with Android and it's not like that OS is perfect either (I just tried and preferred to switch back). Perhaps iOS 6 should have kept Google Maps and called Apple's map app by "Map Beta" or something until they perfected it more. But they're starting from the ground up folks. Even GMaps had to start somewhere.

Kevin Gill

My opinions about this whole maps fiasco is similar to few others on this thread. I am so sick and tired of Media and people over-hyping everything.... especially when it comes to Apple products.

Q. Did Tim Cook need to apologize for Apple for this Maps app fiasco in iOS 6?
A. In my opinion, Yes. A sincere apology does not hurt but can only make things a bit easier. It also lets the customers know that Apple is aware of the situation and are really working to get it resolved and all this was not at all intentional.

Q. Is there really a problem with the new Maps app in iOS 6?
A. Yes there is, BUT, NOT to the magnitude as the media and people have portrayed it to be. The media and people just love to over-hype everything about Apple products.

I personally have had no issues at all with the Maps app in iOS 6 even during the beta stages and I've been using it since the first beta. To be honest, I was on vacation driving across several states and through out my entire trip back and forth I used the new Maps app in iOS 6 (keep in mind, in beta stages at that time) and had absolutely no issues at all.

As several others have already mentioned, this is just the initial version and it will only get better from here on out. I would love to see what these very same people and media have to say when these "so called" issues with the Maps app are resolved.

I could go on and on and on about all this but I'll just end here.... peace out.

felipe_fpereira

No, Tim Cook doesn't need to apologize! Apple has been a mark on world history and sure do not is 100 % perfect... The people need to understand this. And the Maps don't is so terrible like everybody say and will be much better very soon.

Felipe Pereira
Blog Apple For Future
www.blogappleforfuture.com

David Nielsen

Neither Google Maps nor Maps have transit information for the city I live in and both have reasonably good map data. Maps seems a bit slower but nicer to look at. As I only have an iPad and don't tend to use it in a mobile network situation (and frankly if you have been on "3G" here in Brazil, you'd know why, nothing works well at a laggy, constantly disconnecting 3-4 kb/s connection).

Hence I don't tend to use Maps that often, however I have noticed that lately Apple have been releasing applications prematurely.
First the Podcasts app for iOS, the release of which at that moment made no sense. It certainly needs more development time but maybe that was a prelude to the new iTunes redesign.
Now with Maps they have done it again. However in the Maps situation they were between a rock and a hard place with their deal with Google and the terms that was under. Meaning they pretty much had to release Maps now in a known inferior state, give Google more branding on iOS or continue to live with and support the technically outdated (no turn by turn and other features allowed in Android's Google Maps app) Google Maps app for the lifecycle of iOS6.
They picked the lesser evil from their point of view and I think iOS will be better for it in the end, even if it is painful presently.

I am sure both applications will continue to improve and I think Apple feels bad for releasing Maps in the state they did. I am happy that Tim Cook went out and apologized for the situation and I am sure that they will fix it eventually.

One thing I hope comes from this is that Apple will open up to the idea of public beta testing. As a user I presently have to be selected as part of AppleSeed or pay for a developers license (which I do for OS X, solely to get OS X preview releases) to get access to OS upgrade previews. There is I suspect no such path for testing their applications prior to release. Tapping into the vast community of valuable testers and bug reporters in the same way that the Open Source community has been able to for years would greatly increase quality on production releases at a very minimal cost to Apple. E.g. I would happily volunteer my sole desktop and iPad for such testing and I certainly don't mind filing bugs when stuff breaks. I think a lot of people would feel the same way and it would open up the field for developers a bit more.

Cesar Florez

Personally I like it also. People who just love to say something about apple are always the first ones with an opinion. My coworker has been looking for an iphone 5 for about 2 weeks now and no luck @ all. He calls Apple and At&T about 200x a day without luck. Today he walks in and says; Maybe I really dont need an iphone, i hear the maps suck anyway, ill stick with my 4s. When the maps get better than ill purchase iphone5. Conclusion: People need to stick themselves to an issue or follow what everyone else says to justify actions or ineffectiveness in their own life or carrier for that matter. I love my Iphone5 and whatever apple decides to do is fine with me. Hail to the Apple Fans. love apple. Hoo-ra

Cesar Florez

and NO. apple does not need to give apologies. They've done enough good for Mankind!! their excused!!

Jdsonice

I dont think so. No apology was required. Apple had no choice but to go its own way and not allow Google to blackmail iOS users. It is about time Apple kicked Google ass.

Kevin Hancox

An apology should never be something you expect, it should be something you feel the need to give. They felt they got it wrong and apologised. And good for them. Did they need to? I don't think they did, it has different features to google maps and as such works differently, and lets be honest in the 5 years i have owned an iphone, i have NEVER used satellite view, so i will never miss it. Turn by turn is a great + for iphone users, that google refused to hand over.

And while we are on the subject of google, lets talk about there maps, did they not lose sunshine in florida 3 times... I mean not in the wrong place, they deleted it, completely, a town of 80,000 just gone. And they almost started a war because they had the boarder for Nicaragua and Costa Rica wrong that took UN intervention... Where was all the coverage about them getting that so wrong. Apple has been in the map business for 8 days, google for 10 years... There is gonna be a difference...!

ganaharma

Proud of Tim Cook. "Great products that work great" is as Apple value proposition and competitive advantage. By acknowledging that Apple slipped with the Maps app, he has restored credibility. I was disappointed at first, but this statement by Tim Cook has restored my faith in Apple.

technochick

No Tim didn't need to apologize. But that isn't why he did it. It was his way to telling folks to shut up without pulling a Samsung.

If you look he never says flat out that Maps sucks. He speaks more about falling short of expectations. Folks placed it too high, especially for a ground up new product. They disappointed themselves really. But as Tim says, like all those other products, Maps will get better and those that are so disappointed can go use on of the several products that have been there all along. And he even started them on their way to finding one with a few suggestions

technochick

Kr00 said:

Nobody expected it to be A grade from day one.

Not true. Apparently a bunch of folks, Pogue included, expected exactly that. which is why this Mapgate exists at all

Alexander530

As usual, media blowing issues out of proportions to attract readers at the iPhone's expense. Very irresponsible press. Oh well, people nowadays know how the press is. That's why the iPhone5 still sells like hotcakes, and the only ones who seem to be taking those bad press seriously are Apple haters feasting on every negative press that Apple gets.