Apple Knows, Apple Maps - Suck
Apple may some day deliver a mobile mapping application that bests
Google’s, but the new Maps app in iOS 6 — the latest iteration of its
mobile operating system — isn’t it. Not yet, anyway.
Though it
has been widely available for only about a day now, mounting complaints
over the Maps app have already badly tarnished it as inaccurate,
glitch-ridden and generally a poor substitute for the Google Maps-driven
app that it replaces. Among the recurring criticisms of the app: It
offers no information about public transportation; searches for an
in-town destination sometimes return results for an entirely different
city; it occasionally mistakes farms for airports; some of its Dali-esque flyover imagery is lousy; and it places gas stations in utterly untenable locations (the Amazing iOS6 Maps Tumblr is gleefully cataloging them all).
Apple
urged patience. “Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with
over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service,”
spokeswoman Trudy Muller told
AllThingsD. “We are
excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover
and Siri integration, and free turn by turn navigation. We launched this
new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just
getting started with it. We are continuously improving it, and as Maps
is a crowd-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will
get. We’re also working with developers to integrate some of the amazing
transit apps in the App Store into iOS Maps. We appreciate all of the
customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience
even better.”
Apple Just Plain Out SUCKS
With 5 million iPhone 5's sold in one weekend, one iPad sold every 2.3 seconds and over five billion apps downloaded from the iTunes App Store, to say that Apple
is a technological and cultural success would be an understatement.
Apple has created some of the most buzzed-about and forward-thinking
consumer electronics on the market, and has built an empire on the
blending of form with function, quality with cool and user-friendliness
with the high end.
Also, Have you seen your data usage go up after receiving the iPhone 5? Is Apple sending diagnostic information from your phone to Apple? Many people think that this is the problem. Check your phone to see if the diagnostic box is checked.
Some people also seem to have problems with some IMAP accounts (e.g.:
google), where it gets stuck repeatedly trying to push information,
ending up in greater ammounts of internet and battery usage.
iPhone: It does everything but make phone calls
Steve
Jobs' announcement was heavy on stats that basically said a drop in
bars is common ground on all smartphones and that Apple knew of the
problem before the iPhone 4 was launched. He also "admitted" that the
iPhone 4 does drop more calls, albeit marginally more, than the 3GS.
Jobs went on to say that the drop in bars and calls is a result of
bumpers, claiming that the same issues would have resulted with the 3GS
if 3G users didn't already have bumpers that they used on their new
phones. So, the Apple fix: Apple is giving out free bumper cases through
September and refunds for iPhone 4 owners who've already purchased
bumpers. If you're still not happy, Apple will give you a refund within
30 days of purchase. The fact that this offer is only valid through
September suggests there will be a fix for all iPhone 4s released
afterward. By all accounts, the new iPhone 4 is a major leap forward for
smartphones and a massive technical upgrade over the previous 3G S
model. Committed Apple fans and technophiles waited for hours in nearly
endless lines to snag their release-weekend iPhones, excited to try out
the new video chat, multitasking, HD video capture, and blazingly fast
processor. All of the new features are as good as advertised, if not
better, but there is one thing that the iPhone still struggles with, and
that is actually making phone calls. Whether it is AT&T’s spotty
service or using an incorrect hand grip while trying to talk on the
device (Consumer Reports says the problematic grip involves holding the
phone in the lower left-hand corner -- and this whole antenna issue has
sparked a class-action lawsuit with no apparent fix and a potential
recall that will cost $1.5 billion), Apple’s iPhone 4 just can’t seem to
grasp the basic function of starting and completing a call
consistently.
The lack of flash on the iPad
When
Apple announced the iPad to the general public, it was billed as the
best way ever to surf the internet. With its vibrant and bold screen,
intuitive touch controls and lap-resting form, it would make sense to
browse the web on your iPad as opposed to being hunched over a desk or
with an overheating laptop on your crotch. However, there is one big
pothole on this utopian information superhighway, and that is Apple’s
lack of Flash support. Sure, HTML5
is gaining support and popularity, but numerous major websites utilize
Flash, and when trying to access these pages on an iPad, you are left
with an internet experience that has more missing content than a
top-secret CIA document -- and that means that Apple sucks. For the
industrious types who are jonesing for Flash on their iPads, it is
possible (although not suggested) to jailbreak the tablet, and download a
program called Frash. You will need a measure of computer know-how to
install Frash, but it is easy enough to source out step-by-step
instructions and guides to complete the task. It does not support video
playback at this early stage, but animations and games work fine, and
there are plans to support Frash in the near future.
Apple: There’s an accessory for that
It
is not enough for Apple to sell all of its products at a premium, but
once you finish maxing out the credit card on a new Macbook Pro or
27-inch iMac display you get taken to the cleaners with all of the
must-buy accessories and add-ons -- and for that, Apple sucks. From a
sheer business perspective, it is hard to fault Apple for wanting to
make money, but does the company really have to sell a wall outlet
charger separately from an
iPod touch?
And does the MacBook have to have a special display port to connect to
your TV instead of a standard HDMI cable? From carrying cases to workout
cases to cleaning kits to docking stations and everything in between,
it can require a second job just to outfit your prized new Apple gadget
with all the proper trimmings.
D-pad-less gaming
There
is no question that gaming on Apple’s fleet of portable devices is both
a smashing success and here to stay, but that doesn’t mean you should
throw away your Nintendo DS or PSP
just because it isn’t manufactured by the fine folks from Cupertino.
While the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are great with puzzle games, tower
defense titles and unique touch-control apps, Apple sucks for
precision-based control without a D-pad. If it is proof you are looking
for, just try to play console classics like Mega Man 2 or Sonic the
Hedgehog on an iPhone. They are downright broken. Cutting-edge,
revolutionary and with style to spare, Apple does make some unbeatable
devices, but a core gaming experience has yet to be achieved.
Apple and its walled garden
In
Apple we surely trust, but that does not mean we want them to make
every decision about how we use its products and what sort of software
we install on them. While we would be hard-pressed to knock Apple’s UI
experience when it comes to things like the iPad and the iPhone 4, it
would be nice to have options. And it's precisely the lack of options
that has another pending class-action law suit claiming Apple and
AT&T are a monopoly, which locks consumers into a five-year deal
with AT&T. If you are tech-savvy or have a blatant disregard for
warranties, you could jailbreak your Apple device, but it would be
welcome to see Apple offer a little more freedom of choice to us users.
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