The maps are fine for major cities but I must admit that the quality is poor for lesser known areas and towns. On that note, is ther anywhere I can find out what the little symbols mean when they sometimes appear, for example, what appears to be a small yellow suitcase on a private residence?

Originally Posted by mikeh515

The maps are fine for major cities but I must admit that the quality is poor for lesser known areas and towns. On that note, is ther anywhere I can find out what the little symbols mean when they sometimes appear, for example, what appears to be a small yellow suitcase on a private residence?

Maybe the suitcase symbol means that the house is a bed and breakfast.

Originally Posted by mikeh515

The maps are fine for major cities but I must admit that the quality is poor for lesser known areas and towns. On that note, is ther anywhere I can find out what the little symbols mean when they sometimes appear, for example, what appears to be a small yellow suitcase on a private residence?

You might be looking a shopping bag icon. That's what I see a lot of in my 'hood, because of retail. (Looks like a suitcase sort of, and is yellow.)

Thanks guys, but is there anywhere I can find out what these symbols mean?

Just found out from examining a map of a town centre, the little yellow shopping bag symbol indicates a retail store. The map I was looking at previously was a residential area and the yellow symbol appeared on a private residence which I know is definitely not a shop in any shape or form. Get a grip Apple! Such brilliant concepts ruined by failure to pay attention to detail.

Originally Posted by mikeh515

Just found out from examining a map of a town centre, the little yellow shopping bag symbol indicates a retail store. The map I was looking at previously was a residential area and the yellow symbol appeared on a private residence which I know is definitely not a shop in any shape or form. Get a grip Apple! Such brilliant concepts ruined by failure to pay attention to detail.

Apple maps are even showing Apple stores where there aren't any, lol. They lost the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty on some views, too. There's a lot of backfilling and correcting to be done. Apple clearly pushed out its maps before they were ready.

Yes, it appears so. Hopefully, Apple will get its act in order and sort out these bugs, which is all they are at the end of the day.

Originally Posted by mikeh515

Yes, it appears so. Hopefully, Apple will get its act in order and sort out these bugs, which is all they are at the end of the day.

They're lucky to have customers who will cut them that kind of slack. If I did such low-quality work, I'd probably be fired, deservedly so.

http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com/

I have gone through the new Maps program with areas I travel. I found no issues that render it useless, and some aspects are better than the Google version. I am willing to cut Apple some slack because I have seen all map programs with some wild failures. It may even have been Google who was reported to show a road going through that actually stopped at the top of a cliff. Most are due to things that change between the time it is used and the original survey. Most times, it is having the GPS show you in the middle of a field because the road was rebuilt in a different location within the last couple years. Problems get fixed because the users report them, and once spotted, solutions can be found. Do not forget that you have probably hundreds of technicians pouring over the maps. When you are doing a job like that, it is not uncommon to miss the same thing over and over again. And peope have bad days or whatever. Years ago, I plotted a trip using the Maps program on my MacBook. I decided to try a state highway in New Mexico that I had never been on before. Imagine my thrill of travelling down a dirt road in the middle of the night, miles from nowhere, and warning signs saying beware of cattle in the roadway.

This is why I feel that Streetview and other programs are gimmicks. I go to areas where construction is common. Too often, using Streetview or satellite images may show roads or buildings that no longer exist. An example is a road near my house which is popular for oversize loads. Satellite images and if available, Streetview would show a good road for taking trailers or equipment, but would not tell you that the road has been shutdown for over a year for bridge repairs. The alternate routes are miles away and would not be easy to reach. for some people, Streetview is a handy tool. I do not see Apple duplicating it because it requires a large investment and would only duplicate the Google program. Until the data is updated at least weekly, it cannot be considered reliable for many.

It seems to me that the 'Maps Team' is going to be locked down for a long stretch. What on earth is Apple playing at releasing such a poor rendering of Maps compared to its previous offering which was excellent. I hope that this slip in standards is a glitch and not an indication of the way things are going in the future.