Bay Area (Reuters) - Apple Corporation Leader Tim Prepare apologized Friday to clients frustrated with glaring errors in the new Maps service and, within an unusual move for that consumer giant, directed these to rival services for example Google Inc's Maps rather.
The rare apology follows Apple's launch of their own mapping service earlier this year, if this started selling the apple iphone 5 and folded out iOS 6, the long awaited update to the mobile software platform.
Customers complained the new Maps service - according to Nederlander navigation equipment and digital map maker TomTom NV's data - contained physical errors and gaps in information, which it didn't have features that made Google Maps very popular from riding on the bus directions to traffic data and street-view pictures.
"We're very sorry for that frustration it has triggered our clients and we're doing everything we are able to to create Maps better," Prepare stated inside a letter to clients launched on its website, adding that the organization "fell short" of their resolve for deliver "the very best experience easy to our clients."
Abnormally, he recommended that clients download rival mapping services obtainable in Apple's Application Store while the organization enhances the merchandise.
"While we are enhancing Maps, you can test options by installing map applications in the Application Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by visiting their websites and creating a symbol in your desltop for their web application," he stated within the letter.
Apple is usually detest to tout rival services and also the contrite apology by Prepare is definitely an indication of methods Apple is altering underneath the leader who required over this past year from co-founder Jobs right before his dying. Additionally, it required the extra step of conspicuously exhibiting the rival services on its Applications Store.
"It's a little unusual but simultaneously, Tim is keeping Apple's resolve for supply the best consumer experience for clients," Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu stated. "A vital reason behind Apple's success is keeping clients happy therefore we think this is an excellent move."
"People forget that Google Maps began out inferior to Mapquest and Yahoo Maps," he added.
Apple's home-grown Maps feature -- sewn together by obtaining mapping companies and knowledge from many companies including Waze, Intermap, DigitalGlobe and concrete Mapping -- was introduced with much fanfare in June by software chief Scott Forstall. It had been charged among the key popular features of the up-to-date iOS6 software.
But errors and omissions within the maps service rapidly emerged following the software was folded out, varying from misplaced structures and mislabelled metropolitan areas to copied physical features.
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The final time Apple faced such common critique was at 2010, when customers reported signal reception issues around the then-new apple iphone 4 model.
A defiant Jobs at that time declined any suggestion the apple iphone 4's design was problematic, but offered customers free phone cases in a rare, 90-minute press conference known as to deal with individuals complaints.
While Apple fixed the problem, Jobs had apologized to customers only after he was particularly requested if he was sorry. Also, he stated the problem was shared by virtually all of the producers, naming rivals Research in motion sales, Samsung Electronics and HTC Corp.
Prepare themself performed a vital role in convincing Jobs to tackle the negative publicity that came about around that problem, something he was unwilling to do, based on his biographer.
"Finally Tim Prepare could shake him from his lethargy," Walter Isaacson stated in the biography around the late Plastic Valley icon. "He cited someone as stating that Apple was becoming the brand new Microsoft, complacent and arrogant. The following day Jobs transformed his attitude."
It remains seen how quickly Apple can deal with the mapping glitches. Jobs have been inside a similar position as he permitted email synchronization software MobileMe to produce in 2008, to deadly reviews. The mercurial Boss required the audience to task for this and changed the group's mind. The services are now folded in to the iCloud product.
Mapping is really a complex procedure that takes lots of assets and years to master, stated Marcus Thielking, co-founding father of Skobbler, maker from the popular Gps navigation Navigation 2 application, built while using crowdsourced OpenStreetMap platform.
"It will help a great deal for those who have great data to begin with,Inch he stated, adding it seems that different database were tossed together in building Apple Maps. "They (Apple) can provide incremental updates and that is the things they is going to do."
Prepare stated which more than 100 million iOS products are utilizing the brand new Apple Maps which the greater people use Maps, the greater it'll get. Also, he offered some hints on why the organization made the decision to get rid of Google Maps.
Apple released the Google-powered Maps "initially using the first form of iOS" and produced a house-grown form of the service because it desired to provide more features, Prepare stated.
"As time advanced, we desired to provide our clients with better still Maps including features for example turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps," he stated within the letter.
Google provides turn-by-turn navigation on Android-based products however the popular feature wasn't readily available for Apple products. Apple Maps changed Google Maps in iOS 6 and also the Google services are now only accessible via a browser.
Shares of Apple fell 2 percent to shut at $667.10 on Nasdaq.
(Editing by Edwin Chan and Richard Chang)
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