Acknowledging what has become Mapgate, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook issued an apology for inaccuracies, faulty data and other issues plaguing Apple’s new in-house mapping service that replaced the stock Google Maps app on iOS 6 devices.
And just as his predecessor did when Apple got entangled in disputes with the music industry over copy-protecting iTunes songs or Adobe over Flash, Cook issued an open letter on the company’s web site to explain Apple’s position on the matter…
Cook’s letter was published on Apple’s web site Friday morning.
Cook advised people to use alternatives until Apple fixes its Maps, singling out Bing Maps, MapQuest and Waze, “or use Google or Nokia maps” on the web.
Apple’s boss also states he is “extremely sorry for the frustration” Apple’s mapping service has caused to its customers, promising to double down on the Maps situation (here, here and here) as soon as possible.
Let’s just hope Apple doubles down on Maps much more effectively than it has done on secrecy.
Here it is in its entirety, for the sake of completion.
To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.
Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO
What do you think?
Is Cook’s open letter enough?
Can we all now calm down and move on?