Google Maps navigates its way to 10 billion installs

Started by rcjordan, November 05, 2021, 05:46:55 PM

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rcjordan

November 05, 2021, 05:46:55 PM

ergophobe

#1
November 05, 2021, 07:13:21 PM
Have you noticed that Google Maps has gotten way worse over the last five years?

I would say there was a sweet spot about five years ago. The phases, for me, have been.

1. Using third-party data. This was pretty good... about the same as Garmin. But our house was located a mile away at a random retaining wall.

2. Google switches to its own data. This was terrible. We had the Park Headquarters at a random point in our neighborhood which is about 7 miles from park headquarters direct distance, but as the elevation change is about 4000 feet, it's an hour drive that goes around a lot. The Ahwahnee Dining Room was at the top of our neighborhood, which again is 35 minutes and 17 miles away.

3. Google cleans up its data. All is right with the world. The routes tend to be a good mix of fastest and simplest.

4. Google adds more data and updates its backbone so that it can calculate more complex routes. Now Google sends people down stomach-churning backroads that leave people arriving at their destinations with a look of fear and exhaustion on their faces. The routes cut off 3 minutes at the cost of much, much more stress on the driver and unpredictability. Some of the routes are utterly insane.

After being at step 4 for a few years, I quit using Google Maps on the phone. I now feel like Apple Maps is at Step 3, and so I only use Google if Apple can't find something.

Drastic

#2
November 06, 2021, 03:33:32 PM
The main thing I hate about G Maps is now everyone hits my hidden shortcuts to get around town. They aren't so short, or hidden, any more.

We like backroads, so the crazy routes have actually been fun for us.

ergophobe

#3
November 06, 2021, 05:19:39 PM
Yeah... people who fly in from France, get their rental car and get sent down those backroads, some of which properly speaking need a high-clearance vehicle, find those trips less than fun. That's the worst case, but not far off from what I've seen around here.

rcjordan

#4
November 06, 2021, 05:36:11 PM
During the pandemic, I only used G maps while on the decktop.  When in the car, Louise uses Waze exclusively compulsively rabidly.  When I did use Gmaps for nav, I found it to be OK on the Mid-Atlantic coast, no complaints.

>shortcuts

Waze does NOT like it if you take a good shortcut.  I once documented it holding onto its proposed route for 8 minutes before it begrudgingly switched to mine.  And when it did switch my route was 2 minutes shorter.

Don't try driving a big RV or truck over 10 feet height using consumer gps.  They make pricey software for that, adds height and weight limit parameters to the routing. 
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