New Google Maps

[Spud]

I got the "invitation" and just got on there to look around. Should be pretty nice. In the search box now, you can type, for example, "motels, sheridan, wy" and it automatically pops to the town with them located and linked... quicker and more user friendly than before.

Also, on directions, it throws up a summary w/time/mileage you can open, then shows an "as the crow flies" arrow with airline costs....

Just starting to check it out but it's significantly different.

Anyone else checking it out?

 

[Burnspot]

I tried the new one then flipped back to the older version. Unless they've very recently updated it, you can't add multiple points (vias) to the map like you could do with the classic version.

 

[Sully1300]

Until we can use via/way points through gps then it will always be a secondary map to use on the computer.

 

[Warpdrv]

Yeah - they will add that to the code, but seems they tossed it out to the market too soon.

Seems like alot of people are dependent on the waypoints, why they would not implement them right from the get go is stupid.

 

[Hudson]

I stopped using online maps for that reason. I use Bing to verify any travel details and see if the road is actually paved (mostly with success), but use Streets and Trips to plan all routes and export them to Garmin's basecamp.

 

[Greg 03]

Paper maps... I use paper maps. No batteries and I can write notes about trips.

 

[leedavis]

I don't know why they bothered putting out the pre-release with so many missing features. If anything, it's worrisome they might be screwing up something that was working good.

No multi-point routing

No way to retain POI searches and routes in layers for later display

No way to highlight which roads have street view

No terrain view

Not to mention, the new version puts a bunch of fluff on the screen you can't get rid of by default. All sizzle, no steak.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Also it seems to be more of a system hog than the old one. Rendering performance sucks compared to the old one. I used it for a bit and then flipped back. Hopefully with all the data they can collect they see us flipping back and realize that things need to be changed.

One thing I sent to them that sucks for me, I use it daily as my traffic check for my ride home. I have three highways I can use to get home so this check is critical for me. On the older version they'll put clickable icons at accidents and such and when you click on them they pop up information showing which lanes are affected. This helps me make decisions because if the HOV is closed then I'll avoid one route but if it only affects the right side lanes then I'll go because that means the HOV is open. New maps have ZERO icons on it. Don't know if it hasn't made it into the code yet but that's become a game changer for me at this time.

I haven't used the online maps much for trip planning because saving and editing a route later is such a pain in the rear. I like to fiddle with it over time and the way that google does a saved map just sucks.

 

[mcatrophy]

After 3 minutes went back to the old version. Too cumbersome, less intuitive.

Why they feel they have to change I don't know. It's like many web sites. "We can make it pretty so we will. Doesn't matter if it gets in the way of the viewer using it, we want it pretty."

I'll get off my soap box. Maybe I'm getting old.

One thing I do like is some of the stuff you can use to see where you've been. I've recorded a few trips on my Tomtom, then put the recording to maps. See here if you're interested (this is still experimental at the moment).

 

[Burnspot]

Well, if you do use the new version, be sure to "Report a Problem" and highlight the missing features....that's what I did just before switching back to the "classic" version. If they get enough flak, maybe they'll rethink it. I've seen a lot of guff over the missing waypoints feature, so who knows.

On my recent trip out to Colorado, I used the GPS only for getting out there and back (mostly mileage counting), then it turned into an altimeter. Once in Colorado, I found my iOS iBook "2014 Rand McNally Road Atlas" to be invaluable. It doesn't have fancy features and doesn't require cell service or wifi, which I didn't have in some spots. It's just an electronic "paper map" that works.

 

[Spud]

For the record, I believe in redundancy. I use a GPS, and always have the paper map in my tank bag. Then stuck to my maps I have my condensed notes about mileage, turns, hotel addresses/#'s etc. I've been laughed at but I'm rarely lost

 

[russperry]

Also it seems to be more of a system hog than the old one. Rendering performance sucks compared to the old one. I used it for a bit and then flipped back. Hopefully with all the data they can collect they see us flipping back and realize that things need to be changed.
One thing I sent to them that sucks for me, I use it daily as my traffic check for my ride home. I have three highways I can use to get home so this check is critical for me. On the older version they'll put clickable icons at accidents and such and when you click on them they pop up information showing which lanes are affected. This helps me make decisions because if the HOV is closed then I'll avoid one route but if it only affects the right side lanes then I'll go because that means the HOV is open. New maps have ZERO icons on it. Don't know if it hasn't made it into the code yet but that's become a game changer for me at this time.

I haven't used the online maps much for trip planning because saving and editing a route later is such a pain in the rear. I like to fiddle with it over time and the way that google does a saved map just sucks.

Jason - have you used Waze for commuting? I think its the bees knees - user input driven include LEO locations, accidents, real time routing changes due to traffic congestion, etc...

Now that Google has bought it I'm assuming it will be destroyed as you start getting endless streams of unwanted advertisements where your map used to be, but for now it still works great.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Nope, hadn't tried it. I used something else for a while till I found the "Traffic" layer in google and hadn't really needed anything since.

I did notice that the new maps app made it's way to my phone yesterday. I see icons, so that's helpful.

 

[Warpdrv]

gotta figure out how to revert back to the old - my maps crashes every time I run GPS.