Google Maps Frustration

Jun 4, 2007

I am growing increasingly frustrated with Google Maps. In the past month, on two separate occasions, Google Maps failed to find my intended destination. What really gets under my skin is the fact that Google's competition found each place without any problems.

Example 1 My family checked out the Clarksville Station restaurant in Roxboro, NC for my sister's graduation. It's a steak-house built inside of an old train station and a couple of dining cars from an actual train. It's located at 4080 Durham Road, Roxboro, NC. Let's see what the mapping services show for this query:

  • Google Maps: Only locates Durham Road, not the 4080 address.
  • MapQuest: Shows the location as expected.
  • Yahoo! Maps: Can't find the exact location, but interestingly enough, centers the map at the exact location. Weird.
  • Microsoft Live Search: Gets it exactly right.

Example 2 My car needed service recently, so I took it to Jay's Automotive, a repair place not too far away from where I live. They are located at 3510 Highway 70 West, Efland, NC. Let's see how the various mapping services do with this one:

  • Google Maps: Wow. This is so far off, it's not funny.
  • MapQuest: Again, MapQuest gets the location exactly.
  • Yahoo! Maps: Again, they cannot locate the address, but the map is centered at the correct location.
  • Microsoft Live Search: Again, Microsoft got it exactly right.

What gets me even more steamed is the lack of aerial (or satellite) images for example number 2. Google Maps only has images beginning at zoom level 6 (levels 1 through 5 are all "unavailable"). MapQuest has color images down to zoom level 3 (1 and 2 aren't available), which is very close. Yahoo! Maps has color imagery at all zoom levels, while Microsoft Live Search has images to zoom level 3 (just like MapQuest, though the image quality is very poor).

Google needs to stop spending money and effort on cheap gimmicks like their recent Street View (is that thing worthless, or what?), and instead beef up their location database and aerial photographs. I can't even see my house on Google Maps! All the other mapping services have it, so it's certainly possible to do.

Get with the program, Google. Until then, I think I'll stick to your competition (at least when satellite photographs are involved).

annoyances web
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4 Comments

kip

3:22 PM on Jun 4, 2007
I agree about Street View, big waste of money IMHO. I remember Microsoft or Expedia doing something like this several years back, before Google Maps. You couldn't rotate them in a VR-style view, but it was the same idea... and it's useless to anyone who doesn't live in one of the ten biggest cities in the country... I have noticed that Microsoft Live Search makes by far the best looking maps. And I noticed over the weekend that Google finally added interstate exit numbers to their maps, something which has bugged me for years. Of course, the more competition the better all these services will get. Without Google, you'd still be clicking arrows and waiting five seconds for the page to reload just to move a quarter mile to the east (and you probably wouldn't think it was even possible without using a Flash applet).

Dustin

6:59 PM on Jun 4, 2007
MapQuest needs to get with the program. It's not 1997 anymore, where double click means "center the map", I want to zoom in. And when I scroll my mouse wheel, I want to zoom in and out. I wonder how often all of them update their maps, because all 4 are out of date with respect to the Raleigh, NC area. 540 now goes to US-64, it doesn't stop at Capital Blvd anymore. I thought at least MapQuest would have gotten that one. BTW, Google maps FTW. -Google fanboi

Jonah

7:24 PM on Jun 4, 2007
Of course, the more competition the better all these services will get. Without Google, you’d still be clicking arrows and waiting five seconds for the page to reload just to move a quarter mile to the east (and you probably wouldn’t think it was even possible without using a Flash applet).
That's absolutely right, Kip. If it weren't for Google, the whole "Web 2.0 revolution" might not have come about. Google Maps still has a very slick, not to mention fast, look and feel. I just feel like they're spending their energy (and money) on niche add-ons, not on the more important stuff (up to date maps and photos).
MapQuest needs to get with the program. It’s not 1997 anymore, where double click means “center the map”, I want to zoom in. And when I scroll my mouse wheel, I want to zoom in and out.
MapQuest certainly needs to work on their look and feel. Searching on their website isn't as easy as it is on the other mapping services (multiple input fields versus only one). But their aerial photos are top-notch. And they can find locations that Google Maps can't. Let me make it clear that I really want to love Google Maps. It's just so hard to do when their competition is outdoing them at some level. But having competition is what it's all about.

kip

2:27 PM on Jun 5, 2007
I wonder how often all of them update their maps, because all 4 are out of date with respect to the Raleigh, NC area.
Actually, all 4 get their basic map data from Navteq. Must be a good time to be Navteq. :)

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