Is it a good idea to update to iOS 6?
In a word, no. At least not yet, and certainly not if you appreciate the excellence of Google Maps, with its impressively high-resolution satellite images and the incredible Street View.
In iOS 6, Apple has entirely replaced Google's map services with it's own mapping service. Apple's maps have a lot going for them, but good quality satellite images are not one of those things.
This is of particular concern if you're a driving instructor who regularly uses Road Pad or Road Pad Mini as a teaching aid. With iOS 6, Apple has unceremoniously dumped Google Maps out of the Road Pad apps and replaced it with their own half-baked offering.
From my point of view, this is by far the most annoying thing Apple has done for a long time.
Put simply: if you update your iPad/iPhone to iOS 6 you will temporarily lose a lot of the core functionality of Road Pad and/or Road Pad Mini.
By temporarily I mean a period of time that could be anything from around a week to a couple of years. Why the uncertainty? Read on...
Why it may be as little as a week:
I've already started implementing a fix that returns the Road Pad apps back to using Google Maps. However, assuming the fix works, it will have to be approved by Apple. There is no telling whether or not they will go quietly or kick up a fuss and try to prevent me from going back to the old ways. This is a political matter between Apple and Google and something us mere mortals can have no real understanding of.
Why it may be as much as a couple of years:
If the workaround can't get past Apple's App Store approval process, we will just have to sit tight and wait for the quality of Apple's satellite images to improve. How long this will take is anyone's guess, but I'd estimate at least a few months, maybe more, for good coverage across the UK.
Another reason not to update your software yet is that, with iOS 6, some problems have emerged (ha ha!) in my Give Way app. The cars have a tendency to disappear in the Emerging and Crossroads section. This kind of quirky bug is a fairly typical outcome of a major operating system update. It won't take long to rectify, but will take at least a week to pass through Apple's approval system. If you want to keep using Give Way as normal, please stay away from iOS 6 until the update is posted.
UPDATE 25-09-12: The updated version of Road Pad Mini is now live on the App Store. This version will only install if you're running iOS 6. It replaces the Apple Maps with Google Maps. You can use the satellite images and also Street View. The update to Road Pad is still awaiting review by Apple.
UPDATE 03-10-12: Click here to read the latest on iOS 6 app updates and bug fixes.
In iOS 6, Apple has entirely replaced Google's map services with it's own mapping service. Apple's maps have a lot going for them, but good quality satellite images are not one of those things.
This is of particular concern if you're a driving instructor who regularly uses Road Pad or Road Pad Mini as a teaching aid. With iOS 6, Apple has unceremoniously dumped Google Maps out of the Road Pad apps and replaced it with their own half-baked offering.
From my point of view, this is by far the most annoying thing Apple has done for a long time.
Put simply: if you update your iPad/iPhone to iOS 6 you will temporarily lose a lot of the core functionality of Road Pad and/or Road Pad Mini.
By temporarily I mean a period of time that could be anything from around a week to a couple of years. Why the uncertainty? Read on...
Why it may be as little as a week:
I've already started implementing a fix that returns the Road Pad apps back to using Google Maps. However, assuming the fix works, it will have to be approved by Apple. There is no telling whether or not they will go quietly or kick up a fuss and try to prevent me from going back to the old ways. This is a political matter between Apple and Google and something us mere mortals can have no real understanding of.
Why it may be as much as a couple of years:
If the workaround can't get past Apple's App Store approval process, we will just have to sit tight and wait for the quality of Apple's satellite images to improve. How long this will take is anyone's guess, but I'd estimate at least a few months, maybe more, for good coverage across the UK.
Another reason not to update your software yet is that, with iOS 6, some problems have emerged (ha ha!) in my Give Way app. The cars have a tendency to disappear in the Emerging and Crossroads section. This kind of quirky bug is a fairly typical outcome of a major operating system update. It won't take long to rectify, but will take at least a week to pass through Apple's approval system. If you want to keep using Give Way as normal, please stay away from iOS 6 until the update is posted.
UPDATE 25-09-12: The updated version of Road Pad Mini is now live on the App Store. This version will only install if you're running iOS 6. It replaces the Apple Maps with Google Maps. You can use the satellite images and also Street View. The update to Road Pad is still awaiting review by Apple.
UPDATE 03-10-12: Click here to read the latest on iOS 6 app updates and bug fixes.
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