Apple's biggest mistakes, from the Newton to maps

Apple's new maps offering has drawn huge amounts of ire from users used to having Google Maps on their device. But it's far from the company's first brush with a PR embarrassment. What's surprising is how many of them it has managed to ride over and turn into success. Will maps be the same – or cause lasting damage?

Apple Maps - September 2012

The introduction by Apple of its own mapping service in iOS6, the operating software rolled out to iPhones and iPads on Wednesday 19 September, has been one of its worst PR disasters. Although the update has brought voice-driven turn-by-turn navigation, users have complained that the new maps, which replace Google's – in use on the iPhone since 2007 – lack accuracy, clarity and detail. In response, Apple said that "We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better."

In other words, it knows that people aren't liking it. But it hasn't got a quick fix – and for people missing public transport information since the loss of Google, the only options are to use Google's maps in the browser (maps.google.co.uk), hope that the map will get you there, or – when all else fails – buy a paper map. Or ask someone.

Apple's new maps. Photo by Kim Gunnarsson on Flickr.