Apple continues to purge.

[GaryK]

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has fired the manager responsible for its troubled mapping software [bloomberg.com], seeking to win back the trust of users disappointed after the program debuted in September, according to people familiar with the move.

Apparently, Richard Williamson, the guy who oversaw the mapping team, was fired by SVP Eddy Cue today.

A team at Apple has been working to fix the mapping mistakes, focusing first on some of the most glaring problems, one person said. The satellite imagery over the U.K. has been improved and labels for popular U.S. landmarks such as the Washington Monument have been corrected.

I wonder if the above quote from the article is part of the reason why? I mean, how seriously can they be taking it when all they have to say is they're working on UK imagery and US landmark labels? What about public transit and actual better directions?

Last week Apple Maps took me into a residential neighborhood instead of the body shop a few miles away. Once in it kept screaming at me to make a U-Turn as soon as possible!

[engine]

That maps switch has to go down in Apple's history as one of its greatest mistakes.

What I don't understand is why the maps appear to be so bad.

[zeus]

I think apple has had its peak now, with there iphone, when nothing really new comes on the market soon. I know many here in europe are going for the samsung galaxy.

[bakedjake]

What I don't understand is why the maps appear to be so bad.

Because it's a really hard problem to solve.

[GaryK]

Because it's a really hard problem to solve.

I don't doubt it's a hard problem to solve. But I do have to ask, how come Google Maps solved it to the satisfaction of so many people?

ADDED: I'm feeling quite childish today and thought I'd share this quote from the submitter of the article about this same story on another forum.

"'Apple has reportedly fired the head of its mapping team following software glitches which annoyed customers and rained mockery on the company.' Mr. Williamson promptly left Apple headquarters in Antarctica, and walked to his home in Middelfart, Denmark."