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Comment by zaidf | Hacker News Reader

If I live in Manhattan and extensively use Maps for public transport info, is it true that feature no longer exists?

If so, I'm going to wait before upgrading to iOS 6. Widespread blunder like this does so much to hurt the Apple brand especially in light of an ambitious competitor like Samsung. Apple should realize that even its biggest fan boys will begin rethinking if you cripple basic parts of their product repeatedly. There will come an unforced blunder that couldn't be fixed by an update or use of a cover.

I've been an iPhone user for years but am seriously considering a move to S3 after coming across a few use cases that make me hate Apple.

Basically the trend I am beginning to see is that if you are making enterprise specific apps, sooner or later you come across a basic and intentional iOS limitation that makes you hit your head against the wall.

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Yup, no more public transport info. Until Google releases their iOS Maps app (assuming they do), the best solution seems to be loading up maps.google.com in Safari instead.

I believe it is pending approval.

I was planning on buying the new iphone but after upgrading my iPhone 4 to iOS I'm having second thoughts. I might just go and get the S3 or wait for Note2 to come out.

What was it running before iOS?

good catch, I missed the 6

I think Apple's position for iOS 6 is that they want third party developers to build the transit apps for wherever there's a need rather than trying to build in-house centrally managed support for the entire world. The new maps app will actually find an appropriate transit app for the requested destination installed or in the app store to hand you off to. For example here's one for NYC:

http://thetransitapp.com

What this means is that for the next month or two coverage is going to be poor but getting towards mid next year they'll probably have better transit capability than Google. For example what I'd like to see is support for routing in my area using the real-time arrival data (our buses are frequently late), correct fare calculations, and balance info for my transit card. Google is unlikely to do any of this stuff but now someone who cares can go solve it. I think Apple pretty much botched the launch but in the not very long term it'll work out fine.

Myself? I'm holding off upgrading until a point release :)

I also live in Manhattan. The new Maps app integrates pretty well with Embark NYC (free), and possibly other transit apps that repackage the MTA's info.

Embark's website: http://letsembark.com/

App Store link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app//id450991137?mt=8

I'll give it a shot but from a user's perspective, I took for granted the ease with which I could find directions from one app using various modes(walk/drive/public transport).

Changing a basic habit for no good reason is hard--if anyone, Apple should know.

You still use one app (Maps.app), and it gives you directions inside the app when you use drive/walk mode, but it takes you to the 3rd party app when you select public transport. So you don't have to open this app ever. (Just wanted to clear that put in case you didn't know)

Yes. Hopstop is free but has ads.

Aren't there 100 transit apps for Manhatten? Are they not as good as Google's?

Can you name one transit app for New York City that's 1) free and 2) nearly as good or better than Google Maps?

Seconded. I really like the forgiving and smart inputs of Google maps. Some of the apps take me much longer to input where I need to go while google maps knows exactly what I mean in vast majority of cases.

No. That's why I asked the question.

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