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Comment by cleverjake | Hacker News Reader

The existing version was an Apple app, that used google technology. They would have to relicense the data to use the past maps app. I'm sure they'd rather spend that money to improve the new one.

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They actually had about a year left on their license. Source -> http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57520590-501465/apple...

Having a few months up your sleeve on current licensing terms doesn't mean you could sit back and wait for the expiry date before acting.

True, but releasing a beta of your potential replacement (for example), is another way of acting.

Really? Jeez the doublethink in this thread is strong. Why is the alternative to "keep what works until you can't", "ditch it with months on the license to push an inferior, downgraded experience"?

Why couldn't they have spent that time getting data partnerships that apparently is going to solve all of their problems?

I would imagine they were working from a standpoint of "this is the last major launch before the license is up.". Could you imagine if the google maps app was shut down? people would go bannanas.

>>Why couldn't they have spent that time getting data partnerships that apparently is going to solve all of their problems?

I would imagine they have been spending years on this already. Google has just been spending nearly a decade doing the same thing. When you are both world class development companies, a several year lead is insurmountable for a very long time.

So, now Apple, Godly Apple, is rushing incomplete, knowingly broken products out just to fit with their hardware release schedule?

I don't have a dog in the race, but maybe I'm realizing why Scott was fired.

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