Thursday, September 20, 2012

On maps and journeys. Oh, and iPhones

"Even with the best of maps and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys."
Gail Pool
With the iPhone 5 scheduled to hit store shelves tomorrow, geeks everywhere are already lined up on autumn-chilled sidewalks for the privilege of being the first of their friends to buy something that everyone else will be able to grab from a ginormous pile of inventory barely two weeks from now.

As they ratchet their tents down and plan their next Starbucks run, many of these line-waiters are doubtless complaining about the new Maps app. Long story short: Apple and Google are no longer friends, so Apple's replaced the Google-powered old Maps app with something it cobbled together on its own. The initial version is somewhat underwhelming, and listening to folks carry on about its shortcomings, you'd think we were all reverting to paper-based maps (which I still can't re-fold...please discuss.)

Of course Apple will improve the offering, and mapgate will eventually join antennagate in the dustbin of geek history. But for now, I found this quote amusing given the timing.

Your turn: Have you ever lined up for lots and lots of hours, or even days, for something?

3 comments:

Bernie said...

Never lined up for anything 'new' like that, BUT, on day 1 of the AppleTV earlier this year, I walked in and got one...

Sales started here just shy of 4 hours ago here in Sydney Aust, and from accounts, have been going 'off'!!

I updated to iOS6 last night, and so far, I am impressed!!

Bernie said...

Seems we had a VIP intown!!

http://www.news.com.au/technology/australia-goes-nuts-for-the-iphone-5-as-apple-founder-steve-wozniak-joins-our-queue/story-e6frfro0-1226478600390

JJ said...

Only for someone to see me in an American hospital ER.