4 ms·

> google map, because it has absolutely zero decent competitor. I am using https://openstreetmap.org https://openstreetmap.org and have no problems with it.

by fghtr 9y ago

sametmax 9y ago
Open street map don't tell you to go to the left ride of the lane so you can take a better right turn in 100m in real time, then inform you that you have to alternatives to your current trip given the current traffic spike if you wish.
- phicoh 9y ago
  If there is a choice between having to watch annoying ads and not having those details, then I go for the more basic system that is ad free. (I do use openstreetmap for 99% for my navigation, mostly because I care about open navigation systems) No doubt, real time traffic information can be developed for openstreetmap. But if and when it happens depends on where others drop the ball. For example, current navigation systems built into cars tend to be completely out of date and mostly unsupported long before the car itself is end of life. So this is an area where openstreetmap might take over.
  - icebraining 9y ago
    OSM actually had ads way before Google Maps: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mappam http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mappam
    - rmc 9y ago
      I don't think you can compare the ad tracking that Google does now, and what the OSM website used to do years ago. That wiki page is almost 10 years old, with the website mentioned (mappam.com) no longer working. Though since OSM predates Google Maps, it makes sense that OSM would have another first :P
  - saiya-jin 9y ago
    even within geekish HN crowd, you are an outlier
  - sametmax 9y ago
    You are on HN. You are not a basic consumer. Selective bias at his best.
- zahical 9y ago
  By itself, OSM is just a geo database so it's somewhat misleading to state "what it doesn't tells you". In fact, OSM is perfectly capable of representing lane restrictions (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lanes http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lanes) and some of the existing OSM clients (such as OsmAnd) offer 'lane assist' (arguably, it might not be as good as Google's but there's no fundamental problem in achieving feature parity). And while the GMaps feature of offering you route alternatives based on the current traffic is nice, the "price" you are paying for it is unconditionally sharing your location with google while the GMaps app is running (or even at all times, depending on you settings). I personally don't feel comfortable with that compromise.
  - jstanley 9y ago
    > there's no fundamental problem in achieving feature parity Sure, but if you're going to make that argument, all software is equivalent, because you can just implement the stuff you want and delete the stuff that gets in the way.
    - fghtr 9y ago
      This is not entirely true for proprietary software :)
  - sametmax 9y ago
    We can do it != we have it.
- c3833174 9y ago
  After being driven through very convoluted paths a bunch of times in the name of saving time and realtime updates, I'd say I very much prefer the consistent sane paths created by months old openstreet maps on my SD card (using mapfactor Navigator)
fooker 9y ago
Almost useless outside a few cities in a few western countries.
- c3833174 9y ago
  The first time I tried OSM there were only a couple of roads in place of nearby towns, tried again a couple of years later and everything was there, even more detailed than google's maps So it can definitely change.
IshKebab 9y ago
There's nothing wrong with OSM but you can't pretend it is on the same level as Google Maps. Where is streetview? Business opening times? Reviews? Phone numbers? Directions? Turn-by-turn navigation? Live traffic? Historical traffic? Google Maps now has a live busynessometer for some businesses. And 3D models of entire cities, even non-London ones. As a traditional paper map OSM is fine, but Google Maps is now far more than that.
- rmc 9y ago
  > Where is streetview? Business opening times? Reviews? Phone numbers? Directions? Turn-by-turn navigation? Live traffic? Historical traffic? Traffic and street view are hard, and expensive, to do because you need to drive around the place to take photos, or to have enough data points for traffic information. Reviews are hard because they are subjective, and how do you deal with spam, with moderation, with fake reviews, etc. The other things? They're in OSM (to varing degrees of completness): * Business opening times: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:opening_hours https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:opening_hours * Phone Numbers: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:phone https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:phone * Simple 3d modelling: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/3D https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/3D * Directions/turn-by-turn has existed for a long time, e.g. on the main website itself, or software like Graphhopper or OSRM. Yes OSM is has much less features than Google, but the OSM Foundation only has income of about £97,000 per year. Google has considerible more financial strength.
  - sametmax 9y ago
    You are completely missing the point. This is not a critic of the OSM project. Most of the commenters love that it exists. It's just that if you click on your mobile on google map and osm map, you get a vastly different experience. It's objective.
    - rmc 9y ago
      Yes, you're right, they are different things. I'm just pointing out that OSM isn't as bad for some of the things you mentioned. (BTW there isn't one osm map app for mobile devices)

> google map, because it has absolutely zero decent competitor. I am using https://openstreetmap.org https://openstreetmap.org and have no problems with it.

by fghtr 9y ago

> google map, because it has absolutely zero decent competitor. I am using https://openstreetmap.org https://openstreetmap.org and have no problems with it.

sametmax 9y ago

Open street map don't tell you to go to the left ride of the lane so you can take a better right turn in 100m in real time, then inform you that you have to alternatives to your current trip given the current traffic spike if you wish.

phicoh 9y ago
If there is a choice between having to watch annoying ads and not having those details, then I go for the more basic system that is ad free. (I do use openstreetmap for 99% for my navigation, mostly because I care about open navigation systems) No doubt, real time traffic information can be developed for openstreetmap. But if and when it happens depends on where others drop the ball. For example, current navigation systems built into cars tend to be completely out of date and mostly unsupported long before the car itself is end of life. So this is an area where openstreetmap might take over.
- icebraining 9y ago
  OSM actually had ads way before Google Maps: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mappam http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mappam
  - rmc 9y ago
    I don't think you can compare the ad tracking that Google does now, and what the OSM website used to do years ago. That wiki page is almost 10 years old, with the website mentioned (mappam.com) no longer working. Though since OSM predates Google Maps, it makes sense that OSM would have another first :P
- saiya-jin 9y ago
  even within geekish HN crowd, you are an outlier
- sametmax 9y ago
  You are on HN. You are not a basic consumer. Selective bias at his best.
zahical 9y ago
By itself, OSM is just a geo database so it's somewhat misleading to state "what it doesn't tells you". In fact, OSM is perfectly capable of representing lane restrictions (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lanes http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lanes) and some of the existing OSM clients (such as OsmAnd) offer 'lane assist' (arguably, it might not be as good as Google's but there's no fundamental problem in achieving feature parity). And while the GMaps feature of offering you route alternatives based on the current traffic is nice, the "price" you are paying for it is unconditionally sharing your location with google while the GMaps app is running (or even at all times, depending on you settings). I personally don't feel comfortable with that compromise.
- jstanley 9y ago
  > there's no fundamental problem in achieving feature parity Sure, but if you're going to make that argument, all software is equivalent, because you can just implement the stuff you want and delete the stuff that gets in the way.
  - fghtr 9y ago
    This is not entirely true for proprietary software :)
- sametmax 9y ago
  We can do it != we have it.
c3833174 9y ago
After being driven through very convoluted paths a bunch of times in the name of saving time and realtime updates, I'd say I very much prefer the consistent sane paths created by months old openstreet maps on my SD card (using mapfactor Navigator)

fooker 9y ago

Almost useless outside a few cities in a few western countries.

c3833174 9y ago
The first time I tried OSM there were only a couple of roads in place of nearby towns, tried again a couple of years later and everything was there, even more detailed than google's maps So it can definitely change.

IshKebab 9y ago

There's nothing wrong with OSM but you can't pretend it is on the same level as Google Maps. Where is streetview? Business opening times? Reviews? Phone numbers? Directions? Turn-by-turn navigation? Live traffic? Historical traffic? Google Maps now has a live busynessometer for some businesses. And 3D models of entire cities, even non-London ones. As a traditional paper map OSM is fine, but Google Maps is now far more than that.

rmc 9y ago
> Where is streetview? Business opening times? Reviews? Phone numbers? Directions? Turn-by-turn navigation? Live traffic? Historical traffic? Traffic and street view are hard, and expensive, to do because you need to drive around the place to take photos, or to have enough data points for traffic information. Reviews are hard because they are subjective, and how do you deal with spam, with moderation, with fake reviews, etc. The other things? They're in OSM (to varing degrees of completness): * Business opening times: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:opening_hours https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:opening_hours * Phone Numbers: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:phone https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:phone * Simple 3d modelling: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/3D https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/3D * Directions/turn-by-turn has existed for a long time, e.g. on the main website itself, or software like Graphhopper or OSRM. Yes OSM is has much less features than Google, but the OSM Foundation only has income of about £97,000 per year. Google has considerible more financial strength.
- sametmax 9y ago
  You are completely missing the point. This is not a critic of the OSM project. Most of the commenters love that it exists. It's just that if you click on your mobile on google map and osm map, you get a vastly different experience. It's objective.
  - rmc 9y ago
    Yes, you're right, they are different things. I'm just pointing out that OSM isn't as bad for some of the things you mentioned. (BTW there isn't one osm map app for mobile devices)