3 ms·

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 alt

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 For example, current navigation systems built into cars tend to be completely out of date and mostly unsupported long before the car itself is end of life.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)

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)