7 ms·

Honestly for me it boils down to Google maps being just a superior app. It's not even the amount of data in itself(which is a lot already tbh) but just the app

Honestly for me it boils down to Google maps being just a superior app. It's not even the amount of data in itself(which is a lot already tbh) but just the app being better. I don't think I have seen a decent OSM app yet.

gordo4 8y ago
OsmAnd is far superior to Google Maps in my opinion, especially for backcountry offline navigation. It's one of the most important apps when traveling abroad or when cell service is spotty. Google Maps is basically useless in rural South America, for example... and OSM is actually more up to date than Google Maps when it comes to river crossings, etc... and POI data is available for offline use. Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting.
- ant6n 8y ago
  Is that the ugly one where you have to download huge regions to offline just to look at where you at right now?
  - tinix 8y ago
    Huge? Not so much... OsmAnd uses vector maps, which are very small, compared to "offline" Google Maps tiles. A couple hundred megabytes for an entire country's road system is not "huge".
    - jpatokal 8y ago
      Like the mobile app itself, Google Maps offline maps are also vector based.
      - tinix 8y ago
        Then how come an offline region of a national park in Google Maps is a larger download than the entire state in OsmAnd?
    - ant6n 8y ago
      A couple hundred megabytes to show me a map of where I am right now is huge.
      - tinix 8y ago
        You can use "online" maps and it only downloads the visible region on your screen. It's not a few hundred megs "just to show you where you are" that is utter nonsense. How about you just actually use the app before you make baseless accusations.
        ant6n 8y ago
        Well I asked whether this is the app with only offline mode, which would imply large downloads. You said that offline mode is so small that it doesn't matter. I didn't make any 'baseless accusation', I am working off your reply, but still without any 'accusation' at all. How about actually reading people's messages before claiming they're making 'baseless accusations'.
  - jabberthemutt 8y ago
    No, it's the one that supports both local and online maps.
- sciurus 8y ago
  Backcountry offline navigation in rural South America is far from what most people are using a mapping app for, though.
- memco 8y ago
  > Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting. The iOS Google maps does offline navigation. I used it just this weekend on a long distance trip. You have to download the data beforehand, but if you have downloaded the data for a region you can search and route to any destination you want.
  - markdown 8y ago
    How do you tell it to download a specific location beforehand?
    - duiker101 8y ago
      I'm not sure how to do in the iOS one but I ma sure it's possible because my partner does it. For Android you just need to go in the side panel and there is a Offline Maps button.
      - markdown 8y ago
        OK Thanks
- azernik 8y ago
  It can absolutely do offline navigation - you have to tell it to download an area offline, but if you start navigation for a route that passes through out-of-the-way areas it'll prompt you to download the offline maps.
- ams6110 8y ago
  > Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting Yes it can, you have to download the area in advance but I use it offline all the time as I have no mobile data plan on my phone.
  - gambler 8y ago
    The whole feature is clearly an afterthought. There are so many issues with it you're much better off getting another app that's designed for offline navigation.
- Splines 8y ago
  How does OsmAnd handle traffic? For my commute I religiously use Google Maps to learn about accidents or other blockages to make my trip shorter. Can I do the same thing with OsmAnd? (I'm thinking no, but I'm unfamiliar with how traffic data really works, so I'm open to learning that I'm wrong.)
- Avamander 8y ago
  Let me know when it gets a trip planner and has a mapmaker alternative.
  - trystero 8y ago
    Both Osmand (osmand.net) and MAPS.ME (maps.me) are mobile applications with a trip planner. To make maps I recommend uMap (umap.openstreetmap.fr) which is superior to the Google Maps equivalent features in every aspects.
    - Avamander 8y ago
      Cool, is there a trip planner on desktop? I primarily commute using public transportation so Google's integration with that is super cool and I'd really love something free (as in freedom) that does the same.
gtdawg 8y ago
The Google maps app is quite slow and bloated now on my Galaxy S6 and Nexus 5X. I think OSM has a great opportunity to overtake them on the "app being better" metric. Too many features have been crammed into Maps.
mcv 8y ago
Google Maps is a great app, but the data is sometimes lacking. Open Street Maps is far more accurate at bicycle routes in and around Amsterdam, for example. Google regularly misses optimal routes.
black-tea 8y ago
Maps.me is great and better than Google.
Fnoord 8y ago
> Honestly for me it boils down to Google maps being just a superior app. And it shall remain that way as long as people work for free on a proprietary Google Web 2.0/3.0 application whereas they could do the same work for a FOSS licensed alternative (such as OSM).

gordo4 8y ago

OsmAnd is far superior to Google Maps in my opinion, especially for backcountry offline navigation. It's one of the most important apps when traveling abroad or when cell service is spotty. Google Maps is basically useless in rural South America, for example... and OSM is actually more up to date than Google Maps when it comes to river crossings, etc... and POI data is available for offline use. Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting.

ant6n 8y ago
Is that the ugly one where you have to download huge regions to offline just to look at where you at right now?
- tinix 8y ago
  Huge? Not so much... OsmAnd uses vector maps, which are very small, compared to "offline" Google Maps tiles. A couple hundred megabytes for an entire country's road system is not "huge".
  - jpatokal 8y ago
    Like the mobile app itself, Google Maps offline maps are also vector based.
    - tinix 8y ago
      Then how come an offline region of a national park in Google Maps is a larger download than the entire state in OsmAnd?
  - ant6n 8y ago
    A couple hundred megabytes to show me a map of where I am right now is huge.
    - tinix 8y ago
      You can use "online" maps and it only downloads the visible region on your screen. It's not a few hundred megs "just to show you where you are" that is utter nonsense. How about you just actually use the app before you make baseless accusations.
      - ant6n 8y ago
        Well I asked whether this is the app with only offline mode, which would imply large downloads. You said that offline mode is so small that it doesn't matter. I didn't make any 'baseless accusation', I am working off your reply, but still without any 'accusation' at all. How about actually reading people's messages before claiming they're making 'baseless accusations'.
- jabberthemutt 8y ago
  No, it's the one that supports both local and online maps.
sciurus 8y ago
Backcountry offline navigation in rural South America is far from what most people are using a mapping app for, though.
memco 8y ago
> Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting. The iOS Google maps does offline navigation. I used it just this weekend on a long distance trip. You have to download the data beforehand, but if you have downloaded the data for a region you can search and route to any destination you want.
- markdown 8y ago
  How do you tell it to download a specific location beforehand?
  - duiker101 8y ago
    I'm not sure how to do in the iOS one but I ma sure it's possible because my partner does it. For Android you just need to go in the side panel and there is a Offline Maps button.
    - markdown 8y ago
      OK Thanks
azernik 8y ago
It can absolutely do offline navigation - you have to tell it to download an area offline, but if you start navigation for a route that passes through out-of-the-way areas it'll prompt you to download the offline maps.
ams6110 8y ago
> Google Maps can't even do offline navigation and rerouting Yes it can, you have to download the area in advance but I use it offline all the time as I have no mobile data plan on my phone.
- gambler 8y ago
  The whole feature is clearly an afterthought. There are so many issues with it you're much better off getting another app that's designed for offline navigation.
Splines 8y ago
How does OsmAnd handle traffic? For my commute I religiously use Google Maps to learn about accidents or other blockages to make my trip shorter. Can I do the same thing with OsmAnd? (I'm thinking no, but I'm unfamiliar with how traffic data really works, so I'm open to learning that I'm wrong.)
Avamander 8y ago
Let me know when it gets a trip planner and has a mapmaker alternative.
- trystero 8y ago
  Both Osmand (osmand.net) and MAPS.ME (maps.me) are mobile applications with a trip planner. To make maps I recommend uMap (umap.openstreetmap.fr) which is superior to the Google Maps equivalent features in every aspects.
  - Avamander 8y ago
    Cool, is there a trip planner on desktop? I primarily commute using public transportation so Google's integration with that is super cool and I'd really love something free (as in freedom) that does the same.

gtdawg 8y ago

The Google maps app is quite slow and bloated now on my Galaxy S6 and Nexus 5X. I think OSM has a great opportunity to overtake them on the "app being better" metric. Too many features have been crammed into Maps.

mcv 8y ago

Google Maps is a great app, but the data is sometimes lacking. Open Street Maps is far more accurate at bicycle routes in and around Amsterdam, for example. Google regularly misses optimal routes.

black-tea 8y ago

Maps.me is great and better than Google.

Fnoord 8y ago

> Honestly for me it boils down to Google maps being just a superior app. And it shall remain that way as long as people work for free on a proprietary Google Web 2.0/3.0 application whereas they could do the same work for a FOSS licensed alternative (such as OSM).