Maps are a bit different to web search though. There was never a Google Maps-quality geographical database available for sale; to get good maps Apple has to sen

Maps are a bit different to web search though. There was never a Google Maps-quality geographical database available for sale; to get good maps Apple has to send people out into the world to compile the data. It was inevitable that any competing map service would start out underwhelming, because mapping is a job that intrinsically requires a good deal of time and actual physical work to make it high quality. Web search is different; that's something you can build almost entirely in secret (apart from the odd hint when someone spots a new user agent string), without having to step out of your metaphorical basement until it's fully baked.