Apple fans have been poking fun of Android the same way you are poking fun of Apple Maps. I find multi-billion dollar corporate entities to be silly object of affection.
Let me prove my non-fanboy credentials – Apple produces some really crappy software compared to competitors. The dev tools are years behind what MS makes – every release of Xcode introduces new simulator-related issues, like it’s by design. Apple iTunes causes brain freeze on Mac and Win version should be banned. OS X not having cut/paste for files is moronic. The entire app store feels like a happy accident – inability to transfer app ownership between corporate accounts almost four years later is frustrating.
But the maps-gate is mostly marketing, like the stupid verizon/at&t N-g coverage maps.
Both the free Apple and Google navigation apps provide clear routing directions. Apple feels like a less-mature product. But as seen with the initial competing applications for the iPhone, we would expect updates to this new app over time–and Apple has promised as much. When getting down to the nitty gritty, Google provides a better overall package, but we feel that both provide a good solution for standard software. We expect the competition between the companies will benefit customers with ongoing improvements.
