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Google Sunsetting Old Version of Google Maps

Posted by timothy on from the nothing-beats-mapblast's-vector-directions dept.

New submitter Robertgilberts writes with word that Google is dropping the old version of Maps. The new version of Google Maps came out of preview back in February 2014 and was in beta for several months before that. The only way to access the old version of Google Maps was via a special URL or if you had a very old browser that did not support the new version of Google Maps. Consolation prize: There will still be a lighter-weight version, which "drops out many of the neat Google Maps features in exchange for speed and compatibility."

6 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. Artificial obsolence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is one problem with web apps. I do not have any ownership of the product and it can be obsoleted arbitrarily by the manufacturer. It's even worse than with closed source apps.

  2. Re:The new version is terrible! by Rei · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I didn't even know that the old one was still available, so I've been forced to use the new one. And despite all of the usage, I still hate it. Do they not focus test these sort of things?

    The "clearer to use" thing is absolutely true, there's all of these buttons that do things that the vast majority of users are never going to want to do, and the functionality that people do all the time is buried. I've had to search online for how to do simple tasks way more often than I should have.

    At least it's not the worst revamp I've had to deal with - the worst has to be GIMP, no contest.

    --
    *Kid Rock runs for Senate* Democrats: We must run Kid Scissors.
  3. Re:The new version is terrible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Isn't it amazing how companies like google monitor everyone's usage of their offerings to "improve user experience" but continue to change things that make people like them less? What's up with that?

  4. Confusing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't understand it. Can someone explain why so many companies intentionally? destroy the usability of their products? The newer version is much more difficult to use when browsing through bus routes.

  5. Re:Missing features. by jaa101 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But you can't choose the distance units any more. It defaults to where you are or you can say you're in the US and it will show you miles or you can say you're in Australia and you'll get kilometres, &c. Too bad if you want nautical miles, which the old version allowed you to select, along with many other units.

  6. Re:The new version is terrible! by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I started using bing.com for maps

    You bastard! You complete, utter bastard! Just out of curiosity I tried Bing maps and... it's everything Google maps isn't. I now actually like a Microsoft product.

    Some day, I'll get you for this.