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The Future of Free and Open-Source Maps (emacsen.net)
Grady Martin writes: Former OpenStreetMap contributor and Google Summer of Code mentor Serge Wroclawski has outlined why OpenStreetMap is in serious trouble, citing unclear usage policies, poor geocoding (address-to-coordinate conversion), and a lack of a review model as reasons for the project's decline in quality. Perhaps more interesting, however, are the problems purported to stem from OpenStreetMap's power structure. Wroclawski writes: "In the case of OpenStreetMap, there is a formal entity which owns the data, called the OpenStreetMap Foundation. But at the same time, the ultimate choices for the website, the geographic database and the infrastructure are not under the direct control of the Foundation, but instead rest largely on one individual, who (while personally friendly) ranges from skeptical to openly hostile to change."
"Google maps are much much better. And free... as long as you have cellular service."
Google Maps are downloadable for offline use and have been for awhile now. It's a life saver when I'm out of cell range or out of country.
"Google maps are much much better. And free... as long as you have cellular service."
Google Maps are downloadable for offline use and have been for awhile now. It's a life saver when I'm out of cell range or out of country.
But there are significant limitations on what is downloadable compared to OSM, where you can just download the entire country and run it completely offline.
My solution on trips is to have both.