Comments on: Take That, Google! MapQuest Snags OnStar Deal

By: Graham Anderson

Graham Anderson — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:12:57 +0000

MapQuest is a perfect example of AOL's complete inability to build decent international products. While they have updated their UK maps to a format more acceptable to local users, they have no aerial photography beyond that you could get from Mars, and no London tube/rail information. Lame, lame, lame.

Meanwhile, Google have launched an intuitive and rich mapping product that works for every country I have tried it - and its been that way since day one.

By: VTFootballGrad

VTFootballGrad — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:09:51 +0000

Mapquest was sweet when it first came out, but it usually took you the long way to most places. Google maps are so much more direct and if there not you can change the course if you know a better route. Plus you get the street view with google maps.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:24:23 +0000

And thats not the only place MQ is being more competitive: their latest developer API offering also has some features that are appealing in comparison with Google Maps; in particular, I’m thinking about the rate limits, static map dimensions, “theming” and the use of NAVTEQ data. We just swapped Google out for MapQuest at our location-based social blogging site: (link) (for static maps; we still use GM or VE for non-static). The site is still a work in progress, so who knows how many implementations we’ll go through…but the more options, the better.

By: Saurabh Kaushik

Saurabh Kaushik — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:17:55 +0000

Google and Yahoo will be the ultimate winners for simple reason that they have gone ahead with web service which provides very fanatic service like route wise incident feed and traffic overlay by XML.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:31:05 +0000

That is cool but I personally don’t care about maps in a car. You guys should check out my server (link) … is it similar to Google My Maps but more feature rich with a community aspect.

By: searchenginemarketingvox » Blog Archive » SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 3, 2008

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:17:11 +0000

[...] Take That, Google! MapQuest Snags OnStar Deal, GigaOM [...]

By: SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 3, 2008

SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 3, 2008 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:07:44 +0000

[...] Take That, Google! MapQuest Snags OnStar Deal, GigaOM [...]

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:13:38 +0000

@ Greg Sterling

I think this is a new deal, surely an extension to their previous partnership/relationship. But still, i think itis a meaningful move for the company that was seen as losing all relevancy. Greg, what is your breakdown on the whole mapping from a local perspective, and how Google and others are doing? I know you spend a lot of time on this subject.

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:11:13 +0000

@ Scionguy, i love your hating :-)

By: Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:42:55 +0000

Om: (link) I think this is a continuation of their existing relationship.

By: daylatedollarshort

daylatedollarshort — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:32:34 +0000

Leave it to Mapquest and GM to think they are selling something novel. This functionality has been available for Telenav users for over a year.

By: Scionguy

Scionguy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:34 +0000

Wow, mapquest is without a doubt the worst mapping service out there. Of course anyone who relies on spoken navigation directions or calls to an advisor kinda deserves to get lost. Just buy a GPS for your car and stop paying for onstar!

By: Michael Wiegand

Michael Wiegand — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:22:40 +0000

I’ve never gotten lost using Google Maps. I almost always get lost using Mapquest. Just wait until the first run of these does horribly. OnStar will beg Google to fix their issues for them.