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Google Maps just fucking SUCKS now

Started by agentsteel53, February 26, 2014, 03:26:58 PM

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anyone else having an insane amount of trouble with the new Google Maps?

instant browser crash
10 (3.5%)
loads fine, then crashes the browser when attempting to do anything at all
23 (8%)
not quite terrible, but still worse
127 (44.4%)
I am indifferent
63 (22%)
I actually like the new Google Maps
63 (22%)

Total Members Voted: 286

rickmastfan67

The new one kinda worked ok for me.  However, StreetView wouldn't work at all in the new version when using Firefox.  So, I'm back to the old one and staying there till I'm forced permanently to switch to the new one.


DeaconG

I want no part of that new damn Google Maps.

Had to print out directions to get somewhere, tried to figure out how to print the map...and couldn't find it at first, it used to be a print icon in the upper left hand corner.  So I go to the help and it says "use CTRL-P" to print.

Do WHAT now?

Excuse me, you just wasted a good ten-fifteen minutes of my time trying to figure out how to print out one of your map locations and you didn't even bother to put it on a menu or a control like the old version?

Worse, when it did print the map it didn't print it at the zoom level I selected, it printed it at the zoom level IT wanted.

Screw you, give me back my old Google Maps!  Got the old version back on my machine now and it works just fine, does what the hell I want it to.

(When I went to their help and read the comments on their print function, I wasn't the only one who wasn't happy with that turn of events, a lot of people were pissed, to say the least!)
Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

formulanone

#52
Worked well two days ago, just spent a few extra moments figuring out Street View (the back arrow is a little more "intuitive" than zooming out multiple times), and trying to make those incessant menus (at the top left) stop dropping down when I'm nowhere near them.

Yesterday was sluggish, out of focus, occasionally crashed. Yup, 400-500MB of memory in a single tab. Unacceptable in a Chrome browser, on a laptop with plenty of memory and processing power.

I've had "output=classic" bookmarked since I opted for the trial version a few months back, and had enough after a few days. It still works fine, naturally...eventually, the day will probably come when it no longer understands that in the URL.

I'm hoping the Android app won't change any time soon. I need that in case of a travel emergency (or in case of a need to wander, either one).

vdeane

Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2014, 10:26:07 PM
Hmmm. Everyone who's not getting switched go here: http://get.webgl.org/
I receive
QuoteHmm. While your browser seems to support WebGL, it is disabled or unavailable. If possible, please ensure that you are running the latest drivers for your video card.

Does WebGL have a point other than making a computer slow EMACS-style?
Bringing video game quality hardware accelerated graphics to web browsers
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Brandon

Quote from: vdeane on February 27, 2014, 10:45:47 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2014, 10:26:07 PM
Hmmm. Everyone who's not getting switched go here: http://get.webgl.org/
I receive
QuoteHmm. While your browser seems to support WebGL, it is disabled or unavailable. If possible, please ensure that you are running the latest drivers for your video card.

Does WebGL have a point other than making a computer slow EMACS-style?
Bringing video game quality hardware accelerated graphics to web browsers

Why do I need that to view static web pages?  I'm not playing games online.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Brandon

As an aside, I'm getting damn sick and tired of web designers thinking they need to add all sorts of Flash and Shockwave shit to their pages just so we can view them.  They do nothing to enhance the viewing experience and do everything to crash.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

J N Winkler

Quote from: Brandon on February 27, 2014, 10:53:15 AMAs an aside, I'm getting damn sick and tired of web designers thinking they need to add all sorts of Flash and Shockwave shit to their pages just so we can view them.  They do nothing to enhance the viewing experience and do everything to crash.

I hear you.  Flash also complicates automation.  I currently can't set up auto-download for Oregon DOT's electronic plans site (which fortunately is the only such site that now uses Flash) since it relies on binary postdata and the tools I use work well with ASCII postdata only.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

1995hoo

Quote from: Brandon on February 27, 2014, 10:53:15 AM
As an aside, I'm getting damn sick and tired of web designers thinking they need to add all sorts of Flash and Shockwave shit to their pages just so we can view them.  They do nothing to enhance the viewing experience and do everything to crash.

Flash can be especially annoying if you want to view a site on an iOS device but the site developer hasn't created a compatible version. For some reason iOS devices will not run Flash objects (YouTube has a separate non-Flash version for such devices).
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

dmr37

I'm so mad I'm going to say F**k multiple times! And sh*t too!

US 41

I hate the new street view. It wont let me drag the guy onto the road anymore. Then it freezes on my computer. I have to search for everything. THe new Google Maps is way worse than the old version. BRING THE OLD VERSION BACK!!!
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Zeffy

So I experienced that browser crashing on Firefox that everyone referred to...

I have a gaming laptop, and there is no reason that when Firefox hangs because of Google Maps, I have to watch as my computer slows down to a crawl until Firefox decides to end the process itself, because the task manager refuses to open.  :thumbdown:
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

agentsteel53

so we are at 8/38 users report a crash before the ability to do anything useful.

that's still more than a quarter, which I believe is a significant enough minority to deem it a user-experience failure.

(unless people like crashing?  in which case I may have a Windows 95 install disc somewhere.)
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

1995hoo

Quote from: US 41 on February 27, 2014, 11:47:17 AM
I hate the new street view. It wont let me drag the guy onto the road anymore. Then it freezes on my computer. I have to search for everything. THe new Google Maps is way worse than the old version. BRING THE OLD VERSION BACK!!!

I don't necessarily mind not being able to drag the guy. Instead you click on him and then you just click on the road where you want to see the Street View image. That seems more straightforward than dragging (especially if I'm using my touchpad rather than the mouse!).

Don't mean to start a threadjack, but since there's been some discussion of browsers, this seems as good a place as any to raise the browser issue. I've used Firefox for years. There's no question it can sometimes be a bit of a memory hog and that its tendency to slow down seemingly at random, followed by the title bar briefly saying "Not Responding" (it goes away if you wait it out), can be damn annoying. (I have not yet downloaded Firefox 27 despite the browser's repeated pleas that I do so.) I hear people talk about Google Chrome as the main alternative. Can someone address what advantages and disadvantages it may have compared with Firefox? Certainly you hear a lot in the media about privacy issues with respect to Google in general, so I wonder to what extent Chrome might suffer from the same. I do not have an Android-based phone or tablet, so any advantages relating to that particular issue wouldn't be relevant. I run various Flash- and ad-blocking Firefox plugins and extensions and I'd want to be able to do something similar in any other browser I might try (in particular, I hate the way ESPN tries to force-load loud video when you open their site).

Thanks in advance. Moderators, if you think this belongs in "Off-Topic" obviously it's your call to move it; I simply thought it fit in with some of the discussion earlier in this thread, especially after someone suggested using Chrome.




Quote from: Zeffy on February 27, 2014, 12:11:14 PM
So I experienced that browser crashing on Firefox that everyone referred to...

I have a gaming laptop, and there is no reason that when Firefox hangs because of Google Maps, I have to watch as my computer slows down to a crawl until Firefox decides to end the process itself, because the task manager refuses to open.  :thumbdown:

My PC has been slow in general today. I'm trying to write a chapter of a publication I'm working on and it frustrates me to no end when there's a few-second delay after I hit a key before the character appears. Almost impossible to type that way. I think I'll run virus and malware scans when I break for lunch. I've only tried to run Google Maps once so far (in response to the post from US 41 quoted above), although presently I have open Firefox with five browser tabs, three MS Word windows, Mozilla Thunderbird for e-mail, iTunes, and two file manager windows. I have 16 GB of RAM and a 2.9-GHz quad-core processor, but some days I just want to hurl the thing out the window.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Zeffy

Even with all the hate for Internet Explorer, I will say that the newest version is not as bad as people think. In fact, I like it. A lot. Also, it has old Google Maps saved into whatever preferences Google uses so I don't have to worry about the impending browser crashes.

Chrome? Yeah I like it, but the new Google Maps is a steaming pile of shit on Chrome for me. Firefox can't take the fail anymore and quits. IE enjoys the old Google Maps, and so do I.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

1995hoo

The following just appeared on Twitter from the Washington Post's lead transportation reporter:

Quote
Robert Thomson ‏@RT_Thomson 3m

Happy I just figured out how to restore Classic version of Google Maps. Had issues with Directions & other commonly used tools.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Brandon

Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 27, 2014, 12:18:06 PM
so we are at 8/38 users report a crash before the ability to do anything useful.

that's still more than a quarter, which I believe is a significant enough minority to deem it a user-experience failure.

(unless people like crashing?  in which case I may have a Windows 95 install disc somewhere.)

Even if the New And Improved Google Maps doesn't crash (which it did not for me on Firefox), it is still a steaming pile of rat dung.  So that makes 29/39 right now who either don't like it, or it crashes for them.  That's over 74%!  It is distinctly a user-experience failure.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

BrianP

Hey all

The best thing to do for crashing problems would be to update your video card drivers if they are not the latest version.  In general WebGL crashes are from faulty drivers.  They even list up to date drivers as a system requirement for the new maps:
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3096703?ctx=c2n_req1

Also Firefox blocks the use of some drivers that are known to be faulty to avoid crashes.  So in that case you don't get hardware acceleration so it will be slower.  But I would guess they can't stay on top of every bad video card/driver combination.  Updating the drivers is the most you can there as well.  Well besides getting a new video card. 

I also hate that streetview uses flash.  But I haven't used the new version so I haven't voted in the poll.  I still get the old version in Firefox.  I guess that since in general i'm not signed into Google (no GMail).  But from what I've seen on the web the new version does not use Flash. :D

Also only IE 11 has WebGL so older versions of IE can only use the old version of Google maps. So the old version shouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

1995hoo

#67
The AARoads Forum, specifically this thread, earns a mention in the Washington Post!

Map rage: Navigating Google's revised way-finding system by Robert Thomson (Dr. Gridlock)

QuoteIt wasn't broken, Google. Why did you have to fix it?

The last time I wrote about Google Maps was to praise the way-finding system, comparing it favorably to Apple's much-derided mapping system.

That was then. This is now: The version of Google Maps now showing up on my desktop PC is fuzzy and slow. And those are its best qualities.

....

This isn't just an old guy grumble. Our frequent commenter 1995hoo pointed out a conversation about the maps on the AARoads forum. The commenter included a warning about the language I would encounter there from travelers who are reacting as I did.

....


I had sent him a tweet, in reply to his prior one that I quoted earlier in this thread, suggesting he check out this thread.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

SSOWorld

Those that get computers with 16 GB Of RAM don't need it unless they get 64-bit compatible programs.  Most applications use only 3.2 GB being 32-bit apps
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

SSOWorld

Those that get computers with 16 GB Of RAM don't need it unless they get 64-bit compatible programs.  Most applications use only 3.2 GB being 32-bit apps  :pan:
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

KEK Inc.

I wouldn't mind the new one if they didn't move the legend and controls to the opposite corner.  It's very frustrating. 

I have a decent graphics card to run it and enough RAM for it not to crash, but I really don't like the flipped interface.
Take the road less traveled.

doorknob60

#71
It works fine for me. I use Firefox in Linux with an Nvidia GPU. When it first came out, it was painfully slow, but now the performance for everything but street view is as good as the classic maps. Not perfect, but usable. In Chrome, it's silky smooth (even street view). The new interface has a few annoying quirks, but overall both are equally fine for me.

For you people with crashes: are you still running freaking XP or something? Either way, update your GPU drivers, because it's likely WebGL causing it to fail.

Zeffy

I have the latest version of my graphic drivers for both my integrated and dedicated video cards. The new Google Maps causes more frustration than I can deal with honestly.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

Duke87

I haven't had any crashes or other failures of the program, although they did remove some helpful things. No more date of image in street view. No more linking directly to street view. No more maintaining directions when entering street view. These are annoyances but not deal breakers for me. I haven't switched back since I know I won't be able to do that permanently, and I'm not the type to fight a fight I know I can't win.


As for the question of "why fix it if it ain't broke?", it seems to me that the new interface is designed to be more readily usable by people on touch screen devices (which explains why they did away with right clicking). Given the growing number of users that are working with tablets rather than traditional PCs, this is not a trivial matter and I do not fault Google for seeking to address it. It sounds, at least, like the current release addresses a lot of issues which were brought up during the beta stage... although it obviously is still far from perfect.

The crashing is obviously the biggest problem, although if it is a driver issue as has been suggested, then that is not something Google can fix on their end short of opting to not use WebGL.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

english si

Quote from: Duke87 on June 11, 1970, 02:59:42 AMAs for the question of "why fix it if it ain't broke?", it seems to me that the new interface is designed to be more readily usable by people on touch screen devices (which explains why they did away with right clicking). Given the growing number of users that are working with tablets rather than traditional PCs, this is not a trivial matter and I do not fault Google for seeking to address it. It sounds, at least, like the current release addresses a lot of issues which were brought up during the beta stage... although it obviously is still far from perfect.
1) this wasn't a fix (though this travesty is a lot better than the beta,which was nearly stop using the plethora of Google products that I use bad...) 'Tisn't don't fix if it ain't broke, but don't break if its fine!

2) tablets/phones/etc are easy to deal with. As Google's rival's once said "there's an app for that". OK, I avoid using the bundled Google Maps apps (Maps and Navigation) on this android tablet as they have the annoying habit of showing me where I am,not where the person who posted the link wanted me to see*. And what ever happened to m.website.alan redirects for mobile devices?

*I set my location on classic maps, once it forced me to have one, to UK as I rarely need a map of where I am and I can zoom in easily. New maps, even with vague location data seems to zoom much further in, meaning that my first action when forced to switch is typically going to be a zoom out, followed by a zoom in, rather than just a zoom in. If I do need something in my area, I can use the search facility. If I'm browsing, or don't want to have to fight new maps when going into street view, then I don't/won't use search terms.



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