Stefan Mileschin

It seems that the former Apple CEO, and messiah, Steve Jobs, might have had an error in his genius when he came up with the much mocked Apple Maps.

According to BusinessWeek, the fiasco, which resulted in millions of users receiving map software which did not work, was thanks to Jobs.

It was caused by one of Jobs' legendary fits over the fact that he had to use rival mapping software from Google. A similar fit resulted in the hugely expensive and pointless attempts to patent troll Samsung out of the market.

Businessweek, quoting Apple insiders, says Jobs himself initiated the mapping project, putting mobile software chief Scott Forstall in charge, and he installed a secret team on the third floor of Building 2 on Apple's campus to replace Google Maps on the iPhone.

While dying from cancer, Jobs wanted to hurt Google which he felt had copied the iPhone while withholding a key feature of Google Maps that allows smartphones to dictate turn-by-turn directions aloud.

He had considered banning Google search from the iPhone but realised that customers would "reject the move".

Apple did begin acquiring companies in 2009 as Jobs wanted to built up the technology base.

But if Jobs came up with the idea of creating Google maps then Tim Cook and Apple's current leadership team are still to blame for releasing it with all its obvious flaws.

There was no hurry to rush Apple Maps into the iPhone 5 as Apple reportedly had more than a year left on its contract to license Google Maps.

But it appears that Apple felt that the iPhone 5 needed a "killer app" presumably because it was still too similar to the iPhone 4S.

There was some belief that Apple would not really understand the flaws behind its project until it was tested in anger. The idea being that for every year Apple Maps was not out there, the company was slipping further behind Google.

http://news.techeye.net/mobile/jobs-...e-maps-cock-up