Microsoft To Kill Windows Maps App in July (neowin.net)
- Reference: 0177140103
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/04/25/1726238/microsoft-to-kill-windows-maps-app-in-july
- Source link: https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-kills-windows-maps-app/
The Maps application, a remnant from the Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile era, will disappear completely while Bing Maps will continue functioning as a web service through bing.com/maps. Microsoft hasn't provided specific reasoning for the decision to sunset the desktop application, which has existed as an increasingly anachronistic holdover from Microsoft's abandoned mobile platform efforts.
[1] https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-kills-windows-maps-app/
telemetry (Score:2)
> Microsoft hasn't provided specific reasoning for the decision to sunset the desktop application, which has existed as an increasingly anachronistic holdover from Microsoft's abandoned mobile platform efforts.
The Windows telemetry team seems to use the lyrics to "Every Breath You Take" as their guiding star. I am sure they see that very few customers are using it. I don't find it surprising they would just quietly discontinue an app, it isnt like its an API or anything other stuff depends on. No need for a presser about it.
Bing Maps ???? (Score:1)
.. crawls out from under large google rock.
Microsoft has a Maps App? (Score:1)
I have never heard of it, I guess that is a good reason to kill it.
Re: (Score:2)
> I have never heard of it, I guess that is a good reason to kill it.
Yes, Microsoft had a Maps app. And, of course, it was excellent until market winds shifted.
See kids, the ancient sages used a compass and a Hagstrom map they could never fold twice, regular-old folks printed directions off Mapquest, and the young kids just assume Google Maps has always existed and has trouble understanding how Moses got lost in the desert.
But, for a brief window of time, there were PC-based mapping tools. I was a huge fan of Delorme Street Atlas (arguably the pioneer in the space, with CD-R
alternatives (Score:2)
For setting up a solid web-based alternative, Leaflet is a great tool for viewing many different tile/vector sources. If you're looking for a more hardcore GIS tool, there's always ATAK, but it has a steep learning curve. If you simply need maps on your device and be self-contained, Google Maps on Android lets you save maps offline.
Microsoft Flight Simulator used the maps app. (Score:5, Interesting)
The Flight Simulator team worked with the maps team at one point, as they were using a lot of the same data, even promoting the Windows Maps app with the Flight Simulator marketing. Seems that Microsoft would rather focus routing everything Through Bing and Copilot now. Expect "copilot maps" to replace it in the future.
Re: (Score:2)
> The Flight Simulator team worked with the maps team at one point, [...] promoting the Windows Maps app with the Flight Simulator marketing [...] Expect "copilot maps" to replace it in the future.
Wouldn't "copilot maps" an even better marketing material for Flight Simulator?
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder if the legendarily shitty rollout of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is any indication of the quality of their products going forward? And you thought Windows was bad.
Re: (Score:3)
It's going too far to say it "used" the Maps app. The same teams worked together. That was the extent of it. The software don't depend on each other in any way.