Boy does Mappoint 2009 Suck

How could such a shoddy product get released?  For a company that has been touting the virtue of good UX, I am amazed to see that such an abortion could find its way out of some toilet and on to store shelves without including a lengthy apology letter and perhaps some barbiturates. The letter would be very sincere and offer you the option of popping all the pills at once, which would effectively end the pain and suffering caused by the realization that you just exchanged your hard earned cash for an experience that could be arguably worse than taking a bath with tub girl. And that is just the UI.

Josh, maybe you are looking at this the wrong way.  In your diagram you have user mode on top of the dotted line. Try thinking like a kernel developer and put user mode on the bottom.  From a crabs perspective, when a whale drops a few tones of feces into his front yard, it is like he just won the lottery.  That crab will never have to worry about finding food for the rest of his life.

JoshRoss said:

Josh, maybe you are looking at this the wrong way.  In your diagram you have user mode on top of the dotted line. Try thinking like a kernel developer and put user mode on the bottom.  From a crabs perspective, when a whale drops a few tones of feces into his front yard, it is like he just won the lottery.  That crab will never have to worry about finding food for the rest of his life.

No, I think you're wrong, mainly on two points.  First the crab does not have to pay for the load. It just magically appears there.  And secondly, the crab had no idea that what he thought was a nourishing meal provided to him by some god, looking out for him and all of his children, was actually squeezed out of the anus of some giant glutton.  Knowing the truth, the meal transforms from a horn of plenty to an arduous task of cleaning off the front porch before the in-laws arrive.  In the end, he may be better off.  However, he will resent it.  Given an option, between the load and a tax rebate, I would bet the crab would take the latter. 

JoshRoss said:

JoshRoss said:

*snip*

No, I think you're wrong, mainly on two points.  First the crab does not have to pay for the load. It just magically appears there.  And secondly, the crab had no idea that what he thought was a nourishing meal provided to him by some god, looking out for him and all of his children, was actually squeezed out of the anus of some giant glutton.  Knowing the truth, the meal transforms from a horn of plenty to an arduous task of cleaning off the front porch before the in-laws arrive.  In the end, he may be better off.  However, he will resent it.  Given an option, between the load and a tax rebate, I would bet the crab would take the latter. 

?

TommyCarlier said:

JoshRoss said:

*snip*

?

Wow, that is one big WTF.

intelman said:

TommyCarlier said:

*snip*

Wow, that is one big WTF.

lol probably the most humorous post ever on here.

leeappdalecom said:

intelman said:

*snip*

lol probably the most humorous post ever on here.

Is there a secret section on Channel9 wich we cant see

This thread amazes and excites me. And there's a vague sense of fear and general foreboding. It's like a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I'll agree. It does look an eyesore. Where's the ribbon?

How about you give some details instead of just summing up all internet memes.

ZippyV said:

How about you give some details instead of just summing up all internet memes.

If you click on the link provide by W3bbo, you can see exhibit A.  Basically arbitrary and inconsistent changes to the UI.  The menus and toolbar are cluttered with icons that visually pop out.  The new features [sic] are almost exclusively aimed at transforming the product from a data analysis tool to a crapy virtual garmin.  This is what happens when a product forks and then merges back together late in the game.  

JoshRoss said:

ZippyV said:

*snip*

If you click on the link provide by W3bbo, you can see exhibit A.  Basically arbitrary and inconsistent changes to the UI.  The menus and toolbar are cluttered with icons that visually pop out.  The new features [sic] are almost exclusively aimed at transforming the product from a data analysis tool to a crapy virtual garmin.  This is what happens when a product forks and then merges back together late in the game.  

The whole purpose of MapPoint was to enable an analyst to combine data with a map and get something beneficial out of it.  When features are added, they can either enable this scenario or detract from it.  I would be hard up to find new-to-2009 features useful in this regard.

If I were looking for a hooker, hamburger or hookah bar, I would create a mash-up between live maps and craigslist, zagat or high times.  

Wouldn't it be easier to work with the Google Maps API?

W3bbo said:

JoshRoss said:

*snip*

Wouldn't it be easier to work with the Google Maps API?

It is a matter of scale.  If you had ten locations to work with, I would use an online service.  However, if you have thousands of locations, you need a desktop app, preferably with hardware graphics acceleration. 

JoshRoss said:

W3bbo said:

*snip*

It is a matter of scale.  If you had ten locations to work with, I would use an online service.  However, if you have thousands of locations, you need a desktop app, preferably with hardware graphics acceleration. 

Can't you do something with Google Earth, or NASA World Wind? I seem to recall both of those have some features to that effect.

W3bbo said:

I'll agree. It does look an eyesore. Where's the ribbon?

WTF! That looks like a mockup version to me. Is that the final release?

Basically MapPoint 2009 = MapPoint 2006 + Streets&Trips 2008 Navigation features + Ugly large icons + Black background.

There are no new GIS type features in it at all despite the 3 year release cycle.
The API seems to be exactly the same.

I think the original development team must have all switched to working on Virtual Earth 3D, perhaps they have an single PM left who put together this release.

Advantages of MapPoint over using VirtualEarth / Google in desktop applications
    Fixed one-time cost for large volume of map data (All of Europe for £200 per machine)
    No need to enter into contract with Microsoft / Google and pay per tile downloaded / other usage restrictions.
    Client PC need not have an active internet connection.
    Supported API that does not involve hosting a JavaScript API in a web browser control.
    

Harlequin said:

W3bbo said:

*snip*

WTF! That looks like a mockup version to me. Is that the final release?

Nope, it's real. This is further evidence that Microsoft lost its sense of style a few years back. I'll never forgive them for the 10px grey borders with sea-green highlights on cmd.exe in Vista.

...and I still say the initial release of Windows Media Player 9 and its associated AMG-powered online services remains the best ever consumer product released by Microsoft.