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Following this morning's release of an open letter from Tim Cook apologizing for issues with the new Apple-driven Maps app in iOS 6 and mentioning some alternative map options available to users, Apple has also added a new featured section to the App Store highlighting some of those map alternatives.

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A host of alternative apps ranging from free to Magellan's $49.99 "RoadMate USA" are available from such brands as Waze, Mapquest, Garmin, Bing, and MotionX.

Apple's embrace of alternative map options seems to be a sign that the company is taking criticism of its own offering seriously, although directing users to downloads through the App Store is still of benefit to Apple. Cook's letter did, however, also promote web-based alternatives such as Google's and Nokia's maps.

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I almost feel bad for Apple at this point. They really didn't deserve all this ridicule. Google Maps was similar to this when if first came out, minus the obvious Flyover features that was non existent. The maps are bad, and there's no reason to hate all of Apple for releasing one bad feature in iOS.

On the other hand I did fall into the people who started to hate Apple for iOS. It needs to change for once and I think Apple changed the wrong things in iOS. I would have actually been very happy to see Apple collaborate with Google instead of fighting with them on Maps and creating an outstanding iOS Mapping application.

As for anyone who says that Apple maps are crappy for driving directions, they're talking out of their asses. I have used Apple maps many times to find driving directions and they are always accurate for me. The problems Apple has with these maps is really only two things:

No public transportation (Although I do expect them to make this eventually)
Flyover Bugs and Missing Addresses.

This missing address complaints are minimal. Some things might be in the wrong location, but I can come up with a place on Google maps that has the same issue. I've seen entire neighborhoods around Toronto that are completely nonexistent on Google Maps.

Really the reason why everyone is criticizing is because it's Apple. They're a company that people love to hate. It doesn't matter what kind of products they put out because there will always be a line filled with people that love it, and a line equally filled with people that hate it. I almost feel bad for criticizing them for this.

i thinks this stupid since G-maps is all i need

I was telling my Co-Workers the other day that, when Apple releases something, it's like EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE come together, and literally TRY to find something, anything with their product, and fixate on that and make it outrageously public. What happened when the Slll came out? Nothing. No one fixated on its problems, and given it's Android, I assume there were flaws. It's sad. Everyone expects so highly of these guys, that they expect 100%, nothing, no problems, no flaws. Regardless, Maps isn't THAT big of a deal to me. I bought a turn by turn navigation from the Appstore a while back that cost 2 bucks, and it's been glorious.

That's the pitfalls of being the best at what they do; To much ridicule.

Maps and jailbreak are the only reasons im still on ios 5.1.1

Apples maps app will good good some day, just it was pushed too early they didnt spend enough time on it imo