# We knew it was coming - Google Classic Maps is gone **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 29, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825 "2015-04-29T17:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/21 "2015-04-29T18:50:23Z")
[Google Earth](https://www.google.com/earth/) still for the most part still works the way Maps did. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/22 "2015-04-29T19:29:07Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So anyone care to suggest alternatives? While I’ve only used it a bit, [ACME Mapper](http://mapper.acme.com/) has gotten some talk. Looking now I see they have Lat/Lon right there, which I like since I use those from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/23 "2015-04-29T19:54:35Z")
The only thing I lament is being able to drag that little orange dood out, dangle him over a street, then drop him to his tiny little doom. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/24 "2015-04-29T20:23:16Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > OK, this one still works at 19:08 GMT 29/4/15 😃 > > [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/lochp) Sweet! Thanks for the link. My biggest gripe with the new maps is the large box in the upper left-hand corner that always seem to be blocking what I want to see. After fooling around with hiding elements using AdBlock, I am able to reduce the size considerably, but I do not know how stable that will be. I wish they would have just included a minimize button like the old interface. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/25 "2015-04-29T20:23:29Z")
We may all grumble, we may hate it, like any right-thinking person. We may curse the as-yet-unborn children of the programmers that created this abomination. But _someone_ must like the new version. Who are these people? Do you know any? Studying how their brains are mal-formed might be good for science. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/26 "2015-04-29T20:35:35Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > But _someone_ must like the new version. Who are these people? Do you know any? The new version is probably configured to allow some form of future ads to pop up. As you hover or click anywhere in the map, photos of and links to local businesses will probably jump out at you. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/27 "2015-04-29T21:17:45Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > We may all grumble, we may hate it, like any right-thinking person. We may curse the as-yet-unborn children of the programmers that created this abomination. > > But _someone_ must like the new version. Who are these people? Do you know any? > > Studying how their brains are mal-formed might be good for science. Wait, are we talking about the Google Maps I’ve been using for nigh on a year or a year and a half now? I don’t rightly remember when they started rolling it out, exactly, but I’ve had it for a while. The one where the map takes up the whole screen and it has a the boxes such as address and “getting around” floating in the upper left corner, right? I don’t mind it at all. The only thing that bugs me slightly is the default to generalized directions even after clicking the “details” button (and you must enlarge the actual directions once again, individually). Not too intuitive, but I’m sure there were bunches of old farts saying, “I durn know how to get to the corner of naamans and fortiver, and for that matter how to get to 311, what I NEED to know is what exit I take off 311!” and that’s why they did it that way. I don’t actually use google maps in the browser for any A-to-B directions though so it’s much less of a bother than it could be. I just use it to find out how long it takes to get places. I use an actual GPS for car routing and my phone for walking. So long story short, I didn’t really feel any pain moving from old google maps to the new one. I remember it took me a couple days to adjust to the new steps of putting in directions but that was it. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/28 "2015-04-29T21:26:29Z")
Oh yeah and **cmyk** , you can still drop little orange dude where you want. He’s just in the lower right now. ---
**Author:** ![scoots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@scoots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scoots)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/29 "2015-04-29T21:30:07Z")
Getting to street view seems to be different. With Classic Maps you could scroll in as far as possible and then keep scrolling and it would automatically go to street view. Now it seems you need to click on the map where you want to be and then move the mouse up into the corner and click the image. So it requires two clicks and moving the mouse whereas before it didn’t require any clicks or any moving of the mouse, just scrolling the mouse wheel and zooming all the way in. Is there an option to go back to the scroll method? ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/30 "2015-04-29T21:46:32Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > The new version is probably configured to allow some form of future ads to pop up. As you hover or click anywhere in the map, photos of and links to local businesses will probably jump out at you. Bingo! [QUOTE=Google Maps FAQ] It’s now easier to plan your next trip, check live traffic conditions, discover what’s happening around town, and learn about a new area. The updated Maps will help you: Make smarter decisions. Search for “coffee” in your neighborhood, and you’ll be able to see results right on the map. When you click on a cafe, the map will suggest related results that you may not have known about. [/QUOTE] In other words, instead of just helping you get from point A to point B, we’ll also show you points C,D,Q,Z, all of whom just happen to advertise with us. P.S. Be sure to click the giant link that says “Put your business on Google Maps” I’m still not exactly sure why the mobile version insists it needs to access my contacts list to update (I’ve never given it permission). ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/31 "2015-04-29T22:18:10Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > Bingo! > In other words, instead of just helping you get from point A to point B, we’ll also show you points C,D,Q,Z, all of whom just happen to advertise with us. P.S. Be sure to click the giant link that says “Put your business on Google Maps” > > I’m still not exactly sure why the mobile version insists it needs to access my contacts list to update (I’ve never given it permission). However the current way they are doing it is just not working and as annoying and as much of a turnoff as popup boxes. I still suspect they have a different version already in the works that they will spring on us to get their way all along. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/32 "2015-04-29T22:45:51Z")
I still get to classic maps (as of just now) via [this link](https://maps.google.com/maps?output=html). (And an old browser). ---
**Author:** ![scoots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@scoots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scoots)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/33 "2015-04-29T22:55:43Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I still get to classic maps (as of just now) via [this link](https://maps.google.com/maps?output=html). (And an old browser). Ah yes it works. It’s like a breath of fresh air. So much quicker, smoother, more user friendly and less cluttered. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/34 "2015-04-29T23:04:07Z")
Wow, having played with it for a bit now it’s even worse than I thought from my first impression. It’s whoppingly slow for redrawing everything! I did a little comparison zooming out with the scroll wheel in both cases from a close view to region wide view: Classic Maps redrew in three seconds, New Maps redrew in fifteen seconds. And don’t dare tilt the map view to get a 45 degree look. It takes New Maps about ten seconds to fill in that change, whereas Classic took about a second. Arrgh. I’m guessing that long term Google wants a single app melding Google Earth and Google Maps (Google World?) and that will be the only thing they offer. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/35 "2015-04-29T23:20:56Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > And don’t dare tilt the map view to get a 45 degree look. It takes New Maps about ten seconds to fill in that change, whereas Classic took about a second. Arrgh. Does the new version actually even have the same thing? I tried using “tilt mode” in the new version (in an area that definitely had oblique images before Classic was taken away) but all I got was the vertical images, skewed, with fake 3D houses plopped on top to approximate being able to see the sides of things. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/36 "2015-04-29T23:50:15Z")
[James Lileks thinks it’s crap, too.](http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/301571941.html) ---
**Author:** ![SantaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SantaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/37 "2015-04-30T00:09:48Z")
I can’t help but think that the new improved(sic) Google maps will be the Windows 8.0 of Google ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/38 "2015-04-30T00:16:30Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Does the new version actually even have the same thing? I tried using “tilt mode” in the new version (in an area that definitely had oblique images before Classic was taken away) but all I got was the vertical images, skewed, with fake 3D houses plopped on top to approximate being able to see the sides of things. Well I had Classic open in one window and New Maps in another. The tilt would first do just what you described: sort of a wanna-be angled look, but then would slowly (15-ish seconds) fill in the picture with info from the “real” 45 degree shot that I could pull up in Classic. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/39 "2015-04-30T00:29:04Z")
Does anyone know whre the the map scale has gone? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825/40 "2015-04-30T00:36:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > But _someone_ must like the new version. Not necessarily. Every time people actually LIKE a Google product, Google changes or cancels it, so I think they’re just sadists. It’s even reflected in their corporate motto, “Be Evil.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-knew-it-was-coming-google-classic-maps-is-gone/718825.md?page=3)