And I say this not just as a customer, but as a long-time shareholder. Apple has replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps. Unfortunately, Apple Maps isn’t quite as functional as Google Maps (boldface mine):

But the new Apple Maps app is terrible – particularly anyone who uses public transit, as I do and many who live in big cities. The postive of the app is that Apple has added turn-by-turn navigation, which was missing before in the Google app. And the directions for driving look great, especially with the new directions that look like street signs and are much easier to read than Google’s directions.

But the new Apple Maps app does not have transit directions included in the app. The only directions it gives are driving and walking directions. If you click on the transit option for directions, Apple clicks you off to options for other downloading other apps to find transit directions. For people who use public transit as their daily way to get around town, this doesn’t help at all. Since maps are one of the most used apps on the smart phone, this is a major loss. Of course you can go and download another transit app. But that’s not the point. Apple is downgrading transit as a method of transportation.

So what Apple is saying is that if you’re an iPhone user, you better be a driver or a walker. As for public transit, not that important.

This isn’t theoretical for me; I use public transit (I don’t own a car, living in Boston). This isn’t helping.

Consider me one disappointed shareholder.