Why Apple included Maps in Mavericks
When Apple released Mavericks, some people were puzzled by the inclusion of the Maps application. After all, it’s easy to understand the value of having an interactive map on a mobile device: You always want to know where you are when you’re on the go. But given that our computers already have access to perhaps the best mapping service (and mapping data) on the planet—in the form of Google Maps running in a Web browser—what’s the point of Maps on the Mac? I can think of several reasons.
Integration
The Maps application is the tip of what may be a far more important iceberg: integration. Map data is about more than simply providing pretty pictures in a single application. It’s also a way of providing location information in other apps.
When you create an event and add a location in the latest version of Calendar, for example, that app will automatically search for said location; if it finds it, it will display a small map at the bottom of the event’s Edit window, with a red pin marking the spot and the current weather there. If you click in the Add Alert, Repeat, or Travel Time area and then click on the Travel Time entry, Calendar displays the time it'll take to travel to your destination—all using information supplied by Mavericks's built-in maps technology.
Right-click to see a thumbnail map of an appointment location.
You can also select an event that has a location attached to it, press Command-I to bring up the Info window, Control-click (right-click) on the address, and choose Show Address from the contextual menu that appears. A small map appears that details that location. From within this map you can choose to view this location in the Maps app, click a button to view directions to this location within Maps, create a contact based on this address, or add it to an existing contact.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
http://www.macworld.com/article/2061157/why-apple-included-maps-in-mavericks.html#tk.rss_all
