While this is not bad, didn’t these companies considered just contributing to OpenStreetMap? Why is starting a new thing better?
It seems they consider themselves complimentary with OpenStreetMap, as stated on their FAQ https://overturemaps.org/resources/faq/#
Overture is a data-centric map project, not a community of individual map editors. Therefore, Overture is intended to be complementary to OSM. We combine OSM with other sources to produce new open map data sets. Overture data will be available for use by the OpenStreetMap community under compatible open data licenses. Overture members are encouraged to contribute to OSM directly.
I don’t know a lot about any of both projects, but it seems fair.
Almost sounds too fair, like there’s a catch. You can never know with these guys.
All companies are forced to play nice when they aren’t at the top. Google has a monopoly on mapping, their only real competitor is TomTom, and really only in the US. All of these companies need mapping data and don’t want to pay google for it, so it makes sense to work together to release this.
Can’t collect data on users without starting their own thing.
This does use OpenStreetMap. It adds other public data from other sources.
Out of the four layers Overture Maps provides, th ey use OpenStreetMap for the Transportation and Building layers.
Using it is not contributing to it. Or am I a contributor to the Linux kernel, and even to Windows itself?
For Windows, considering how much data is sent back to Microsoft, using Windows contributes in it’s own way.
Overture says they are providing data. What ever is contributed to OSM is up to the OSMF, not Overture.
No, you misunderstand.
Overture maps does not contribute in any way to OSM by using it. It just takes its data, and provides it at an alternate place. Just as I do not contribute to the development of Windows and Linux by using them.
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Can anyone recommend some good Android map apps that use this? I would love to switch!
OSMAnd+ is the complete solution, and Organic Maps is a young experimental project. I use OSMAnd+ in India and it suffices my needs more than Google Maps did. If you are comfortable with closed source Magic Earth, it could be useful.
Organic Maps is really good but beware that it doesn’t have lane assistance on highways which can prove to be dangerous imo.
…which is precisely why I recommend and use OSMAnd+. I cannot give a shit about 10% more sparkly pretty UI, when OSMAnd+ does the job while looking more or less good enough to me.
