Maps Fiasco Won’t Hurt Apple’s Stock: Greenberg

Getty Images

As the consummate user of Google Maps, with the third-party Waze as a free turn-by-turn navigation backup, I agree with most critics that Apple Maps is the ultimate in Apple arrogance: Simply not ready for primetime yet crammed down the throats of those of us who use the iPhone and did the operating system upgrade.

With Apple , Siri’s iPhone 4S clunky flaws notwithstanding, customers want and expect nothing but the best in elegance and functionality. (Read More: Apple's Messy Map Problem.)

On both scores, maps is a clear misfire. And the lack of transit maps is unforgivable. Telling consumers to use third-party apps simply doesn’t cut it.

But from an investor’s standpoint, the maps fiasco (much like the flap over the exclusion of Adobe’s Flash from the iPhone and iPad) is likely a non-event. All investors should care about is whether iPhone 5 works as seamlessly as its predecessors and meets sales expectations. (Read More: Apple Fans Shrug Off Maps Fiasco, Lap Up iPhone 5.)

Some users may defer the purchase and upgrades until a maps solution is found, but likely not enough to matter.

Bottom line: Apple’s arrogance is legendary. No company gets it right every time. And, yes, at some point Apple’s growth will slow. Until then, everything else is noise. Over and out.

—By CNBC's Herb Greenberg

Questions? Comments? Write to [e-mail]

Follow Herb on Twitter: @herbgreenberg

Find Herb on Google+

Subscribe to Herb athttp://www.facebook.com/herb.greenberg

Disclaimer