The OS X 10.9 Mavericks is said to have 200 changes over the Mountain Lion 10.8 and among these is the new Map app. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can use the Map app in OS X Mavericks and make the most out of it.

Opening Maps

Upon installing the OS X 10.9 Mavericks an icon for Maps will appear in the dock. Click on this icon or open Finder navigate to Applications > Maps. Then you will be prompted to use your current location. Allowing this will make the use of Maps a lot easier.

View Maps

If you allowed Maps to use your location, it will automatically home in your current whereabouts. On the other hand, if you did not, you may click on the blue arrow icon located at the top-left of the Maps app.

Located at the top centre of the Map app are 3 buttons marked Standard, Hybrid and Satellite. These buttons give you a road layout view, a road layout superimposed on satellite imagery and the satellite imagery only view.

View Cities (Flyover)

The Flyover is Apple's 3D renderings of selected cities which is not-quite-satellite and not-quite-photographs approach but it can be rotated around and zoomed in and out.

To view Flyover, locate your chosen city in the Maps app, zoom in and click on the buildings icon located second from the left on the app menu.

Compass

When utilising the Satellite view, and Flyover for applicable cities, it is possible to zoom in and rotate the image to view buildings, waypoints and points of interest from different angles. Thus, North is not always at the top. To revert to the north at the top simply double-click the compass. The map will spin round to the conventional orientation.

The compass and zoom in or out buttons are located in the lower right corner of the Maps app. The red compass needle denotes north; the grey south.

It is possible to drag the needle of the compass in order to view Flyover imagery from any angle. Zoom the map out to a country-level overview, however, and it will not be possible to rotate the map more than a 15 degrees, or so, in either direction.

Points of Interest

Locating a point of interest

To locate a particular point of interest, you can navigate to it visually by moving around the map that you see displayed. The quick and easy way, though, is to use the Search box. Enter what you are looking for and Maps will find it for you.

Contacts

Finding the address of a Contact

  • Click on the Book icon next to the Search box
  • From the pop-up box, locate the Contact you wish to find
  • Click on the Contact
  • Click on their address
  • Maps will now zoom to your Contact's location

Plan a Route to Your Contact

Planning a route to your contact

  • Click on the Book icon next to the Search box
  • From the pop-up box, locate the Contact you wish to find
  • Click on the Contact
  • Click on their address
  • Click on the i (information symbol) on the tab next to the POI
  • Click Get Directions
  • Choose whether to get directions from your current location or another location
  • The Maps app will then display a map of your route and any applicable alternative routes.

Get Traffic Info

Getting traffic information

  • Open up maps > New Window and find the area for which you want traffic information.
  • Dotted orange lines and dashed red lines, along roads, indicate slower moving traffic.
  • Information is also given, through a series of icons, for warnings, accidents and road closures.
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