It's pretty clear by now that Apple bit off more than it could chew, booting Google Maps from the latest version of its iPhone and iPad operating system.

Apple's replacement app is buggy. It's giving people poor directions, and the maps themselves look downright strange.

Apple has already issued a statement asking users for patience.

You could have seen this coming.

In June, we talked to a pair of Googlers involved in its mapping product, and they said that Google has 1,100 full time employees and 6,000 contractors working on its mapping products. Those 7,000 people do all sorts of granular work.

What do these 7,000 people do? Our source says they are "street view drivers, people flying planes, people drawing maps, people correcting listings, and people building new products."

Apple is reportedly hiring developers to improve its Maps product.

Seems like it's going to take a lot more than that.