Ummm.. no. First, the Google route gives WIIIIDE room for customization despite Google's insisting on a pure Google experience (i.e. Amazon Kindle Fire, Nook Color, etc.). I can't see how the story, as you tell it, is true. Second, Microsoft made SPECIFIC and very firm demands for specifications that Nokia STILL has to adhere to despite the wiggle room Nokia is being given. This HAS been talked about quite a bit already.

So my question still stands unanswered: What map reasons?

As long as they don't try that little trick that backfired in the Zune era---you know the one where they held a press conference with LOTS of reporters and they released the all-new ZUNE HD... and they held a promotional at the event where anyone was invited to turn in their Apple iPods/iPhones/etc in return for a brand new Microsoft Zune HD... And NOBODY (literally) turned in their iDevices for a Zune. heheh.. it was a HORRIBLE backfire for Microsoft at a press event, no less.