Should iCare?
A good friend asked:
About the new iPod touch and the iPhone… Do you think that these devices are revolutionary and innovative? Or are they simply just a way to sell more content.
Case in point, the wifi iTunes store is a stripped down store allowing purchase only. No podcast updating. Apple could have easily put iTunes on the phone and touch. This would have allowed syncing podcasts on the go and would have lead to some really innovative uses of RSS. Instead Apple crippled the features.
When considering the iPhone and iPod I do not think of them being innovative. MP3 players and multifunction phones have been around for a while and Apple wasn’t the first to bring these to market much like Henry Ford didn’t invent the automocar. But the way they marketed this and, most importantly, improved and simplified functionality for average users or the “computer illiterate” was revolutionary! And like Henry Ford it has brought them great success.
So how then does this new WiFi iTunes store rate with me? I’d call this a first step. Henry Ford said, “you can have a Model-T in any colour you like - as long as it’s black.” Here - Apple is doing the same: offering just one service and testing the water. This is new ground not just for them but for many users too. Perhaps some of us think of ourselves as advanced users or well ahead of the user ship curve but it’s within that curve that things are most likely possible and profitable. If the masses don’t opt into these services or even find them practical then they are not profitable and can not likely be maintained.
For that reason I’m not surprised that the current WiFi iTunes store offering is so limited. But looking back over the evolution of the iPod, the internet and the way we use technology - I have every faith that this too will change and for the better …and sooner then we think!
By overcoming the lack of understanding around this type of technology we can demonstrate to others that this is more than a fad or novelty and that there are some practical applications for this technology that can assist you in your day to day life.
-Doug Nouwen
October 1st, 2007 at 2:28 pm
It’s difficult to make a truly innovative product when you’re constantly updting the bare minimum from the previous model - ie: the iPod. The easiest way to back that up, is in the fact that every advancement with the iPod so far has been predicted by its user base. Not only has Apple continued to drag their feet when it comes to progression of many products (see: iLife, iWork, Apple TV..), they also convince us that their new product is truly unique. That, coupled with the fact that my iPod dies every year, is why we keep coming back - regardless of the innovation they display.
The iTunes music store has remained relatively the same since it opened, with a few notable exceptions. Still, its clunky interface is balanced out by the size and scope of the service. I don’t know anyone (PC users and parents included) who hasn’t used it in th last year. Honestly, I’m glad Apple’s concentrating on the iStore.
1- Maybe they’ll realize the flaws in their hardware if they focus elsewhere for a few months
2- I can’t afford another $400 doorstop
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:10 pm
If MicroSoft had pulled what Apple has done, there would be hell to pay. Consider the recent software update that not only bricked unlocked phones but alway F’d up third party apps. Apple is protecting it’s and AT&T’s revenue stream, but I think the overall cost is going to hurt their market share.