They seem to be starting with the assumption that there are millions of songs out there, far too many to look through, so how can we help people find something they will like? First they came up with Genius, and now this. And I think, for once, it might actually be a useful application of social networks.
However I think young people are insecure about themselves, and they use social networks to constantly compare themselves with others, to confirm they are not a freak.
In this context (hundreds of thousands of insecure people talking to each other), will any of them actually dare to stick their head out and recommend something? Or will they all just buy the top 10 to be safe?
I actually DON'T see Ping as a facebook competitor. I see it as Apple trying to sell more music by making music easier for people who aren't music geeks to find (I am a music geek and proudly so).
I also see Ping as Apple trying to get more people to use iTunes and the iTunes store via word of mouth. It could turn into brilliant marketing, really.
The more Apple can connect people to iTunes and the iTunes store, the greater the odds people will buy music that way. That's what Ping is all about. I think it makes perfect sense.
Me.com makes a lot more since being tied to a social network. And I'm sure the $billion server facility will have a play in the social as well. This is how a well planned social network comes together. I see a future where we can all easily be as social as we want, without the poor UI, spam, and annoying game invites that we have all grown numb to.
I read that question not so long ago and saw a very good and simple answer:
It would be madness to switch to a new name from one that's so very established as a brand and so strongly recognized as one of Apples core products.
I agree. That and the fact that the logical name for the software "iLife" is already taken by another Apple product. Apple just really didn't think far enough in advance to see how their simply audio app would morph into a whole ecosystem of different content.
More people will download iTunes which will mean millions more accounts which will result in more music, movies and app downloads. Word of mouth on facebook and twitter will help Ping to grow. Marketing throuth Artist, etc. I can see it now.... "Follow me on Ping"!
I liked the post of 2oh1. Its realy a question of perspective when you are trying to perceive ping and to attached value.
Optimistically speaking, they are trying to expand and evolve music as field of interest, a structure of society or whatever one would call music. It's like biology, just evolve by making as much as possible connections in the field, out of the field, and inside the field itself, afterward, kill all ineffective and evolve the effective ones.
Ping was a logical step in order to bring people closer to their favorite musicians, closer to their affiliates, musically wise and closer to music itself.
But one can also mix some pessimistic and malicious ideas into the perception of ping, as one can do in everything.
In the end, you probably wont know it for sure, ever.
I actually DON'T see Ping as a facebook competitor. I see it as Apple trying to sell more music by making music easier for people who aren't music geeks to find (I am a music geek and proudly so).
It's funny though, that Steve was slamming non-Hollywood movies as amateur hour, but at the same time promoting Ping, which is like critic amateur-hour. A more traditional alternative to Ping would be to have professional music geeks review each new song and have a top-reviewed chart.
At 2:03 Central time it says "iTunes 10 coming soon! Download 9 now!".
Hey guys, don't miss that today deadline Steve announced or risk the wrath of Jobs.
When a release is scheduled at Apple it seems like it always goes down to the wire and the various managers are running around working out last minutes details and gathering signatures (process description may be a bit dated since I was there but still rather harried I understand).
iTunes is looking in serious need of an aesthetic makeover, especially when compared to the elegance of MS' Zune Marketplace.
160 million iTunes account holders have voted with their wallet to make your opinion wrong, yet again, (this seems to be a trend) while making it the #1 online media store in the world.
You continually vote with your mouth to make MS' Zune Marketplace exactly what it's always been (to reference The Beatles) ..... Nowhere Man.
But my point was how many of those 160 million users with accounts on other social networks (myself included) will want yet another place to go online in their precious spare time? Of course there will be millions of Ping users, but I don't think it'll be as many millions as Apple is hoping unless they open it up and integrate it with other services that people use and are accustomed to.
Well if people are already going into iTunes, how big of a nuisance would it be to quickly jump to their Ping page to check stuff out. The whole point is really about discovering and sharing music. So, think of it as being a different type of store front, not so much another social site.
I was actually expecting them to add some kind of FaceBook integration, but I guess they decided to have at it themselves. I supposed it's easier to integrate "click to buy" into their own social site, then it would be to try and shoehorn it into FaceBook.
Ping seems like a Facebook & Last.fm hybrid. What I don't understand (OK, maybe I do) is why it's tied to iTunes? It could just as easily be accessed via any web browser. But I suppose the point isn't to be generally useful, but to drive people into iTunes where they will buy music & whatever else iTunes has for sale.
I don't use iTunes much other than to archive CDs, so I'm not the target audience. iTunes is just not an app I "hang out in", unlike a web browser. Maybe there's enough heavy users of iTunes to make Ping viable.
When Steve was explaining about 'All the social network thing', there was't any enthusiasm in his voice. It's like he saying --- " Dumb! You know how it works. It's Twitter from Apple, well, polished. "
Ping seems like a Facebook & Last.fm hybrid. What I don't understand (OK, maybe I do) is why it's tied to iTunes? It could just as easily be accessed via any web browser. But I suppose the point isn't to be generally useful, but to drive people into iTunes where they will buy music & whatever else iTunes has for sale.
I don't use iTunes much other than to archive CDs, so I'm not the target audience. iTunes is just not an app I "hang out in", unlike a web browser. Maybe there's enough heavy users of iTunes to make Ping viable.
I dont want a new social network or care aboy showing people wht i listen to. and I dont care about "following" artists. Somehow I feel as if I am kissing their a$$ by doing that.
What I want is for my itunes to sync and manage my music. AND to share my playlist through MY network to my iPhone. Is this possible yet?
I cringe increasingly with each passing Apple Media Event... Apple is fast becoming a company for chavs who think they are buying classy "cool" toys to match their NIKE raiment. It's transforming into The Pig With Lipstick of the computer industry. Who was that talentless prat attempting to play piano at the end?
Comments
However I think young people are insecure about themselves, and they use social networks to constantly compare themselves with others, to confirm they are not a freak.
In this context (hundreds of thousands of insecure people talking to each other), will any of them actually dare to stick their head out and recommend something? Or will they all just buy the top 10 to be safe?
I also see Ping as Apple trying to get more people to use iTunes and the iTunes store via word of mouth. It could turn into brilliant marketing, really.
The more Apple can connect people to iTunes and the iTunes store, the greater the odds people will buy music that way. That's what Ping is all about. I think it makes perfect sense.
And, what's with the window buttons? They're now vertical on the left side? That just looks weird.
What's up with the UI? They seemed to have gotten rid of all color (everything is gray).
And, what's with the window buttons? They're now vertical on the left side? That just looks weird.
I was going to say the same thing. The Window widgets are a surprising departure from the established Mac UI. I wonder why Apple did this.
I read that question not so long ago and saw a very good and simple answer:
It would be madness to switch to a new name from one that's so very established as a brand and so strongly recognized as one of Apples core products.
I agree. That and the fact that the logical name for the software "iLife" is already taken by another Apple product. Apple just really didn't think far enough in advance to see how their simply audio app would morph into a whole ecosystem of different content.
Optimistically speaking, they are trying to expand and evolve music as field of interest, a structure of society or whatever one would call music. It's like biology, just evolve by making as much as possible connections in the field, out of the field, and inside the field itself, afterward, kill all ineffective and evolve the effective ones.
Ping was a logical step in order to bring people closer to their favorite musicians, closer to their affiliates, musically wise and closer to music itself.
But one can also mix some pessimistic and malicious ideas into the perception of ping, as one can do in everything.
In the end, you probably wont know it for sure, ever.
I actually DON'T see Ping as a facebook competitor. I see it as Apple trying to sell more music by making music easier for people who aren't music geeks to find (I am a music geek and proudly so).
It's funny though, that Steve was slamming non-Hollywood movies as amateur hour, but at the same time promoting Ping, which is like critic amateur-hour. A more traditional alternative to Ping would be to have professional music geeks review each new song and have a top-reviewed chart.
don't download yet.
the link to DL IT10 is still downloading 9.2.1
At 2:03 Central time it says "iTunes 10 coming soon! Download 9 now!".
Hey guys, don't miss that today deadline Steve announced or risk the wrath of Jobs.
When a release is scheduled at Apple it seems like it always goes down to the wire and the various managers are running around working out last minutes details and gathering signatures (process description may be a bit dated since I was there but still rather harried I understand).
Ping.... Bing... Really?
iTunes is looking in serious need of an aesthetic makeover, especially when compared to the elegance of MS' Zune Marketplace.
160 million iTunes account holders have voted with their wallet to make your opinion wrong, yet again, (this seems to be a trend) while making it the #1 online media store in the world.
You continually vote with your mouth to make MS' Zune Marketplace exactly what it's always been (to reference The Beatles) ..... Nowhere Man.
But my point was how many of those 160 million users with accounts on other social networks (myself included) will want yet another place to go online in their precious spare time? Of course there will be millions of Ping users, but I don't think it'll be as many millions as Apple is hoping unless they open it up and integrate it with other services that people use and are accustomed to.
Well if people are already going into iTunes, how big of a nuisance would it be to quickly jump to their Ping page to check stuff out. The whole point is really about discovering and sharing music. So, think of it as being a different type of store front, not so much another social site.
I was actually expecting them to add some kind of FaceBook integration, but I guess they decided to have at it themselves. I supposed it's easier to integrate "click to buy" into their own social site, then it would be to try and shoehorn it into FaceBook.
why it's still called iTunes is beyond me. it's music, movies, podcasts, tv shows, books, apps and [shudder] ringtones.
Hmm, you've never heard the term "brand recognition" before, huh?
But you HAVE heard the term "iTunes". And that's exactly the point.
Does it even matter that it is not confined to music anymore?
Does it challenge anyone mentally? "iTunes has books and apps? Who knew!".
I don't use iTunes much other than to archive CDs, so I'm not the target audience. iTunes is just not an app I "hang out in", unlike a web browser. Maybe there's enough heavy users of iTunes to make Ping viable.
- Jasen.
The iTunes download page is still offering iTunes 9 with a message "iTunes 10 - Coming Soon".
Strange message to put up, "Coming Soon", it is is being released today!
Ping seems like a Facebook & Last.fm hybrid. What I don't understand (OK, maybe I do) is why it's tied to iTunes? It could just as easily be accessed via any web browser. But I suppose the point isn't to be generally useful, but to drive people into iTunes where they will buy music & whatever else iTunes has for sale.
I don't use iTunes much other than to archive CDs, so I'm not the target audience. iTunes is just not an app I "hang out in", unlike a web browser. Maybe there's enough heavy users of iTunes to make Ping viable.
- Jasen.
It will be web accessible.
Can't wait to try Ping!
What I want is for my itunes to sync and manage my music. AND to share my playlist through MY network to my iPhone. Is this possible yet?
A deal with FOX and ABC speaks volumes.