Could Apple do for font/stock art purchasing what it did for music buying?
Just wondering. Was in a position today to find some art and was even looking for a particular-looking typeface for a project, just for giggles.
Going to places that take long to load, seem to have a cumbersome way of getting around, etc. Then thinking how the iTMS is...so quick, so simple, so "right there" and hassle-free.
Since Macs have such a strong place in the creative fields, I was just wondering about it this afternoon.
NOTE: this would indeed be a separate thing...totally apart - NOT rolled into - the iTMS. A new little app that would work like the iTMS. Main page list major vendors (or you could view by subject or type style). Find what you want, do the one-click thing, download it, etc. Boom...you own it. AND it would work with FontBook and iPhoto, to download and place the images there - or any other location/app you designate, via a preference setting - all ready to be used (the same way iTMS downloads the song and puts it in your iTunes library). It would install the font in the proper location(s) and so forth.
iBuy. iStock. iType. iWhatever.
Could the iTMS engine/infrastructure be modified and all these companies sign up and come on board to let Apple act as a cool one-stop font/stock-art buying solution?
Probably not, for tons of reasons (logistics, licensing, storage, etc.), I guess. But it would sure be neat. Just bored at work and wondering aloud...and kinda curious to hear what others think about (or the whole online-based font/art buying process in general, and if there's room for improvement, or is it as good as it needs to be?)
Going to places that take long to load, seem to have a cumbersome way of getting around, etc. Then thinking how the iTMS is...so quick, so simple, so "right there" and hassle-free.
Since Macs have such a strong place in the creative fields, I was just wondering about it this afternoon.
NOTE: this would indeed be a separate thing...totally apart - NOT rolled into - the iTMS. A new little app that would work like the iTMS. Main page list major vendors (or you could view by subject or type style). Find what you want, do the one-click thing, download it, etc. Boom...you own it. AND it would work with FontBook and iPhoto, to download and place the images there - or any other location/app you designate, via a preference setting - all ready to be used (the same way iTMS downloads the song and puts it in your iTunes library). It would install the font in the proper location(s) and so forth.
iBuy. iStock. iType. iWhatever.
Could the iTMS engine/infrastructure be modified and all these companies sign up and come on board to let Apple act as a cool one-stop font/stock-art buying solution?
Probably not, for tons of reasons (logistics, licensing, storage, etc.), I guess. But it would sure be neat. Just bored at work and wondering aloud...and kinda curious to hear what others think about (or the whole online-based font/art buying process in general, and if there's room for improvement, or is it as good as it needs to be?)
Comments
Nothing to do with that kind of stuff. Just a simple, legit question. This time a year ago, we wouldn't have imagined buying music as easily as we do, so don't get obnoxious and dismissive about it...
I've learned to never say "never" when it comes to Apple, these past few years (iDVD, GarageBand, iSight, iTMS, iPod mini, 12" PowerBook, 20" iMac, 23" HD display, 17" PowerBook, Safari, etc.).
I can definitely see Apple borrowing the iTMS model for other uses - fonts, other licensed media, software, etc. If they did the client-side code right, they could even borrow a whole layer out of iTunes and just tailor the presentation code for whatever product the store's selling. They probably need to refine the third party entry system, since the current 2-3 month lag in getting a song onto iTMS would not do for software updates and releases. (Thorsten Lemke would release about 6 updates in that timeframe, wouldn't he? I swear, the man doesn't sleep.)
This would be very cool. I like it.
That probably makes more sense....built directly into the app that is made to work with that particular file/media. I like that too.
Sounds good to me though. It would be nice to have at least. There are probably lots of potential places something like this could be implented for, it's just a matter of getting everyone on board, or who would have the influence to do it for certain markets if not Apple.
And, yeah, I would tie it into FontBook.
Originally posted by Aquatic
No. Wait, maybe if the iPod had a color screen...
I know your comment was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I think you're right to an extent. The iTMS is to move iPods (right now). What would this store move? Digital cameras? I dunno....
I like the idea and no one could do it better but I don't see it. Who knows.... anything could happen.
Originally posted by torifile
I know your comment was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I think you're right to an extent. The iTMS is to move iPods (right now). What would this store move? Digital cameras? I dunno....
I like the idea and no one could do it better but I don't see it. Who knows.... anything could happen.
A MAC ONLY Font app like this would make Graphics people have YET ANOTHER reason to choose/stick with Apple. Reinforce the psoition.
I think it would be a GREAT app to have and would help pros. Good idea Pscates
Of course, there would have to be a way to store fonts on your iPod, so that you'd have them whereever you went.
I think the main thing Apple is waiting for is for the D&P market to show signs of life. Selling into a stagnant market is not particularly good business. On the other hand, dancing with the one that brung you is good business...
Originally posted by cowerd
Thats a huge assumption...paying for fonts and stock media. Designers are worse than kids on p2p. Its amazing how effective sneaker net still is for distributing copyrighted material.
yeah? never heard of sneaker net
Originally posted by torifile
I know your comment was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I think you're right to an extent. The iTMS is to move iPods (right now). What would this store move? Digital cameras? I dunno....
Why, it would move the forthcoming Quark/InDesign/Photoshop/Flash/Freehand/Illustrator killer app from the fruit company, of course.!
What exactly has Apple done for music buying? Their store still doesn't work with over 60% of their user base.
Originally posted by cowerd
Thats a huge assumption...paying for fonts and stock media. Designers are worse than kids on p2p.
On top of this, who outside of professional designers will be purchasing fonts? There are lots of great free fonts available on the web if you look around. iTunes Music Store had appeal in that there was clearly a demand for it. Everyone from preteens to senior citizens were pirating music. The music industry in general is a sign of how much ridiculous demand there is for various styles.
But fonts? The iTMS is just now finally making a small profit. Could Apple really justify a venture like this that relatively no one would use?
On top of that, look at the price of fonts! Sure, I can easily see how Apple haggled the price of a single song down to 60 cents. Fonts, on the other hand, are far more expensive. A quick look at Myriad Pro, one of Apple's favorite fonts, puts each variation at US$35.00 or the whole suite at US$229.00! This completely kills the "impulse buy" drive that I'm sure powers a lot of iTunes' 99¢ sales and is not something everyone's uncle or cousins or buddies at work are going to jump on.
I just don't see it happening.
Anyhow, Apple had a "Buy Fonts" option in Mac OS 9. Did we forget about that? It's been long dead. Even when Mac OS 9 was still supported, the fonts page on Apple shriveled up and died from lack of support or demand or something bad. Clearly it's not a market worth pursuing.
Originally posted by burningwheel
yeah? never heard of sneaker net
Kids these days.
Sneakernet is a term from years ago where people would copy software on floppies by carrying it (probably while wearing sneakers) from one computer to another computer. Back when I was in school, I remember being shown a brief video denouncing software piracy and touting the cute jingle "Don't copy that floppy!"
Originally posted by guest
Their store still doesn't work with over 60% of their user base.
iTunes has made over 70 MILLION sales. It you're using a computer that is over three or four years old and won't run a decent modern operating system, you've got bigger problems.
There are over 10,000,000 estimated active Mac OS X users. I don't know where you get your crazy figures, but seeing as Apple only sold 749,000 computers last quarter, there must be a lot of Mac OS X users on yesterday's hardware. You must be using something really old.
Originally posted by Brad
iTunes has made over 70 MILLION sales. It you're using a computer that is over three or four years old and won't run a decent modern operating system, you've got bigger problems.
There are over 10,000,000 estimated active Mac OS X users. I don't know where you get your crazy figures, but seeing as Apple only sold 749,000 computers last quarter, there must be a lot of Mac OS X users on yesterday's hardware. You must be using something really old.
I *think* he meant that the *store* doesn't work (as in "it's not available") in places where 60% of their userbase is. I think.
Originally posted by torifile
I *think* he meant that the *store* doesn't work (as in "it's not available") in places where 60% of their userbase is. I think.
Ah, point taken. I've seen some complaints from him about preferring OS 9 to OS X; so, I assumed that's what he meant.
In that case, welcome to the US of A!
And on the same site (Apple.com) there's a 'Buy fonts' section, which has been there for years but was never been public used for anything. I think that this is what you are asking for?
Originally posted by Brad On top of this, who outside of professional designers will be purchasing fonts?
Does that matter? Last I looked, plenty of Mac users and Apple customers WERE "professional designers". Maybe they'd appreciate this.
Originally posted by Brad There are lots of great free fonts available on the web if you look around.
Sure there are, and a lot of horrible, badly created, crappily kerned, poorly rendered amateurish shit, many of them are. Would be nice to spare the busy professional hours of scavenger-hunting and trial-and-error routines.
In no way am I comparing it to the iTMS (as far as font-buying occupying the same psychological/financial space as music-buying). I never said the two things are similar. One is pleasure, one is business. One is .99, one is a bit higher.
But there would indeed be a market...design professionals buy fonts. And they might buy more if it was a relatively quick and painless procedure (one-stop shopping, previews, one-click buying, downloads and installs into the proper places on your Mac, etc.).