Apple Opacity

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Of course it has. They may have decided that the amount of sales they're losing is made up for by the platform lockin, but that's not the same thing.

I have absolutely no idea how either of you can claim to know this either way.

The one thing that can be said as a fact is that the App store is THE most succesful phone/media app store.

[DawnFalcon]

You're seriously claiming that they've lost ZERO sales because of the iTunes tie-in? (When this thread has an example of such). No, they most certainly have lost some, and evidently they've decided such is acceptable.

[calvin-c]

I can understand needing to install iTunes to be able to buy something from the store-but refuse to install it 'on spec'. Tell me that something I want is *only* available in the store & I'll probably install it-but I won't install it just to find out that the store contains nothing that I want, or that what it contains is available elsewhere without using iTunes. (All of the music that I've heard of is-it's quite possible that iPhone/iTouch/iPad apps aren't available elsewhere, but AFAIK their functional equivalent is and my desire is for the function-not the app.)

[kjk]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

I can understand needing to install iTunes to be able to buy something from the store-but refuse to install it 'on spec'. Tell me that something I want is *only* available in the store & I'll probably install it-but I won't install it just to find out that the store contains nothing that I want, or that what it contains is available elsewhere without using iTunes. (All of the music that I've heard of is-it's quite possible that iPhone/iTouch/iPad apps aren't available elsewhere, but AFAIK their functional equivalent is and my desire is for the function-not the app.)

Apple actually added music previews online, without the need for iTunes. Hopefully they will move it all to the web at some point.

[amjbrown]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

Now that the Apple pink unicorn is the iPad, I took a look and decided it might just be a decent product for my needs. The spec sheet for the iPad looked good, once I realized they use a proprietary USB connector that you have to buy an adapter for. They also offer an SD card adapter; so far, so good. I could work with that.

How much are the adapters? They don't say. Well, it's new; they don't even sell the iPad yet. No harm, no foul.

The list of things it does includes a lot of things I don't. OTOH, it's a computer. Just add software. So, let's look at the App Store, and see if there's really an App for that. Nope, I'm not allowed to look at the App store; the link doesn't work. Again, it's new, they aren't selling them yet, etc.

Well, it's basically a giant iPod Touch. Let's see if IT has an App for that. Nope you seem to have to own a Touch to find out if there's a App in the store for what you want to do.

Sorry, Steve. It may be I'm looking in the wrong place for information, but if you can't make it easy for me to discover if your product does what I want it to do, don't expect a lot of sales.

Sadly,
Jack Tingle

Dear Jack,

Apple will be struggling to keep up with the pre-orders. I suspect the chances of them worrying that you need convincing to part with your cash are close to zero. Once it is launched Apple Stores worldwide will be full of iPads for you to play with, and plenty of turquoise clad Apple Peeps to answer all your questions.

In the meantime, many, many people will figure that the features demoed, plus what they know about the iPod Touch measured against the price point is more than enough to take a punt on being an early adopter.

I suspect you'll be impressed by what you'll ultimately experience. If you're not you will enjoy the competitive response from Amazon, Sony et al. It is going to be a good year for eBooks - it started well at CES, Amazon are thrashing pricing out with the publishers, and love them or hate them Apple just squeezed the accelerator.

amjb

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

You're seriously claiming that they've lost ZERO sales because of the iTunes tie-in? (When this thread has an example of such). No, they most certainly have lost some, and evidently they've decided such is acceptable.

And my parents have an iPod touch because they arent computer savvy and the itunes makes things simplistic enough that they will buy from there where they would NEVER download software for their PC as they wouldnt trust it to just work.

They may lose individuals but they also gain individuals and as the most succesful store of its type Im suggesting they have made extra sales because of the iTunes tie in.

[amjbrown]

Anyone who wants to check out the availability of a type of App without intsalling iTunes should just PM me with what they are looking for. I will happily do the search and e-mail you the links to a developer's site so you can read about the closest matches without having to install the software. The software is very useful because of the number of detailed reviews about each App. If you are undecided though it makes sense to see if you like what might be available before committing to getting set up.

amjb

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by stustaff

And my parents have an iPod touch because they arent computer savvy and the itunes makes things simplistic enough that they will buy from there where they would NEVER download software for their PC as they wouldnt trust it to just work.

Completely irrelevant to the point of it not working in a web browser (which I was referring to as the "lock-in")!

I am not seeing that as an advantage in any form.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

You're seriously claiming that they've lost ZERO sales because of the iTunes tie-in? (When this thread has an example of such). No, they most certainly have lost some, and evidently they've decided such is acceptable.

I was replying to this post Dawnfalcon.

you referred to the 'iTunes tie in' by that term I assumed you meant the whole iTunes shebang, didnt realise you just meant 'not having all of the apps available to view in a web browser.

In which case your right im sure if apps had of been availabe to view in a web browser then Jack Tingle would of placed his order already.

[DawnFalcon]

Yea my bad, should of been clearer.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Yea my bad, should of been clearer.

No probs and in that the lack of a browser version costs sales then yes I agree, i guess Apple do as well they just purchased a company(the name escapes me) who basically already have a web version of an iTunes type store.

[amjbrown]

Originally Posted by stustaff

No probs and in that the lack of a browser version costs sales then yes I agree, i guess Apple do as well they just purchased a company(the name escapes me) who basically already have a web version of an iTunes type store.

Is it Lala?

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by amjbrown

Is it Lala?

Yes thats it, thanks.

[fugazied]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

My point exactly. If I'm thinking about buying your product[1], don't make me search Google or download extraneous things to find out it does what I want. Tell me on your website what it does. I will never have a use for iTunes, unless I buy an Apple music player product.

You would be surprised, you might have a use for iTunes. iTunes has iTunesU (free lectures from many universities) Radio (hundreds of internet radio stations) and Podcasts (thousands of free and paid podcasts).

I'm no big fan of iTunes because it's bloated but I do use it to find podcasts and listen to iTunesU lectures all the time. It's actually worth getting for those reasons, even if you don't have an ipod/ipad imo.

The small accessories will be cheap as hell, my only worry is the pricing of the larger accessories like the keyboard adapter and the case (which I am guessing will be $50+).

[kjk]

Originally Posted by fugazied

The small accessories will be cheap as hell, my only worry is the pricing of the larger accessories like the keyboard adapter and the case (which I am guessing will be $50+).

Keyboard+dock: $69
Case: $39
Dock: $29