Apple looking to re-invent online shopping?
Ever the innovative commercial presence, it looks like Apple is moving towards overhauling the traditional online retail experience. According to MacNN, the company is looking into ways of "Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere". According to a patent filed under the same name, Apple is looking towards engineering a shopping environment distinct from today’s "Sterile and isolating" web commerce experience. There’s no word whatsoever on any specifics, but MacNN is speculating that Apple might be trying to shift towards a Second Life-style online store, where customers can virtually explore Apple products and interact with Mac specialists from the comfort of their own home. This will remain in the "rumor pile" for the time being, but we certainly wouldn’t oppose a more friendly online retail experience should it happen to come our way.
On Apr 19, 2008 @ 8:05 pm, Jeff B. Said:
Hmmm….somebody to virtually be there when I need their help…innovative, helpful, and it sounds just like something they’re trying to get rid of…oh yea, THEIR STORES. Are they trying to make us all fat ass couch potatoes? This is terrible when obesity is one of the top health concerns in our country and this just makes people sit there and do nothing even more.
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On Apr 19, 2008 @ 10:06 pm, csven Said:
Try this: http://blog.rebang.com/?p=577 (might want to skip down to “Okay, so let’s piece things together” in bold). That was written eight months before Apple filed their application.
I don’t doubt that there are plenty of people who have had ideas much more interesting than what I read in that patent application. How many of them can even think to file a patent? And how many of them will watch their idea get locked up by a corporate entity? Maybe this one.
Disappointing.
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On Apr 20, 2008 @ 12:16 am, Dtest5477 Said:
Man between the social rant of Jeff B and the Blog Spam of csven these comments are worse than gal’s ramblings.
Any new ideas for online or real life retailing should be explored.
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On Apr 20, 2008 @ 2:05 am, Jeff B. Said:
All truth in the matter I did say it was innovative and helpful. But really most people get their excersize from going to stores to buy something (unless you have messes like me and can’t find the shit you want in stores) and when you take that away, people get fatter and since I’m sure apple is more of a beach boy and is like “dude, hott chicks” all day at the beach while they’re surfing, I’m sure they don’t wanna be like “dude, we gotta jump man, too many fat chicks here.” Personally I don’t think anybody would want that problem. Although that was a little mean, it is true.
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On Apr 20, 2008 @ 6:49 am, the undude Said:
i hope apple has better luck with their virtual store idea than others have had with all those wretched virtual tradeshow technologies.
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On Apr 20, 2008 @ 1:36 pm, csven Said:
@Dtest5477
Sorry you perceive my comment as blog spam. That was not its intention (note: I have NO Google Adsense or advertising of ANY kind on my blog).
My purpose in posting that link was to point out that Apple wasn’t as “innovative” as suggested; that a similar and arguably more innovative idea pre-dates there’s (and an idea I considered sufficiently obvious to not warrant my pursuit of a patent).
In addition, there is the problem of innovation *belonging* to those with money to file expensive patents and hire attorneys to defend them. Most of us don’t have the option to casually submit a patent application. Thus, by default, “innovations” belong to the corporations by virtue of the depth of the pockets, not by being the first to conceive of an idea. Is that the way it should be?
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On Apr 20, 2008 @ 3:07 pm, Aaron Said:
Whoa! it’s eWorld reborn!
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On Apr 21, 2008 @ 8:20 am, KG Said:
I don’t understand how some of yall are talking about “People are going to get fatter” if you take away Apple Stores. WTF are you talking about? First off, Apple isnt the only store in the world. There are and will be plenty of other stores for people to go and shop. Secondly, people are fat because they don’t have the right mind set. Go take a walk somewhere, go to the gym, eat a little less (and more healthy), enroll in training classes, play sports, etc. People are just mentally lazy and they get fat because they don’t care enough. Don’t blame anybody but yourself if you get fat (and those people that made these comments are probably fat).
I don’t mean to be cruel to overweight people, but all I’m saying is…people have to take responsibility and stop pointing the finger at everyone except themselves.
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On Apr 21, 2008 @ 10:27 am, isis Said:
How did this suddenly become a commentary on weight loss? LOL
I think all of you need to step awaay from the computer and go do something else…mmmkay?
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On Apr 21, 2008 @ 1:19 pm, KG Said:
We don’t care what you think…
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