BusinessWeek’s Arik Hesseldahl imagines other ways Apple may harness iTunes in conjunction with its rumored new tablet device.
“Apple is already the biggest retailer of music in the world, and a key player in downloadable video; the iTunes store is also a pretty big software storefront, with 2 billion iPhone applications downloaded,” Hesseldahl writes.
“If the tablet turns out to be an electronic reader that will compete with Amazon’s Kindle, then there’s good reason to expect that iTunes will become an excellent replacement for your neighborhood bookstore and newsstand,” Hesseldahl writes. “The larger a role iTunes plays in digital goods, the bigger a player it becomes in electronic commerce, period. Its 100 million credit-card accounts outnumber Amazon’s 94 million active customers and the 75 million at eBay unit PayPal.”
Hesseldahl writes, “So what else might iTunes sell besides digital media and iPhone apps? How about Mac software, for openers? With Microsoft days away from pushing the button on its next version of the Windows operating system, Windows 7, Apple could use its powerful iTunes store to once and for all eviscerate the long-repeated but false notion that Mac is lacking in software compared with Windows. As a trusted software distribution channel, iTunes would carry both its own software as well as third-party software for the Mac.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JES42” for the heads up.]
SAFARI!! Completely hidden until you need it. It would KILL Intrenet Explorer marketshare. And you can still download it separately for free regardless of platform. But, its there in iTunes if you need it.
I just hope it’s a full computer which is also able to be an e-reader, besides other things that will be unveiled later.
I’d love to be able to download digital, printable copies of guitar music with tablature.
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What else might Apple sell via its iTunes powerhouse?
How about Furbys
How about Independent Feature films. I have two that I have been waiting for them to allow but their film sales and rentals have not been not so great. If they just would realize the Indie Film market like the Apps market they could make some money and solidify filmmakers loyalty forever. BTW there are about 3-4 thousand Indies made every year –do the math Apple.
I’d recommend to start from selling stuff they already have in more countries.
@Indie Guy
I hear you. I am always looking for indie films on iTunes. What a great distribution source iTunes could be for indie films and documentaries. For many Mac users, a robust selection of indie materials would negate the need for cable TV.
I can’t see why we can’t buy apple software for the mac on it.
Since most of the HD movies are much larger than software these days
I don’t have a credit count account with iTunes, I use gift cards (like a prepaid phone), so if there is 100 million accounts with credit cards, how many accounts will be counting the non credit cards accounts?
Furniture for all the albums and books sold?
ITunes Store – 100 million credit-card accounts
Amazon 94 million “active” customers
Can we compare Apples to apples?
How many iTunes accounts are “active”?
This would be great that apple would sell software through the itunes store. For some you’d obviously need it shipped like finalcut studio which is I think close to 30GB in total. But games and other smaller apps you could get the ability to just download them like an app for your iphone or touch and you just download it to your computer and they give you a PDF of whatever booklet information it may have. This would also be a part of going “green” which for once would save money upfront instead of.. ex. buying better lightbulbs that use less energy and cost less over time… and by less.. most likely a few dollars a month. I’d prefer everything document wise be electronic there is no need to print things out.. you have a pdf… open it and read.. now if you need it during game play or while using the product and are unable to minimize it.. then print it out.
@qka
and by active… I wonder what criteria they are using… minimum once a month purchaser.. once every 2 or 3 months… its probably just like the credit card companies… you may not be using your credit card for 6 months but its still an “active” credit card.
as far as itunes store accounts 100 million isn’t bad seeing how amazon has been around way longer. I wish they’d explain everything… though im sure neither of them would explain anything if it made them look like they are just twisting their words a bit to sound better..
Since MDN won’t publish stories about dead Time Capsules I’ll include some links below. Please register your Time Capsule if it died and you haven’t already done so. Apple needs to step up and do the right thing here.
http://timecapsuledead.org
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/11/are-apple-time-capsules-out-of-time/
How about just selling serial numbers? A friend of mine wanted to install my Logic 9 but needed his own legal copy. We ordered it from Amazon to some girl in LA, told her to e-mail us the serial # and then destroy the package.
Selling Mac software is an excellent idea, but I think Apple does not want to upset their existing retail partners who sell both Macs and Mac software. Eventually, a Mac App Store in iTunes will become the primary distribution method for Mac software.
There were no existing retail channels for iPhone software, so it was not a problem for Apple to set up a system where they control distribution from the start.
So if Apple does want to eventually have a Mac App Store in iTunes, they will probably ease into it, first by releasing this tablet device and selling software for it. Then, perhaps they will start selling Apple’s consumer-level Mac software, iLife and iWork. Then, invite third parties to join the party, if they want to do it. It would certainly be a boon for small developers, and replace the “shareware” method for selling software.
@ken1w
Apple has a long history of upsetting their retail partners. If Apple determines that it’s best for them to sell Mac software through iTunes, believe me they’ll do it without hesitation.
Doubt? Ask any “retail partner” for verification of this. Or just visit any one of over 270 Apple stores, conveniently located near your local Apple “retail partner”.
Apples would be good……. a few different variety’s too !
Tickets & tolls.
Barcode and/or a digital token via bluetooth.
Public transit, flights, concerts, movies, museums, bridge tolls, parking.
Buy, sync, go™
All you can eat movies, songs, TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and video games for a flat monthly fee.
Like dipping a ladle into a digital stream.
Indie films? How about they just beef up their video back catalog across the board. Search for Kurosawa and see what hits you get for this struggling young up-and-comer of indie cinema!
How about a breakthrough unknown like Fellini? Chaplin? Bruce Frickin’ lee?
Anyway, books and software are a no-brainer, but the movie options can’t replace DVD until they offer more than just whatever hit the multiplex in the last couple years. trying to rely on iTunes for movies reminds me of back when we were limited to whatever VHS Blockbuster deemed to stock.
Tickets & tolls are a great idea. Ticketmaster could use some competition. The Safari idea is good too.
iTunes has a larger PC market than Mac. Selling Mac only products would leave out, and anger, it’s largest market. I think the tablet will be iPhoneOS because the potential market is higher. This would let PC users could slowly switch to Apple. Like swimming in the shallow end of the pool before you dive in the deep end.
This would let PC users slowly switch to Apple.
Sorry
@ Indie Guy & 84 Mac Guy
I as well totally agree and support the idea of selling Indie Films on iTunes. That being said they should also open up iTunes to Indie bands that may have not been signed to a label and just want to sell directly to the people.
aside from perhaps ebooks, which they actually already sell in the apps store, I would rather see them not sell anything else. no Mac software etc. i would rather see them improve what is there and not add more. come up with better file formats so we can have higher bit rate music and true 1080 HD video without massive file sizes for example. add more selection (especially of older movies and tv shows) and open up deals in other countries. I would love to get older BBC shows as much as they would like to get some of our American stuff. plus get shows on season pass again and even as they air and not have to wait for the DVD release for half the cable stuff.
and they seriously need to change the name. it stopped being iTUNES a long time ago. now it is more like iMEDIA