Apple Announces One Million Ping Users in First Two Days

[tobyw7]

I think people underestimate the power Apple are able to unleash by having something like this already built into the iTunes software - I think Ping is something to keep an eye on.

With Facebook/Twitter connect functionality no doubt to come - (it has to come, else I too would have to agree this won't be a great hit) - I think this could really go some where.

I'm going to stay positive, ignore everyone who says it's going to fail (you pessimist fools!) and have my fingers crossed here. Apple succeed either way so I'm sure you're giving up too soon!

Have faith!

 

[baryon]

I think Ping might be an okay idea for people who like to follow artists and talk about music. I only like a very specific kind of music and I don't think any of my friends like that kind of music. I'm registered on Ping because I want to see what it becomes, but so far I can't say much about it. I don't know what Facebook integration would do, but maybe it would help a lot.

 

[ovrlrd]

I'm going to stay positive, ignore everyone who says it's going to fail (you pessimist fools!) and have my fingers crossed here. Apple succeed either way so I'm sure you're giving up too soon!

Have faith!

I really have no clue why so many people seem to think it is going to fail. I know some people are just being critical which is fine, but some people actually seem to hate the idea of it. It is almost like some people are being forced to use it, as opposed to it being completely optional.

Like it or not Apple is not going to give up on the idea, they definitely have plans for it.

 

[ovrlrd]

I think Ping might be an okay idea for people who like to follow artists and talk about music. I only like a very specific kind of music and I don't think any of my friends like that kind of music. I'm registered on Ping because I want to see what it becomes, but so far I can't say much about it. I don't know what Facebook integration would do, but maybe it would help a lot.

I am the same as you, not many people like the same music as me. I still managed to find a couple artists to follow that I listen to, granted they are geeks too and signed up to try the big new thing. I am lucky to have the couple I found, and I am not likely to see a huge number that I listen to on there.

One huge missing feature is a "friend recommendation" engine. It seems like right now there is no engine, they just have a list they are manually updating and it's the same list everyone sees. What they need to do is have it compare your tastes to others and recommend people to follow. Then it will be much cooler.

 

[SpaceKitty]

I just want to keep on using iTunes in the ways that I always have. I love watching my TV shows and movies in iTunes and syncing iPhones/iPods with it. I haven't used Ping and I don't plan on it just like I don't use Facebook and rarely use Twitter.

I wish there was a way to disable Ping from showing in my iTunes completely.

Oh and congrats to Apple I guess...

 

[gnasher729]

I wonder when the Ping golf club company legal department will get in touch with Apple?

Apple got in touch with them. Long before Ping was released. There was a press release where their CEO say how proud he is that Apple uses their name. (He didn't say how much Apple paid them).

 

[Craiglorocks]

I love how whenever Apple releases a new OS or software version and most say it is snappier, but then iTunes updates and its a pile of bloat-ware s%*^. Seems like now if Apple comes up with a new software idea that isn't already tied to a program, they dump it on iTunes and let her go.

 

[ovrlrd]

I love how whenever Apple releases a new OS or software version and most say it is snappier, but then iTunes updates and its a pile of bloat-ware s%*^. Seems like now if Apple comes up with a new software idea that isn't already tied to a program, they dump it on iTunes and let her go.

Actually I have heard many reports from people that the new iTunes is faster, particularly on Windows and especially 64-bit Windows.

Adding new features is not the same thing as bloat-ware and doesn't necessarily make something slower. You clearly are living in an old era of computing where memory usage was directly tied to performance. These days programming works quite a bit differently, especially in OS X.

 

[tobyw7]

I really have no clue why so many people seem to think it is going to fail. I know some people are just being critical which is fine, but some people actually seem to hate the idea of it. It is almost like some people are being forced to use it, as opposed to it being completely optional.

Like it or not Apple is not going to give up on the idea, they definitely have plans for it.

I think some people just 'hate' anything new Apple comes up with - yet when it seems to be going well they change their mind and decide that in fact they actually love it.

Trendsetters.

 

[iZac]

Right, it's lovely that there are one million people who can select that they like a few songs on iTunes, but hopefully this will evolve into more than a data miner for genius playlists.

 

[violaboy]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I will not join Ping until it uses my nickname and not the name on my credit card. I read it also changes the name on your reviews from your nickname to the one on your credit card. Major fail, Steve! Do you want me to take my credit card off my iTunes account so I can use a faux name to protect my privacy?

Agree! This is what made me hit the cancel button when I started to register.

 

[Manderby]

Let's try to do some constructive criticism. I do not do social networks at all but just for curiosity, I highlighted all the things that might (MIGHT) be of interest to me in the iTunes window (found at other sources). By this I mean: These are the buttons which I press frequently and the contents which I would like to potentially see or read if I did all that social stuff.

edit: removed image

When counting the pixels, this makes about 10 - 20% of the space which is interesting to me or which I use frequently or I use at all. Now theres space for improvement. If there would be anything for me to change iTunes into more than just a player (which it is since the beginning, nothing more), it would be a a high quality, appealing presentation of content created by artists.

I mean: The presentation of the social content is functional, but not appealing at all. All those social websites are so boring to look at, so cold, just some text and maybe images layed out in a standard, linear, space-wasting and uninspyring way. Just as an idea: What if instead of all those recent activities and comments of people I don't care about, why not just displaying the HOMEPAGE of the interpret? There are some really great homepages out there, real pieces of art! This would pop out and really make iTunes the hub of a network of artists. I could start to like following artists that way in one single application.

I know, this may cause some problems with parental controls, flash content and all limitation-stuff. Don't be hating, it's just an idea.

 

[kernkraft]

Way to be an optimist.

No, just way to be frank and realistic.

I think some people just 'hate' anything new Apple comes up with - yet when it seems to be going well they change their mind and decide that in fact they actually love it.

Trendsetters.

Trendsetters? The chance to be a trendsetter involving Facebook ended years ago. Now it's about doing what the rest of the crowd does and either ignore the thing or join in as a follower. Spotify had Facebook integration for ages, so did basically everything else. Probably my corn flakes have a button on the box to share the sensation of eating corn flakes on Facebook.

I think expecting people to suddenly love this thing is a bit unrealistic. This is just as lame as it gets.

 

[violaboy]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I don't mind it but Apple needs to come up with a better way for people who share iTunes accounts, like me and my brother are linked to my dad's credit card and email so he knows whenever we buy things and we can all share through home sharing. Now I think we would have to share a Ping account too, they need a better sharing/multiple accounts on iTunes in general.

Or get off of daddy's credit card and get your own. Not old enough? Then you don't get an opinion...

 

[tobyx]

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Or get off of daddy's credit card and get your own. Not old enough? Then you don't get an opinion...

The father can just make fixed spending accounts for his kids. Account sharing is never a good idea. Also, applying the same credit card to multiple accounts is an option. If the trust isn't there, refer to option one. Or option three, buy the kids iTunes gift cards.

While I do not like Ping at all in its current implementation, the problem stated here really isn't one.

 

[anjonjp]

Apple could have better spent their time allowing music videos and the few movies I have to be viewable (on my mac) when I use speakers via AirPort Express. Especially as Apple tv is not available in Japan! (Come to think of it, the new Apple tv is just a glorified AirPort Express anyway )

If people want to be social, say hello to the neighbour you have never spoken to!

 

[Otaviano]

I like the idea of Ping and think it's something Apple should have done years ago. They missed a huge opportunity to link all these iTunes users together and have them recommending products and songs to one another. Even before the social media crazy, they should have looked to Amazon.com and how they were suggesting products based on purchases and interest. Now they are playing catch up and are a bit of a late entry in the social media game. Luckily the have a monstrous install base that they can build off of.

The biggest problem I see is that Ping is something Apple needs to be continuously revising, which isn't really their style. They tend to launch a product or service and then aside from maintenance and bug fixes let it run and then revise it down the road.

Somethings they need to look at immediately:

- Finding friends needs to be addressed immediately, Facebook and Twitter integration are a must. Letting iTunes look at Address Book app on the mac isn't a dumb idea either. This is a HUGE crippling factor in Ping. When the new Spotify launched earlier this year, it had Facebook integration and within a day or two all my friends were connected to me.

- It needs to get intelligent rather quickly. At the moment it recommends artists and people based on nothing. Examine people's library and recommend stuff based on the dominating genre and or play counts.

- Need to quickly get a ton of artists on board. I can't follow most of the artists I listen to.

- Ping needs to grow out of the iTunes music store. At the moment you can only like things while browsing the iTunes store. That needs to really change. They need to make it so if you are listening to some random song you can click a button and post a blurb on your Ping profile, wether it be simple like or a comment. You need to be able to do this in a ton of different modes and not just when inside the store or Ping. For example if I've got iTunes on the mini-player there should be a way I can quickly like or comment on a song, maybe a modal pop-up that doesn't intrude to much on the work I'm doing.

- It also needs to let you comment and like songs and albums in your library that might not have originated from iTunes, like things you ripped from a CD or dare I say it downloaded it illegally. Let people comment and like it, and let those lead back to official iTunes versions of said song and album.

 

[lazyrighteye]

The new iTunes logo dotting the 'i' in 'Ping' is amazingly cheesy... If 'amazingly' = 'embarrassingly.'

That aside, Ping has legit potential. But as has been mentioned above, needs to be way more robust/user 'instant comment on a track' friendlier.

 

[*LTD*]

I think Ping might be an okay idea for people who like to follow artists and talk about music.

Which is a helluva lot of people, if you think about it.

 

[carmenodie]

I haven't used ping yet but I will get itunes 10 and see for myself.
On another note, I could care less about social networking. Hell, how many people are actually going to do a fu***** thing for you anyway? I saw a friend that had like 700 friends on facebook. BS!
SOCIAL NETWORKING = AD MONEY AND IDLE CHATTER.

 

[stevengeerts]

Ping is an empty box

I really have no clue why so many people seem to think it is going to fail. I know some people are just being critical which is fine, but some people actually seem to hate the idea of it. It is almost like some people are being forced to use it, as opposed to it being completely optional.

Like it or not Apple is not going to give up on the idea, they definitely have plans for it.

You don't release an application which is far from finished !

 

[*LTD*]

I really have no clue why so many people seem to think it is going to fail. I know some people are just being critical which is fine, but some people actually seem to hate the idea of it. It is almost like some people are being forced to use it, as opposed to it being completely optional.

Like it or not Apple is not going to give up on the idea, they definitely have plans for it.

It's pure geek rage from the prennially out-of-touch. These are the same sad folk that whine on MR ad infinitum for a friggin mini-tower Mac you can tear apart and play with,etc. It's the headless Mac folk, some of which are even more off the deep end by insisting Apple license OS X and iOS to every hardware maker under the sun. They like Apple's pretty design without actually "getting" why they do what they do.

 

[MorphingDragon]

It's pure geek rage from the prennially out-of-touch. These are the same sad folk that whine on MR ad infinitum for a friggin mini-tower Mac you can tear apart and play with,etc. It's the headless Mac folk, some of which are even more off the deep end by insisting Apple license OS X and iOS to every hardware maker under the sun. They like Apple's pretty design without actually "getting" why they do what they do.

If they want a mac they can play around with they should look here:
http://art-studios.net/goods/86

 

[Glideslope]

Apple today announced that over one million users have joined Ping, the company's new social networking feature focused on music and built into iTunes 10. According to Apple, one-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 in its first 48 hours of availbility have joined Ping.Ping has been receiving mixed reviews from users so far, as well as having to deal with several early issues involving a premature launch of Facebook Connect integration and a spam problem.

Article Link: Apple Announces One Million Ping Users in First Two Days

How many activated, selected 'Nobody Follow". I'll bet quite a few.
Total waste of HD space IMO.

 

[Kieranic]

Sure there isn't much at the moment, but the App Store had very little when it opened and now look where it is!

Just give it some time and I'm sure it'll get better soon.