The real issue with Ping
Is that they didn't keep going. They limited it to only certain artists when it should have been everyone, should have included writers, actors, directors, TV shows and picked up all the features of Lala, which they had just bought, adapted for the non music items as needed.
They released a stunted Ping and then when it wasn't an instant success they let it die in a corner instead of trying to actually make something of it.
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yeah right...It seems anyone can claim anything these days when it comes to
Yep, there is a tone to the claims that sounds more like bitter employees talking smack because things weren't done the way they thought it should be.
For all we know, the folks at the top totally understand how Spotify etc work but also know the contracts required, the risk of lawsuit for wholesale copying of another system etc.
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I hate to be that guy in this thread... but something like this wouldn't have happened under Steve!
The buying and killing of the actually awesome Lala service and the creation of Ping were under Steve's watch ( though the starving and killing of Ping were not).
Plus the Mobile Me launch disaster was under Steve. And so on. The man was not infallible. And before you say that he didn't do those things literally, he was the boss so it was his job to make sure they were all done properly. Just as Tim Cook and Scott Forstall were in both in charge, in their own ways, of the teams that created iOS 6 and iOS Maps. Both of which had major issues. Tim was willing to admit his role failed, Scott was not and apparently that was the straw that got him booted to a token job to ride out a few months until he would know nothing he could leak.
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It gives great recommendations & the ability to download & listen offline was the biggest reason I liked Spotify, & that feature is available in Beats.
And likely on a contract that is not ending for a few years and valid so long as Beats operates on its own. Otherwise Apple has to redo those contracts and will be asked for way way more money.
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Another thing which makes Spotify so great is that not only has it great algorithms to learn what you like and recommend new music. Additionally, it has a really big and great community which means it doesn't only rely on algorithms. There's a *human* aspect.
Rumor has it those algorithms are what Apple really wanted from Beats because they are allegedly as good as Spotify. Feed in Genius, Also Bought and Match Playlists, Radio skips for more deets and they would hopefully get better. Bring back the Lala features of the similar artists, being able to follow other users playlists and you get more human suggestions as well.
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What I still wonder is how Tim Cook didn't know that Maps was a mess before it launched in iOS 6, given that it was in beta for an entire summer with 3rd party developers slamming Apple over its quality.
He trusted Scott Forstall to be doing HIS job. Tim wasn't likely looking at all the forums, bug reports etc because he had way more to do. So he trusts the head of the department to be monitoring and dealing with issues. Scott says everything is good, it's going to be great, Tim should be able to trust that.
Tim was wrong. And willing to issue a public apology. Scott was not. Apparently Scott was a major dick in general to all but a select few, including being a dick to folks like Jony Ive. But it was felt that being an ass wasn't enough to get away with firing him. Gross incompetence however would do it. Because he probably had stock options coming up soon that he might sue over and a desire to keep him under the no poach, employee NDA etc of the time, he was given that 'special advisor' position.
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If they're that ignorant hopefully Cook pulls music from Eddy Cue and let's Iovine take over.
Oh it likely will be. Well Iovine under Eddy's umbrella control of all services. As was likely the idea from the start and probably with Eddy's endorsement if not idea in the first place ( not this 'Eddy you suck' tone that you seem to be suggesting).