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Apple Store Integration In Tiger?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Based on some screen shots posted at AppleInsider, it seems the Apple Online store will be accessible at the system level, offering to link consumable purchases directly from within the new Printer Setup Utility 4.0. The option, when selected, takes the user to the corresponding ink cartridge page within the Apple Online Store. This would surely eliminate the confusion of buying cartidges from the myriad of options for printers, narrowing the field to only products that worked with the user's particular model of printer.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2004/09/22/apple-store-integration-in-tiger/
I guess that's not too bad... I do dislike the link on the Apple menu which opens up your web browser to Apple's store... (not at my Mac so I forget what it says)...
 
NO Way

I won't usit it for consumables because Apple is more expensive than Buy.com....


But if it can make Apple a buck, I guess it's OK if a bit annoying.
 
If you can configure the link to whichever online retailer you prefer (eg eink4u.com), that would be pretty cool. If it confines you to the Apple Store, then there's not a lot of benefit to the customer, unless they like getting *everything* from Apple.
 
It's not a bad idea at all. Some not so tech-savvy people will be happy if they just can order new ink cartridges without having to find out what kind of cartridge they need for their printers.
 
This is just another one of those things that makes Mac's more convenient to use - more expensive too, but you don't have to use the service. I'm sure that this will help out some poor schlub along the way so it a good thing(tm).
 
Inkmonkey said:
I'm sure you'll pay a premium for the convenience. Much like ordering prints from iPhoto.
Click to expand...
Exactly... What would be cool is if they didn't charge a premium and it gave you a variety of stores to purchase from. Sort of like Pricewatch built into the OS...
 
Hmm

Well, not sure I like the idea too much. I suppose it might be nice for some folks, but if it only links to Apple I don't love it.
Look, I'm a huge Apple fan and long time user. I want them to continue to thrive, but if MS did something like this in their OS, we would all be on here complaining that they were trying to exert their monopoly on the poor witless end user. How is Apple doing this any different?

If it turns out you can link to any store, I'll eat my words. But somehow I doubt that will be the case.
 
slightly said:
If you can configure the link to whichever online retailer you prefer (eg eink4u.com), that would be pretty cool. If it confines you to the Apple Store, then there's not a lot of benefit to the customer, unless they like getting *everything* from Apple.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there'll be some sort of haxie, or 3rd party share-ware that will be able to modify said link. People love messing with new OS's like this.

hmmmm... system wide shopping channels would be cool. After a while (after it catches on) online shops could develope their own channles that work hand in hand with their site.
 
I wonder if this is using some sort of web services frame work, probably related to WebObjects,using SOAP et al. At my university they are continually talking about how web services are the future of computing. Using a web service to link into the data on the store woyuld be a nice use of this tech.
 
I think this is a good thing. Yes, some people will end up paying more than they should for some things, but those people probably would spend more money buying the wrong things or getting ripped off by some salesman at a big store. This reminds me of a scene I saw at an Apple Store once...

Some guy was inquiring about the G5s, making sure that they could do word processing, email, internet browsing, and databases. And then he wanted to know if he needed the 2.0 over the 1.8. The salesman made no attempt to direct him to the bottom-of-the-line eMac that would have been more than enough power for him.
 
I think this could be good if it linked to a froogle-like interface and allowed you to choose preferred vendors. It could be bad if it forced you to the Apple Store.
 
me too

MM2270 said:
Well, not sure I like the idea too much. I suppose it might be nice for some folks, but if it only links to Apple I don't love it.
Look, I'm a huge Apple fan and long time user. I want them to continue to thrive, but if MS did something like this in their OS, we would all be on here complaining that they were trying to exert their monopoly on the poor witless end user. How is Apple doing this any different?

If it turns out you can link to any store, I'll eat my words. But somehow I doubt that will be the case.
Click to expand...

what s/he said.

i_b_joshua
 
how tragic.

do you really think that there are people who can't read the model number on the front of their printer? What kind of idiots can't figure that out? Worst case, you might have to open the top of the printer and read the big, obvious model number on the top of the ink cartridge. It's just an excuse to try and get that 1% of blind, stupid, lazy people to spend 20-30% more for the same products that they can buy anywhere else just as easily. I suppose our user accounts will have to get our credit card numbers for this to work, right? And gee, sir, we noticed that your version of Photoshop has an upgrade available for only 49.95 with this mail-in rebate, which you can print out only if you buy it through the integrated apple store...don't worry, this only takes up 1% of your processing power, and isn't it worth it for all the convenience?


If this "feature" can't be disabled (and i mean all the way disabled) then I suppose we won't be going to 10.4 in our office.

No way.
 
Counterfit said:
Didn't MS do something similar to this in regards to pictures and/or music? And didn't they almost get in trouble for it?
Click to expand...

As a monopoly, MS is restrained from doing certain things which leverage that monopoly which its competitors (insofar as it has them: mainly Apple) are not constrained from doing.
 
LOTS of idiots. They are called the average user. And considering that many printers have such similar model numbers its not easy to buy ink really.

Nobody is forced to use this. It is an extra convenience factor that is very good to see them putting this in because for the person who just bought their first computer or the person who thinks that Macs use special peripherals and such - it will get them going. Then once they get it from Apple they can go to the store and use it as a reference to buy more if they want.
 
benpatient said:
how tragic.

do you really think that there are people who can't read the model number on the front of their printer?
Click to expand...

You don't work with end users, do you? :p
 
Not saying that I agree with how apple may be implementing it (id like to know that id be getting the best deal-not necessarily from the apple store), but I think it is where things are heading. Look at services such as NetFlix... rent movies from your computer. People have been buying stuff from the internet for a long time now. Companies like WebVan were slightly ahead of their time, but now they are building/testing smart homes... a refrigerator that knows how much milk you have and when the milk will spoil and will go ahead and order more for you. Id like to know that my computer would have the ABILITY reorder more ink for my printer when the ink level got to a certain level. I think this is just the next step in the evolution of computing and life as we know it.
 
benpatient said:
how tragic.

do you really think that there are people who can't read the model number on the front of their printer?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, yes there are...
 
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