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Apple Trying to Improve Online Shopping Atmosphere?

Late Nineties

Strange seeing this, as I remember cooking up ideas for just this sort of thing around nine years ago with a friend. Oh, well—it's probably better implemented post-Y2K anyway.
 
Flowbee said:
Personally, I think it sounds stupid on paper, but leave it to Apple to make something like this actually work.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better. Even if secondlife/home kind of thing is your bag, would you really want to do it for shopping? I mean, if it's web based it's probably gonna be pretty limited, right? And if it's an application... well, who the hell want to download a whole effing app. (not to mention customize another avatar) for shopping at one company's online store?

Not me, sir. That's for sure.
 
nitschi said:
Haha, this could be fun!!

<Customer> (to a group of other shop-visitors): "Hey you! may I ask you why not anybody of you buys Macbook Pros these days? They are great and I want to get one!"
<Group>: "OMFG!! NOES!! Don't buy, doooon't!! There are new MBPs coming out anytime, we're waiting for them! Look at macrumors.com for gods sake. DONT BUY!11"
<Apple shop security>: "Sir... may I ask all of you to quietly leave this shop please...?!"
*** JohnDoe has been kicked by Apple shop security ***
*** macrumoaahs has been kicked by Apple shop security ***
*** waitingforMBPupdate has been kicked by Apple shop security ***

This will be GREAT! :D
Click to expand...

Thank you.


You just made my day. :)

Although I am one of them...... MWUAHAHA!
 
if they did make a virtual store, I'm sure the graphics wouldn't be as tacky as second life or home on ps3. Plus I doubt they would do this as it would probably be too complicated for the average user.
 
Does this also involve waiting in line at the check out counter for ages if there are many people buying stuff? Now that would make the experience real... ;)
 
When I shop online, I don't want some random stranger coming in to ask me about the products there, as if I would know more than the staff...
 
Seems to me that anything you can say 'pro' or 'con' about this would apply equally to something like, well, user reviews on online stores.

You know how you look something up and everyone reviews it as a '1 star' so you keep looking?

You people really have a problem with that?

Because this sounds exactly the same, just more like iChat and less like a blog.

And obviously you'd still have the 'blog' style available to you and you can ignore the 'live' version if you want to, so why the heck should anyone care? This is like McDonald's adding a new flavor of milk-shake and people saying "sucks! I only eat french fries!'

Who cares what you eat? Just ignore it if you don't want it.
 
Its a nice idea, but they would have to design it very well to replace the current way of internet shopping, and to be easy to use and so on.

Although if anyone can, its apple!
 
i go to the online store to avoid all the schmohawks in the brick stores..

Perhaps its just to give the 13 year olds Photo Booth...
Why do I want to be 'poked' and 'nudged' by some schmuck while I'm trying to make a purchase.

Cut the crap apple get on with something worthwhile.
 
Ridiculous.

A) Are people so antisocial that they would rather talk to an avatar than go to a store and talk to a real person?

B) Do you not have friends? Buy you laptop and then go to a park.

C) If I am shopping online, it's probably because I am in a rush, I don't have access to a store, or I don't want to deal with crowds. The last thing I want is someone's ridiculous Hello Kitty avatar asking me why I am looking at a 17" MPB instead of the 15" or if I like the green iPod or red iPod better.
 
What if this is a application/ feature that is built-into iTunes and the user can activate it or deactivate it and as iTunes already utilizes the web.

I believe this is an iTunes integrated feature/application. Apple is trying to make the online store readily available to every Mac and Windows user without the need to login to a specific site.

iTunes-on-the-Go. ;):D
 
Shasterball said:
Ridiculous.

A) Are people so antisocial that they would rather talk to an avatar than go to a store and talk to a real person?
Click to expand...

Surprisingly enough many males are. Any explanation why? :p

B) Do you not have friends? Buy you laptop and then go to a park.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly enough Facebook is doing well, depending on opinion and the media time it acquired. Any explanation why this is? ;)

B) If I am shopping online, it's probably because I am in a rush, I don't have access to a store, or I don't want to deal with crowds. The last thing I want is someone's ridiculous Hello Kitty avatar asking me why I am looking at a 17" MPB instead of the 15" or if I like the green iPod or red iPod better.
Click to expand...

Yet you still have an online presence. If you wanted to be a hermit why are you posting on a forum let alone on the web.

The web/internet = isolated interaction. I believe that would make it a little irony and an oxymoron. :D
 
Shasterball said:
Ridiculous.

A) Are people so antisocial that they would rather talk to an avatar than go to a store and talk to a real person?
Click to expand...

Actually, yes. Young people send SMS all the time. It's more comfortable to sit on the couch in front of the TV and buy your stuff from your laptop. ...Then drive all the way to the next UPS center because you're never at home and missed the UPS guy. Here in Germany, you basically have to order anything that has Apple written on it, even the most standard configurations. So basically, you go to the store, place your order and go there again to pick it up after a few weeks.

Shasterball said:
B) Do you not have friends? Buy you laptop and then go to a park.
Click to expand...

I'm a night person. The park at nigh is dangerous. Carrying a laptop around is not wise unless you carry a gun, too. Also, there's no power or internet in parks. :)

Shasterball said:
C) If I am shopping online, it's probably because I am in a rush, I don't have access to a store, or I don't want to deal with crowds. The last thing I want is someone's ridiculous Hello Kitty avatar asking me why I am looking at a 17" MPB instead of the 15" or if I like the green iPod or red iPod better.
Click to expand...

Actually, I spend more time shopping online that I would in a store because I can check the specs, compare prices, read about it on forums etc.
Although I agree I wouldn't really want to be bothered in the progress. I like the user opinions on the Apple store though. Check out the bad reviews for the Apple Magsafe power adapters. :eek:
 
Why does everyone think this means a "Virtual World"? The images in the article are just abstract representations of the idea, not details of the implementation!

Obviously *if* it was implemented, it would be seamlessly integrated into the Apple Store & iTunes interfaces. Not glommed onto a horrible virtual world.
 
radicalevan said:
I don't think it is a second life sort of think. I imagined the store being just as it is now, except as you are looking at that iPod Hi-Fi, there is a nice little box next to the picture that says "appleID#1 is looking at this too." From there, I imagine you could click on the name of the person and talk to them about the ipod hifi, or whatever. No 3d display crap things. Maybe just numbers on the main apple store page indicating how many people are in each area, and so forth.
Click to expand...

MS BOB - that's funny. I actually never new it existed until I had to work on a friend's older laptop that was in a fire. He had some important files on it that would not work on a newer computer. That was my first taste of it. Rather lame, cutesy for kids who are learning a computer (like if they are 5), but I hope if this ever does come to fruitation it is not as lame.
 
What happened to 'Think Different'

Pretty horrible idea but.... I actually like the look of the Playstation Home service (as opposed to the old SecondLife one).

I wouldn't mind this if it was built in to every new Mac maybe even in iTunes and was done Apple style.
The bar would have to be raised significantly and approached through new innovative methods.
Microsoft Bob and SecondLife... nowhere in sight!!

It could work on your iPhone too. Flip through Hardware and Software with
your fingers, if you have a question. Tap 'Live Support' and immediately
begin an iChat session with an Apple Store Rep

;)
 
spooky mulder said:
i second that response, waist of time
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I traded my waist of time for pants of peril. Worst. Decision. Ever.

Actually, I know someone who cooked up a similar idea a while back. I'll advise him to wait until Apple makes this a huge success before suing. Like everybody else!
 
Not interested! I have no need for pop up ads crap or the need for someone else to see what IM looking at! When I shop I don't need anyone following me around watching what IM viewing etc.....

If this ever gets implemented I will find other ways to purchase what I want. Also more of my bandwidth wasted. No Thanks! :rolleyes:
 
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