How Do They Do It?!

[Peyton]

While the Apple.com website has glitches everyonce in a while, I was wondering how they can update every reference to every new product as quickly as they do? I know they have a staff that can probably save key words etc, but seriously, the thought of this constant upgrading (the whole site is basically made over every 6 months) with new products makes me feel tired as a webdesigner. For example, just to introduce the new 1gb nano (which I personally think is kinda silly), the apple.com team had to update hundreds of references to the nano through ipod accessories, buying guides, etc.

I was wondering how they do it, what software you think (or know) they use) Heaven knows it's not iWeb. Any thoughts?

 

[yellow]

I imagine it's easier if you have a large team that knows where all the skeletons are burried.

 

[Benjamindaines]

My guess is that a few weeks before they know they need to update the site they start writing it and just swap out the existing site when they need to change.

 

[drumpat01]

I agree. Its not like they only have one day to go upload everything. I'm sure there is a team who gets info a few days early and is told to create the pages but not upload them. So all they have to do on the day of the release is click upload, sit back, and relax... at least until the next change comes.

 

[kgarner]

A site like Apple's is going tobe run off of a Content Management System. That will handle a lot of the changes for you, jus tupdate the content and tell it where to publish it. Still a bit of work, but certainly not impossible.

As for what they use, the site is obviously built on WebObjects. I believe that they built their own CMS in WebObjects and use that to run most everything on the site. Not that I know anything, just theorizing here.

 

[abrooks]

A site the size and complexity of Apple's would probably use a technology such as XSLT or some other content management system, changing masses of information is simple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XSLT

 

[dejo]

I suspect this might help them as well.

 

[abrooks]

I suspect this might help them as well.

Indeed, similar principle to XSLT just another form. They most likely use WO

 

[jeremy.king]

I think its called a database...

 

[njmac]

There are still plenty of links I've found that are very out of date. I was perusing through the education stuff and found links like this and this.

 

[mduser63]

There are still plenty of links I've found that are very out of date. I was perusing through the education stuff and found links like this and this.

Everytime a new product is announced, or an older one is updated, I find a couple places on the site where things haven't been properly updated. Even so, I'm often surprised by some of the really obscure parts of the site that are immediately updated.

 

[thegreatluke]

It's true that all the pages that are reachable within three clicks are updated, but some past that aren't.

A few weeks ago (in January 2006, mind you) I saw a reference to the "new iMac G4" and laughed my ass off.

I forget where it was though.