iPodRocks.com from Apple

[JohnGillilan]

Screensaver

The screensaver has some serious problems. The music keeps playing after you leave the screensaver. I had to log out of my account to get it to stop. It's also quite small (with white background taking up most of the screen).

 

[Makosuke]

I dunno, this site seems to succeed at exactly what it's trying to do: Get idiot kids to get their parents to buy an iPod. It's simple, a bit garish, mildly in-your-face, rather cheesy, and that's exactly what it should be to sell to the audience that it's probably targeted at.

I don't think it's quite targeted at "teenagers", most of which in the high-school to early college years are going to demand something either sexier or more blatantlly rebellious. It's probably aiming for more of the late adolescent through early teen groups--maybe 9-14, give or take. It might work on high-schoolers, but I doubt that's where it's aimed.

And kids in that range have bad taste and are easy to wow with exactly the sort of site this is--loud music, hopping, animated things, and sympathizing with you when you go to talk your parents into something you can't afford. It won't work on everybody, but it's not going to hurt at all, and I'm glad to see Apple taking a shot at things like this more than they have in the past.

Go for it, Apple. It's marketing, and it's good marketing. Heck, I didn't even find it all that annoying (good slogans on the cards), which is what they were aiming for--grab the kids without annoying the parents too much.

 

[irmongoose]

Okay. I'm a teen. I don't like the site. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that

1. I love Apple's 'simple' design, and this site is definitely taking away from that.

2. I don't like the stupid crap people my age listen to or wear or like.

3. My IQ is higher than most of my classmates.

So I guess that I'm not a good example of a 'teen'. I dunno, maybe other teens will like this site.



irmongoose

 

[Gabriel]

Believe me, the iPod marketing is DEFINITELY working.

Today I got a call from my Mom. My birthday is in a few days and she asked if I wanted an iPod. Wow. My Mom doesn't have much money, and she's never spent more than $75 for my birthday. She's also not a technophile, she has a 12" PowerBook that hasn't left her desk in months.

Never mind the iPods showing up everywhere on college campuses, never mind that everyone at my school seems to have iBook envy, much of that is Apple being "hip", but when my Mom, who is definitely not "hip", calls me up and says she wants to buy me an iPod you know Apple's marketing is working.

Personally I think the ipodrocks site is corny and very blantant (my god, apple telling kids to convince their parents to buy them stuff through subliminal advertising? whats the world coming too!) Whatever, I have a lot of faith in Apple's ad-wizards.

Buy the way, does anyone remember an Apple commercial from the early 90's where a parent is trying to set up a game on his PC for his ten year old and after 30 seconds of blue-screens and DLL problems the kid gets frustrated and walks out the door. "Where are you going?" the father asks, the kid reply's "to (some friend's) house, they have a Mac" - apparently the purpose of the commercial was to suggest to parents that their kids would leave them if they didn't buy a Mac.

 

[dracoleb]

Of course if the ipod is for either a high school or college student it would be better to just give them the money and let them get the edu. discount rather than pay full price.

 

[ssurgeman]

Overall I think the site is so-so. Not bad but could be better. On another note what really peeves me and I think hurts Apple is that they only list themselves as a place to get iPods. No mention of Best Buy, Circut City, or Target. Though I realize they make more money if they sell it directly, however they lose money if their is no Apple retail store close by and parents are afraid of internet buying. For most a 3-party retailer is much closer and more convinitent. And belive it or not, not everybody likes buying online. Not to mention that this is a real shot at non-Apple retailers who have been really getting the shaft lately.

 

[alamar]

its says mall

To the topic of the lack of mention of retail outlets....

In the stuff to to say to your parents section it says something to the effect of "We should do more things as a family" then the subtitle is "so lets all go to the mall and get a new ipod."

So... it does in a round about way mention retail outlets.

On another note. Comp USA doesn't run sunday inserts that mention the buying things from www.apple.com. Each should be responsible for their own advertising.

edited for spelling grammar and general readability.

 

[ssurgeman]

Re: its says mall

Originally posted by alamar
Each should be responsible for their own advertising.

That would be a fine agrument if it wasn't Apple's purpose to sell as many iPods as possible. Sure its great if they buy them from Apple, I sure would. But if they belive that those are their only 2 options they may go somewhere and get a crappy Creative Nomad instead. If you ever watch a commercial it often mentions where a product is sold unless its somethign that is sold everywhere. For example gamecube commericals do not say where the game can be purchised. However Tommy Jeans often do. Rollex commercials (locally) also do as do car commericals. Why? becouse if you want a BMW you can't just go to any old car dealership. The same is true with iPod. Their would be no point in having a "Where to buy" tab if it only lists Apple. Well duh obviously Apple sells it. Still your right the stores should market it. But if Apple wants to sell them they need to show people how convinient they are to get.

 

[testnull]

Re: Re: Re: Betting the farm.

Originally posted by MorganX
Thanks for the great info, I bought them both!

I was not much of a fan of MISH-mash, though I hear the European version was much better. If you don't like what you hear on these CDs, go ahead and check out Ima and ESCM. Both of these are much better IMHO.

 

[me_94501]

Originally posted by kjottbein
Wow, that page crashed Safari! My first Safari crash on Panther, woohoo!

Give it a minute. Safari will respond eventually. I filed a bug report with apple over this.

I thought the site was OK. Not great, but not bad at all. It seemed just a tad crude by Apple standards, though. Maybe they should hype the Mac in a similar way, though in a more mature style? Just a thought.

 

[me_94501]

Originally posted by Wonder Boy
i and i hate flash websites.

Homestarrunner.com
Yes it's a flash site, but it'll have you rolling on the floor.

 

[swmooretiger]

Alright, I liked the site, and not because I'm a teen, dumb, or whatever a few of you have said earlier. If you are a teen, and you don't like it, it has nothing to do with you being smarter or that you possess some sort of better taste; you just have a different opinion. I'm not a teen, I'm 22, a senior at Princeton University, and I think the site is hilarious. Will it sell ipods to people who see it (kids, teens, college students)? yes. Will it sell ipods to my parents, no, but so what? there are other ads for them, and the apple stores, they'll figure it out on their own. Lets face the facts, the Christmas holiday season is the kids domain, and apple is right to target them

 

[Doctor Q]

Maybe Apple should make a companion site for parents: iPodIsASensibleInvestmentForYourKids.com

 

[Koyder]

Originally posted by WM.
we still don't know how Koyder and/or arn stumbled upon it

I discovered it while doing what every guy does on a friday night - typing random Apple-related words in my browser's address bar.

I kid, I kid. I spotted he link at http://www.jabluszko.com/ - a Polish Mac-related site, apparently the first one to have discovered it.

 

[WM.]

Originally posted by dracoleb
Of course if the ipod is for either a high school or college student it would be better to just give them the money and let them get the edu. discount rather than pay full price.

There are no discounts for K-12 students (AFAIK). I wish there were, though...

WM

 

[Jerry Spoon]

Something a little light hearted from apple with a quirky animation sort of look. I liked it for what it is.

 

[hulugu]

Java

you're right, I like the site, the little bits of humor, the coupons, its a neat little site and is good for kids, I think they'll get it and it works as just another advertisement.
Go iPod go!

 

[polyesterlester]

I like the main design, there's just a couple things that bug me: the super-short loops of music, and the animations of the iPod squishing and shooting off the screen. Those are in bad taste, in my opinion. They could have made it kid-friendly and not have an iPod squishing and stretching across the screen.

 

[encro]

Re: Re: Betting the farm.

Originally posted by illumin8

They are both good albums, but I think Movement in Still Life shows off a little more variety on his part.

I agree that Movement In Still Life is Brian Transeau's best album but it's not because BT is a brilliant artist.

It could just as easily have been as mind numbingly boring as _ESCM and Ira if it wasn't for the fact the brilliant sequence programmer Andy Page worked on that album. That's the man you should be idolizing; one of the most impressive sample cutters in the business. Fantastic beat rearranging and reversing etc.

 

[Wonder Boy]

Originally posted by me_94501
Homestarrunner.com
Yes it's a flash site, but it'll have you rolling on the floor.

I saw this site back in april. if i ever see or hear it again, i will poke out my eyes with hot metal pokers, and fill my ears with cement. that thing is the complete opposite of funny.
thanks for trying though, i do appriciate it.

 

[killmoms]

Holy crap! Homestar Runner is the best website ever! Hilarious! Ignore the last guy. Go there!

--Cless

 

[AoWolf]

lmao

thats is awesome
wow I could have really used that convince your parents part at my last birthday.


Of couse with my dad it seems all I have to do is get him in the apple store but that is just great.

 

[BOOMBA]

Re: Apple's really changing

Originally posted by coolfactor
For the longest time, people would say "Apple's a company out to make money", but I never subscribed to that whole-heartedly.. now I'm beginning to wonder. Of course they want to make money, but only recently have I seen profits put before true quality. With the recent problems with Panther, and the new PowerBook screens, quality is really starting to drop. I think Apple is moving way too fast, and the quality of that iPodRocks.com website is more evidence of this.

I hope they slow down and catch their breath. Burn fast, burn out fast.

I'll always be a Mac-head, and I've recently managed to convince some people to switch. I guess I don't want to look bad.

[edit -- I have more to say]

Other evidence is the whole iTunes shamble.. iTunes is great, and great for the Windows world, but Apple co-marketing with Pepsi (and possibly McDonalds) really has me concerned. Add into that the sale of iBooks to kindergartners... if Apple's success continues, out next generation is going to be drinking sugar water and eating fattening Big Macs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.. oh wait.. that's happening now, but I fear it will get worse.

good points, coolfactor!
Right as always!