Truly awesome...
Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 8:42AM
So another Apple special event has come and gone and we're left with the usual mixed bag of reactions. No tablet, no flying car, no iPod Touch with a camera, heck, even no word on the Beatles.
The usual cries of "Meh!"
But just step back for a moment and ponder what Apple actually announced yesterday and more importantly what it took to put it all in place.
I'm sure it wasn't planned in a single meeting but imagine for a second if it was...
OK, so here's the plan.
Let's re-design and re-architect the iTunes Music store. We'll have a completely new look and feel and lets swap out some of the underlying architecture. Might as well add in some new media formats whilst we're at it, you know, like DVD extras but for Music, like we had on LPs. May as well add in some extras for Movies whilst we're at it. Just knock up the format and start negotiations with the record and movie companies and put in place the process to start gathering the extra content. Better put some kick ass design resource in place to make them look beautiful. Oh. and check with the infrastructure guys for sizing and delivery implications.
By the way, this baby generates serious revenue and is a high profile service, just make sure you can flip a switch for the changeover.
Let's go with a new Desktop client to go with the updated store. Again, let's give it a radical change to the look and feel and build in support for the new media formats. One thing that's been bugging me, and that's media sharing. We really need to be able to share media around the home. Now that the DRM has been removed, lets add in the functionality to share media between a number of Macs.
No, not a central library, lets make it bidirectional so you can freely share files locally.
Yes, movies and TV shows as well!
Better get someone onto further negotiations with the record companies... tell you what, let them have their ringtones they've been banging on about for ages. Oh, and can we make it seamless and simple to use. Best come up with some way to automate the sharing of newly purchased media between Macs as well.
You know, the Genius playlist feature is great but sometimes I want to just play a mix of songs. Get someone to engineer a new way of choosing music based on all the data we've collected. We'll need a new interface and some new way of assembling artwork. It needs to integrate with the data at the backend.
You'd better get the iPhone dev guys involved to add some support in the new 3.1 release. We'll need to add in support for the new Genius stuff in the iPod app. Actually, thinking about iPhone apps, can we finally put in some code to allow users to manage their iPhone applications from the desktop. Get the iTunes guys and iPhone devs to put it in the new desktop client. Something simple with drag and drop to re-organise the iPhone application icons.
Thinking on, wouldn't it be neat to use Genius with the AppStore. Get the iPhone devs and the App Store devs to come up with a scheme to suggest apps based on current apps purchased. There'll be a ton of backend stuff and we'll need the App Store application updating on the Phone.
Just going back to the desktop client, can we "beef up" the synchronisation with the iPhone and Apple TV whilst we're at it. Let's add some extra features and give more control over what is synced, just for example, we've got faces in iPhoto, why not allow them to sync based on that.
Of course, if we're changing the desktop app we'll need to get the iPhone remote app re-written to support the new features.
We need to look at introducing some new hardware for the Christmas market.
Tell you what, keep the iPod touch feature set the same but re-engineer the top models to have the new 3GS chipsets for speed and bump up the top memory option to 64GB. Keep the 8GB as is, but drop the price. As far as the Nano is concerned, lets add in a video camera at no extra cost, yeah, a microphone as well.
No, keep the form factor the same, but make the screen bigger. While you're redesigning the internals, you might want to throw in an FM tuner as well. Can you make it buffer so you can pause and rewind live radio? Cool! The main thing though is to make it possible to tag music on the radio, so that they can buy it from the iTunes store. Best get the Nano software teams to co-ordinate with the backend guys. Might as well look at some new colours whilst you're at it. Don't forget, these all need to be designed, prototyped, tested, approved, manufactured and into the supply chain for immediate release globally at the same time as all the other changes.
Best think of something for the MobileMe devs, don't want to leave them out... I know, assign a passcode on your device via MobileMe. Work that into the 3.1 release and update the MobileMe infrastructure at the same time.
There's some other stuff that needs to go into the 3.1 release such as enhancing Voice Control and Accessibility but you know what needs to be done there.
OK, That should probably do it.
As usual, all this needs to be done in absolute secrecy.
As far as timing, let's aim for two weeks after the Snow Leopard release. That should give us enough time for the final preparations.
I need all the backend systems, the new media formats, the iPhone and iPod touch firmware, the new iTunes app, the updated iPhone apps, the new software for the devices, the devices themselves manufactured and in the supply chain, along with the Apple website changes, the supporting marketing and advertising collateral, and a couple of TV ads.
I need all this ready to flip the switch on 9th September.
This all goes out as one update people so it needs to work as one.
I really can't think of another company audacious enough to pull something like this off on a regular basis and execute it so well.
Truly awesome...
"Meh" indeed!
Reader Comments (25)
I completely agree!
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was word-for-word what happened! I chuckled at the bit about ringtones. :)
I do think some of this new functionality is neat, but I just remain really unimpressed with the tweaks to the iTunes 9 UI. Roll on iTunes X with Cocoa…
Precisely!
As I watched and listened yesterday evening, the very predictable whining started to gather pace. Sure, I would love to have had Beatles involvement, a great innovative tablet "thingy" and an iPhone that will play apps in the background. In fact I would like an iPhone that I could actually use to make calls consistently (listen up O2).
The fact is that Apple really did provide yesterday. Many of us were playing with iTunes 9 and 3.1 within an hour of the event, and all these upgrades are very polished!
Can you imagine Microsoft attempting this sort of event? The word shambolic springs to mind! I say well done Apple and lets hope EMI get their act together and stop acting like immature numbskulls!
Agreed, but I'm so disappointed with the buggyness of iTunes. I've yet to have it not crash on startup. First it bricks my iPhone which I have to do a restore on (loose all app preferences) and when I finally get it to sync after restarting, repairing permissions and what not, I'm scared to actually use it for the fear that it will beachball again.
Just do a search for iTunes on Twitter, looks like I'm not the only one that has had major problems. I read something about turning Genius off (which I have no idea how to do, so I just took it out of the sidebar) and it seems to have cured some of the beachballing.
Hmm.
I found iTunes slow on launch and consolidating Library though I've only launched it once so far, then the intro video popping up with stuttered and beached ball a few times so closed it as soon as the ball stopped.
Did you try moving the Library out of the Music Folder and try a launch?
Good thoughts there Don. But imagine what the meetings were like while Steve was receiving his Kidney.
'Ok while he's not here lets surprise him with all this...."
Sorry and
The switch is in the iTunes Preferences General Tab
iTunes is now crashing at every single possible moment. With a new empty library it seems to be ok. Don't know what's in mine that it doesn't like.
I am not impressed.
I think that iTunes remains a mediocre bit of software even after all the tweaks you note above. Unfortunately Apple effectively suppresses competitive innovation in the media marketplace by dominating (monopolizing?) the hardware players and the associated software.
iTunes 9 scrolls like cold treacle for me. every click brings up the beachball for a minute or so.
Also, can't use the store as it says I need the latest Safari, which I have!
(That last issue may be related to the last developer release which apparently is not the same as the one on the retail disc, so I'll install that tonight, but word from the forums suggests it's more widespread than that... Sometimes secrecy results in the unexpected.)
I totally agree. Seems quite a task once you look at it like this!
No problems for me with iTunes 9 and I definitely welcome the sharing. Irrespective of DRM, this should have been possible between 5 authorised computers some time ago.
I think there are genuine reasons to feel disappointed at the lack of video on the touch. I wonder how much of this is due to carrier pressure to prevent cannibalisation of iPhone sales. Perhaps the hardware problem rumors are true?
Well said Don, Well said! Thank you for putting this into its proper perspective.
Thank you!
Thank you for pointing out that a "ho-hum" special event from Apple, one that doesn't deliver everything that people hoped for (or were absolutely convinced would happen), can actually be quite extraordinary. The fact that they have many many people working on this update - in absolute secrecy - and are able to pull it off with a flip of the switch is amazing and demonstrates why Apple is the company that it is.
I guess I am not jealous of apple employees after all.
Very well written and absolutely true!
Sorry for this comment being quite short, but I wanted to show my applause to this blog post! :)
I love iTunes 9!
It just didn't happen in such a compressed way. Those iTunes fixes were aching to be fixed, in fact FIXING ITUNES was far more pressing of a problem than the Hardware, and always part of the picture. No one tied in the iTunes NINE release to the date however. "Plus we can call it iTunes 9 and tie it into the Beatles release to iTunes on 9/09/09. What do you mean the label doesn't want to hurt the Beatles CD sales?... "
OK OK OK Don stands back and takes a deep breath and looks at it from a higher level, but I still feel a little disappointed.
Organ Donor highlight = Great news
Nano = Fab
iTunes 9 = WooHoo (just stop the beach ball please)
And plenty of other touches that makes Apple the company we love.
But no Camera in the touch I think is a mistake and the mis direction that we've heard from Jobs in his after show interviews, telling us the touch is a gaming machine and no one wants a camera, well I'm afraid does not stack up with the fact they were touting the touch as a great handheld computer, did you see a ‘large’ mini computer sticking out of a pocket. And all they had to do was listen to hear that people would love a camera in the touch.
I'm thinking this is a game of cow tailing to the carriers who probably think that the touch would compete with the iPhone, how wrong that is, as they will sell lots of Data Sim packages on the back of the device (I have).
Apple take things forward, Apple break the mould, Apple think different but in the case of the touch I feel that they have not thought different enough.
I am an Apple fan I love their stuff, unfortunately this is the first time I have been disappointed with the company.
So although I think your are right in all of the above you may have missed out the one engineer who said “We have to put a camera in the touch” and the marketing division said whoa, whoa, slow down, hang on we might have to hold back on that.
Boy I do hope that I’m wrong.
Gaz.
[...] ago. And now Don McAllister, in referring to yesterday’s Apple PR event, points out just how extraordinary details are when you really take a moment to look at them. Our expectations are skewed because we, like a child who receives presents everyday, can’t [...]
lolz did I really say mould :-)
Don, as usual, you nailed it! Plus, you got "whilst" in there several times. :-)
Thanks for all the positive comments about the blog post. It really was just an attempt to relay just how difficult these types of rollouts must be.
I can well understand the frustrations of current iPod Touch owners looking forward to the camera to upgrade. Looks like either Apple had technical problems or they just decided that the differentiation between the iPod Touch and the iPhone would be too small if both had a camera.
I really can't see the telcos having any say in the matter, it would be Apples call.
Perhaps when the iPhone HD comes out, they'll be OK with putting a camera in the iPod Touch!
Well it looks like it was just cost and niche marketing that kept the camera off the touch.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=4876
Summary from Steve Jobs Interview
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kelly Spore, Phil Mabey, darren rolfe, Mike Getz and others. Kelly Spore said: New blog post - "Truly awesome..." http://bit.ly/cz9jx (via @donmcallister) I agree! [...]
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I have only found this blog now after watching iTunes Screencast.
Thank you Don for this blog post after listening to some of my favourite podcasters complaining about Apple it's great to read the other side of the story plus the facts on how difficult it was to bring everything together! Too many rumours then people get disappointed if the expected isn't announced. Loved the screencast re: iTunes 9 excellent blog too, thank you.