Forced iAds Coming To OS X? 416
mario_grgic writes "Apple insider brings a story about expansion and renewal of a current 'Advertisement in Operating System' patent that Apple's Steve Jobs and other contributors have. The patent describes in detail (with OS X screen shots) how the forced ads would work (they would disable some OS functionality until the ad is viewed), but apparently it also applies to any device with a UI, including phones, TVs, set top boxes, etc. With Apple's recent entry into the mobile ad business, and its ambition to own half of all the mobile ads served during the second half of this year, it certainly makes one wonder if Apple would dare and put something like this in its desktop OS. I wonder if this would push more people to open source alternatives?"
Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Interesting)
With recent Apple entry into mobile ad business, and ambition to own half of all the mobile ads served in second half of this year, it certainly makes one wonder if Apple would dare and put something like this in its desktop OS. I wonder if this would push more people to open source alternatives?
I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
But when I read the article, it seemed to make other assumptions about how this patent would be used. Assumptions that frankly make a whole hell of a lot more sense than asking users who have already paid a premium for an Apple desktop to watch iAds to further increase your profits. From the article:
Such a system could be used on computers placed in public places, allowing free access to the Internet on a terminal without paying a fee. Users could also choose to pay the fee and avoid the advertisements if they wish.
Huh. Imagine that. You know, when I walk through an airport I see people sitting around watching LCDs. And in between these CNN content sections are advertisements. That everyone seems to tolerate. I would wager that if you put in terminals with ads for internet access at airports, there would be an unending line to use them. Given that I only got free internet at an airport when Google felt generous last holiday season, I'd gladly use it and gladly watch ads.
... even a different carrier.
Furthermore I pay $75+ per month for a smartphone with a data plan. This is the cheapest option and it includes a 20% off employer discount. If you could cut this in half with this sort of ad crap in the OS, you just might convince me to hop off of my Android operating system and on to crApple
Like you, I am adverse to ad watching when I have already paid for something under the assumption I will be given unmitigated access to it. Like anyone else who has watched TV over the airwaves, I am interested in how you can reduce my financial liabilities via nominal time goblin advertisements and, while I'm certainly no economist, I believe that advertisements are very healthy for the economy. The market adjusts if they become too invasive or unhealthy (people revolt against the products using such tactics) but it results in more cash in my pocket to make more purchases with and entices me to make more purchases. Google's basically been minting money with them and has maintained a (for the most part) positive relationship with its consumers--despite those "consumers" being the very product they sell to other companies!
While I'm not a big fan of Design Patents (which I think this is), I think Apple could pull this off and generate some interest in yet further proliferation of ads. We all complain when we pay for something like a video game only to get DLC ads but I think if you popped a free ad laden iDevice into someone's hands they'd quit complaining fairly quickly.
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Insightful)
It won't push them to open source. It will push them to Microsoft Windows. It's like saying when the democrats screw up, people will vote third party, when in truth, they'll vote republican... again.
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I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
I don't see how you're able to say that it's "unlikely" and "highly contrived", considering there's a mockup of an osx-ish desktop in the article. The other portion you quoted about that it "could" be used for public kiosks, etc, doesn't say it *won't* be used for anything else. Especially when further in the article it specifically notes that it applies to anything with a UI, like set top boxes, smart phones, TV's, and others. Those aren't really public kiosk devices.
What's next... having to sit through
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I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
I don't see how you're able to say that it's "unlikely" and "highly contrived", considering there's a mockup of an osx-ish desktop in the article. The other portion you quoted about that it "could" be used for public kiosks, etc, doesn't say it *won't* be used for anything else. Especially when further in the article it specifically notes that it applies to anything with a UI, like set top boxes, smart phones, TV's, and others. Those aren't really public kiosk devices.
People with a major Apple bashing fetish can go on constructing wild conspiracy theories based on this patent all they want but I'm not particularly worried. Applying for a patent is one thing, using it is quite another. If Apple starts forcing people who paid anywhere from $699 (entry level MacMini) to $3.299 (top of the line 8-core Mac Pro) to watch iAds on their desktop OS, Apple will start losing business really quickly. They'd be shooting them selves in the foot much, much worse than Microsoft did with
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Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Insightful)
I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
You lost me on "hate" and "smug bastard" and later on in your post "crApple" ... this kind of talk is nonsense and whatever else you said sounded like the other end of a phone call in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
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I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
You lost me on "hate" and "smug bastard" and later on in your post "crApple" ... this kind of talk is nonsense and whatever else you said sounded like the other end of a phone call in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
You're clearly an M$ shill ...
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Yeah whatever.
It's simply that commenting in such a manner (using absolute, hateful, denigrating terms) on the internet is not productive. Not At All. Used in this way it's not even sport. It's not even a taunt, it's just blindness.
I aim to point it out where possible.
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Yeah whatever.
It's simply that commenting in such a manner (using absolute, hateful, denigrating terms) on the internet is not productive. Not At All. Used in this way it's not even sport. It's not even a taunt, it's just blindness.
I aim to point it out where possible.
I was joking-- hopefully obviously, but written word's a funny thing. Anyway, I agree -- I tend to stop reading when I see that kind of post. When I see someone claiming to "hate" a person they've never met and can't possibly know it's usually a good sign that there's not much content of worth. Phrasing that includes "M$", "crApple", "Winblows", "Linsux" and the various other flavors just come across as juvenile; if you have to resort to name-calling, it's pretty hard to take anything you say seriously
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I've not met the man.
In his presentations he seems quite confident about the Designs and products he presents, this is certain.
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Honestly...
I would characterize the man as "odd" or "very wierd"... Smug would be too loose of a term to describe it.
I have met the man, he is a wierd bird. But then insane amounts of money tend to do that to you.
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what? public kiosks? it's 2010. in 5 years most of the country will have a multicore computer with 4g wireless in their pocket and you think people will want to stand around and use a shared computer? why? to do what?
I mean, yeah, there's some spin in this article. But i've seen far far worse on slashdot. It makes a huge leap from "will apple actually do it" to "will people start installing linux" which is fairly preposterous. But it seems clear that apple is at least contemplating a version of iAds for the
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Many of these public kiosks would be in airports, most people use airports to fly to countries other than their native one...
When you're in a foreign country, data service on your cellphone via roaming becomes extremely expensive.
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it's 2010. in 5 years most of the country will have a multicore computer with 4g wireless in their pocket and you think people will want to stand around and use a shared computer? why? to do what?
There will still be a small market for these things for people from other jurisdictions. I'm Canadian - When I'm in the USA or Europe the roaming charges on my smartphone are so painful I don't turn it on. There are tons of stories about Americans travelling in Mexico and returning to $5000 mobile phone bills.
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I see what you did there. You made an unlikely assumption about how this patent would be used and then you turned it into an advertisement for open source. Well done. I hate Apple and Steve Jobs (smug bastard) vehemently but even I recognized that to be a highly contrived scenario and illogical statement.
But when I read the article, it seemed to make other assumptions about how this patent would be used. Assumptions that frankly make a whole hell of a lot more sense than asking users who have already paid a premium for an Apple desktop to watch iAds to further increase your profits. From the article:
Such a system could be used on computers placed in public places, allowing free access to the Internet on a terminal without paying a fee. Users could also choose to pay the fee and avoid the advertisements if they wish.
Furthermore I pay $75+ per month for a smartphone with a data plan. This is the cheapest option and it includes a 20% off employer discount. If you could cut this in half with this sort of ad crap in the OS, you just might convince me to hop off of my Android operating system and on to crApple ... even a different carrier. .
Interesting. You accuse the parent of speculating on the likely use of this patent, but you end up building up a scenario that is very close to this very speculation... and you say you would want it.
I would never tolerate advertising messing with my OS, under any pretext and notwithstanding any promise. If this is allowed to go on, there will be no end to it, and it will not cost you a cent less in the end.
Thank you, but No.
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I hate to say it but this "could be good for some random person," but definitely not for most. I'll stick to the
Billionaire game: Abuse others (Score:3, Funny)
no worries... (Score:2)
whoops, that's them other guys.... awwww fuuuuuuuu
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Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Insightful)
--
...and the horse you rode in on!
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Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:4, Insightful)
Pretty much. Nobody is forcing you people to use a Mac. If you don't like Apple products, don't use them. There's no need for OS crusades and spreading FUD.
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"According to the patent application, users could also choose to access the advertisements when they choose, delaying an ad by 10 minutes, or choosing to watch one immediately. This would help to ensure that the ad is not overly intrusive, appearing while the user was in the middle of an important task."
You're right they aren't "randomly bombarding users with ads" they are "regularly bombarding users with ads".
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:4, Interesting)
And if you read the article further, instead of selectively quoting, you see they also talk about offering the option to "pay" for the service so you don't have to "watch the ads."
As far as "bombarding" goes... you keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
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iAds is about allowing developers to give the option of paying for the app via watching ads.
It is about allowing developers to sell their users to ad companies instad of pleasing them with a good product so they're willing to pay for it.
At least say it how it is.
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Because you're supposed to think different. [So long as it's how Apple tells you to think.] Before the fanboys go up in flames, I'll point out a disclaimer: this is typed on a (second-hand hand-me-down) MacBook...
Apple is (I hope) simply taking out the patent to stake out the ground before Microsoft does the same. The line (from TFA) that says:"
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Interesting)
Facts:
1. Apple's computer unit sales have increased more than any other PC manufacturer in the past few years.
2. Apple's margins on their computers is the highest in the industry
3. Apple's profit on computer sales is very high
4. Apple's profit on phone sales is higher than many other vendors COMBINED
5. Apple's been in the smart phone business 3 years and has managed to sweep a segment into majority play
6. Apple's iPad, out for almost one quarter, is seen to be eating into low end, very low margin products from other vendors (cough::netbooks::/cough)
I don't believe there is all that much trouble on Apple's product pricing. True there will always be pressure to reduce prices, thereby reducing margins. However, Apple have decided to sale above that fray and have proven thus far successful.
What if this is a way to give away Mac OS X for use on DIY hardware?
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1. If you go from selling 1 computer to 2 computers, you have just increased your sales by 100%. Apples volume to very low compared to Dell or HP, so woopdy doo..
2. You got that right. Apple tax! Enjoy!
3. Point 2 answered that one, this is redundant.
4. Yes they have high phone sales, so which vendors do they have higher sales on combined? The Kin and the nexus??
5. well duh, too obvious of a point.
6. Different products for different markets, iPads don't eat into netbook sales. Even without the iPon on the ma
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Informative)
1, 2, 3. According to the Q2 2010 statistics, Apple is 4th place in the US with 9.8% of the market. Ahead of them are (3rd) Acer with 11.3%, (2nd) Dell with 23.7%, and (1st) HP with 25.7%.
Apple doesn't even make the top 6 world-wide; number 6 has 5.1%, so it's less than that.
6.
-- Gartner, talking about the US computer market
What does this mean? It means that (in the US market), the iPad has stolen some of the mini-notebook (AKA Netbook) growth, but it is still a growing market segment.
Source: Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 21 Percent in Second Quarter of 2010 [gartner.com]
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple's margins on their computers is the highest in the industry
This may be technically correct with respect to the hardware, but Apple subsidizes their OS and application development costs with some of that margin. When you buy a Mac, you get the hardware plus OSX, iTunes, Time Machine, Mail, iChat, Safari, Front Row, GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, etc....
Now you might be inclined to think that this is true of any PC you buy, but I think if you look at the software that's in the boxes and compare you will see that Apple provides much more commercial quality software than the typical PC you might buy. That software cost money to develop and a large portion of that money comes from hardware sales.
Not trying to beat you up - merely pointing out that you are comparing Apples and oranges... so-to-speak.
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Insightful)
Major insightful..
dell pc comes with - 3 buckets of crapware, to bags of trialware, and 1 spoon of real apps MS Works...
Everything else is junk from the Mcaffee internet panic attack to the MS office 30 day nag trial to all the games that are nothing more than junk to get the machine full of ad's.
A OSX machine, even the lowest mac mini comes with a music editor, video editor, DVD video authoring app, Photo manager and basic editor, Backup solution and media organizer. None are cripple ware or 30 day trials... thay all are full retail versions.
The windows guys really want you to ignore that fact.
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Music Editor - nothing bundled with Win7 there
Video Editor - Movie Maker
DVD Video Authoring App - Movie Maker
Photo Manager - Photo Gallery
Backup Solution - Backup and Restore
Media Organizer - Windows Media Player
So...what was your point again?
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And full-on developer tools for free. Not an incentive for 99% of the Mac userbase, but I find it really nice.
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There are a large number of things that I hate Apple products for, the desktop environment that does not lend itself to heavy multitasking (from a user perspective), the absurdly militant device compatibility rules (can't get any data on or off your iPhone unless it goes through iTunes from the same PC you used to set it up) and the poorly organized layout which makes Spotlight the main way to access your files and programs. iAds will go a long way to adding to the annoyance that is the Apple experience.
You first confess that you haven't used apple's products, and then make unjustified sweeping statements about it's usability. Apple come features like Exposé which allow very very easy multitasking, and you simply say "it doesn't lend itself to heavy multitasking" with no justification. Exactly what about OS X does not lend itself to heavy multitasking? Exactly what about the "poorly organized layout" makes it difficult to find your files? What is not organized well?
Re:Interesting Spin in the Summary (Score:5, Informative)
There are a large number of things that I hate Apple products for, the desktop environment that does not lend itself to heavy multitasking (from a user perspective), ... the poorly organized layout which makes Spotlight the main way to access your files and programs. iAds will go a long way to adding to the annoyance that is the Apple experience.
Bring on the enforced ad watching.
What are you talking about? OSX lends itself wonderfully to multitasking from all perspectives. Expose + Spaces are phenomenal for running multiple applications even supporting multiple desktops to break up tasks which is all well supported by the underlying Unix based OS. Also, what is so hard about accessing files and programs? You have a home directory for your data and an applications directory for programs? If you want something even better, install Quicksilver or Launchbar.
iAds for iTunes Store/Apple TV iOS? (Score:5, Insightful)
WTF... (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow. Way to spread the FUD.
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Seems to be that someone is still a little bitter about how that Nomad comparison turned out.
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Wow. Way to spread the FUD.
FUD?
T H I S ! I S ! S L A S H D O T !
Disclaimer: I'm sure you've gathered that this post is humor, however the filter thinks there are too many upper case letters above...
i! (Score:4, Funny)
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Anyone else read that as Forced Aids coming to OS X?
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Everybody should have aides [wikipedia.org].
"push more people to open source?" (Score:2, Funny)
Are you kidding? Apple users would take about 3 minutes to reboot their brains and then be all over the internet proclaiming how insanely brilliant this move would be. How the ads were fantastic and innovative proving (once again!) how far ahead of everyone else Steve Jobs is......and anyone who disagrees is just an Apple-hater.
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Oh give it a rest. Not all Apple users are fanboy idiots. I've got a Macbook Pro because it's a good bit of hardware and it suits my needs. I've also got an HTC mobile because an iPhone doesn't. I don't like the sound of this ad system any more than you do though I have a feeling it's not as bad as the SlashFUD makes it appear.
If its in the OS kernel you're stuffed otherwise.. (Score:3, Informative)
... its probably nothing that kill -9 couldn't solve.
I suspect it'll be some background daemon that kicks off some process every now and then and disables
some portion of the GUI while its at it.
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Yes, and how is that working out for you in your iPhone?
JailBreaking is something different, as it requires basically patching the kernel after a buffer-overrun attack.
-dZ.
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The point is that the same "BSD-Based" OS is in those devices as in the current Mac computers, so its lineage has little to do with how the hardware is adapted to support a version of the OS where ads are forced.
-dZ.
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Personally, I want to say that this is just FUD. Much as I disagree with Apple's tactics, I do not think they would bother shoving iAds in Mac OS X; I think it is more likely that they will just shove i
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... its probably nothing that kill -9 couldn't solve.
. . . he smugly thinks until he hears the words "I can't let you do that, Dave."
Prior art (Score:5, Insightful)
My DVD player disables certain functions while it is playing advertisements.
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I have ripped and re-burned my most regularly watched movies simply to not be forced to repeatedly sit through the advertising for years old "coming attractions" and the Interpol warning.
I own the disk. I own the player. I get to be in control of how I watch it.
Re:Prior art (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, the annoying thing about that is that advertising and previews wasn't why the DVD player has mandatory "no-skip" sections -- it was for the copyright notice.
Then a bunch of marketing weenies at Disney and others decided to make all of the previews and crap as mandatory as well.
I hope there's a special place in hell reserved for people who put mandatory ads into DVDs and other things. I'm pretty sure that if I bought a machine that locked me out until I watched an ad, I'd be taking it back to the store for a refund.
If I bought the machine, unless you gave me a discount on it or are paying me to watch ads, I'm not part of your advertising revenue.
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Skipping the whole "kids" thing for exactly that reason. Not interested.
I'm far more annoyed about the advertising. Trust me.
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Spotify kind of does the opposite of that - if you mute the sound output or turn it below a certain level (in the software, obviously it can't detect if you turn your external speakers down) it pauses the advert (at least it does on my macbook, I've not tried it on my PC yet).
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There should be a "prior art" button in the Slashdot interface.
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Don't forget Microsoft IE4's "desktop enhancements" from back in 1997 that just stuck glorified little ads, promoted as a "hot bar" or something like that. The Channel screen saver qualifies as well. IE 5.5 and later dropped that.
Silly boy. You forgot the First Rule of Apple Desktop Computing: "It's annoyance when Microsoft does it, innovation when Apple follows."
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So true. I, for one, am SICK AND TIRED OF APPLE'S ADS BOMBARDING ME EVERY DAY I USE MY MAC!!!! When, when will it stop?!
Here's an idea: Bash Apple *after* they actually implement something you hate. It's so much easier to muster evidence that way.
Silly boy. You forgot the First Rule of Apple Desktop Computing: "It's annoyance when Microsoft does it, innovation when Apple follows."
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Don't forget Microsoft IE4's "desktop enhancements" from back in 1997 that just stuck glorified little ads, promoted as a "hot bar" or something like that. The Channel screen saver qualifies as well. IE 5.5 and later dropped
Arrag, and all these years I was trying to erase that from my memory. The real purpose of the channel bar and channel screen saver was to promote Microsoft Internet Explorer 4. With the "enhanced" desktop IE 4 logos were also plastered all over other places in the user interface and used
An Apple exclusive? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:An Apple exclusive? (Score:5, Insightful)
FTFY
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Sadly, it would likely mean that Apple would gladly license people to use their patent so they get paid no matter who is watching an ad.
Companies like revenue streams.
Viruis hook. Hit [Install] to continue (Score:2)
I can see that being exploited.
Advertising feeds are not generally considered high security. With a stop your OS type interrupt they are going to have to become very secure.
I doubt in the OS itself, but I could see it in... (Score:2)
Target audience (Score:5, Interesting)
OSX & iOS users are not it. Frankly, pushed ads on those platforms would be suicidal - remember that Opera STILL has the millstone of ads around it's neck years after they went away. (Aside: I prefer Opera to every other browser - I still think it's faster then Chrome to boot). I think there is no way it would happen on their core cash cow machines.
That being said, as another poster put it above, TV & Video is where the next market is, and that's where these will come into play. That's why there's the fights over Flash & H264. I would put some good money on Apple building a 'custom' TV package for everyone. It would run under the iTunes banner and would basically be you pony up X dollars a month and get unlimited streaming video and audio. Meanwhile there will be ads before movies and TV shows begin, which have been targetted to you based on your show and movie preferences. Welcome to the world of "iTV: TV for me".
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Force aIds? (Score:2)
FUD (Score:4, Interesting)
To see this comment you must view a series of ads! (Score:5, Funny)
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Shareware Alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
I actually like this idea. It's an alternative for small application developers to make money on their hard work.
Same goes for the iPhone iADs - it's not going to pop up ads in mail or calendar - it simply provides an API for developers to write in ad serving space on their free applications. This is an alternative to actually charging people money for the software.
Way to incite a flamewar and bring out the fan boys...
Apple TV (Score:2)
Short answer: no (Score:3, Interesting)
I wonder if this would push more people to open source alternatives
Ads will not on their own push people to alternatives. You need two things before Joe User will switch:
Until then it doesn't matter. If OS X delivered electric shocks to its users at random intervals, they still wouldn't switch to something else if they didn't know there was a something else, or if they couldn't run their applications on that something else in exactly the same way they run it on OS X (and ditto for Windows).
In other words, in case you didn't get the memo, emulation options are not good enough for most users. As an example, most users would try Wine once (at most) and then never want to use it again because it isn't exactly the same as what they are used to.
Re:Short answer: no (Score:5, Insightful)
They need to know there are alternatives
Every Mac OS X user on this planet knows that there is an alternative -- Apple's entire marketing strategy is based on conveying the idea that the choice is between Windows and Mac OS X. Now, whether those user are aware of the dozens of other alternatives out there is another story.
They need to be able to run their applications on them, in exactly the same way they already run those applications
Not in my experience. I have seen people with no technical expertise at all switch from Windows to Fedora (GNOME) and have little difficulty after the first day or so.
The real impediment to people switching away from Apple's products is the amount of effort Apple has put into their marketing campaign. People are convinced that Apple's desktops and laptops are in a completely different category from every other company's desktops and laptops, and that Mac OS X is the greatest operating system in the entire world (never mind that PC-BSD is considered the easiest operating system to learn how to use, and that Mac OS X is routinely cracked faster than its competitors at pwn2own). People are willing to pay a substantial premium for Apple's computers and software, and that adds to their belief that they are getting something better than anything else out there.
Apple's customers also do not care about the issues that gave rise to the GPL -- just look at iPhone and iPad sales. Telling an Apple customer that switching to a libre operating system will free them from Apple's tactics is pointless, since they do not perceive Apple's tactics as a problem. All they see is software that they are convinced is better than everything else, and someone who is telling them that they should switch to be free of a problem they don't think they have.
Did anyone else... (Score:2)
Did anyone else read the title as "Forced Aids Coming To OS X?".
While I'm no Apple fan, I was starting to think they were dirtier than I had previously thought.
So did subby even read the article? (Score:4, Informative)
First line in the linked article (and it is even in bold):
Apple could be creating an operating system supported by advertisements, allowing users to obtain the software at a reduced price, or for free, in exchange for being required to view ads.
Subby's summary:
Forced iAds Coming To OS X?
Sure, forced ads for those that bought the subsidized copy of the OS. You get what you pay for.
Cool. Exploits. (Score:2)
Cool. The exploits should be interesting.
Comcast had this crap on settop box for years appl (Score:2)
Comcast had this crap on set top box for years apple is late. Come on add's on each page of the small 4:3 on screen guide that looks real bad on a HD as well.
Ever seen an "Intel Inside" Sticker on a Mac (Score:2)
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/08/why_no_intel_in.html [informationweek.com]
If Apple won't put an "Intel Inside" sticker on a Mac forgoing millions of co-marketing dollars what makes anyone think they would integrate ads with the OS?
World Ends Tomorrow: Story at 11! (Score:3, Insightful)
The illustrations and scenarios are probably bogus to make people think this will apply to Mac OS X and for a completely different purpose. Read the patent carefully (patent #20090265214), and you'll see it applies directly to iAds.
Claim 1. A computer-implemented method for operating a device, the method comprising: disabling a function of an operating system in a device; presenting an advertisement in the device while the function is disabled; and enabling the function in response to the advertisement ending.
When you view iAds, the functions of the OS are "disabled" (that is, until you dismiss the iAd). The OS is reenabled once the iAd is dismissed.
Claim 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the function among a plurality of functions before each advertisement presentation.
Sounds like iAds.
Claim 12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting in the device a user-selectable control that when activated triggers at least one selected from the group consisting of: causing presentation of a page from an advertiser associated with the advertisement; recording a user rating of the advertisement; again presenting the advertisement; sharing the advertisement with another user; initiating a transaction for user purchase of a product that eliminates the presentation of advertisements on the device; postponing presentation of the advertisement; causing the advertisement to be presented ahead of schedule; causing a previous advertisement to be presented; causing a preview of a subsequent advertisement to be presented; causing an overview of all available advertisements to be presented; and initiating a transaction for user purchase of a product or service to which the advertisement relates.
Yup, iAds.
If you've never applied for a patent, you don't understand this weird world.
Of course, there is the case that Apple will never use this patent. Most patents applied for are never used
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I wouldn't see this as a bad thing. It lets Apple improve their OS. If you have played World of Warcraft, you know Blizzard uses the subscription income to constantly create new content and features. Besides, who can't take a 30 second break from computer every once in a while? Knowing Apple, the ads will be good and interesting to the viewer. This is really a non-issue. You will get to see interesting software or services (most likely tailored for you) and Apple can keep developing their OS. Sign me up!
You sir or madam, are an expert with comedy.
Re:Interesting (Score:4, Funny)
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GP is a known troll around here, and intended to provoke people not fond of Apple into posting such comments. Never mind him.
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Oh yes, because I would much rather view forced ads every so often than pay the $5 per machine it costs to volume license Snow Leopard. Even if you're only buying one, it's only $29 for an upgrade or $169 for Leopard, iWork and iLife or $229 for 5.
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I bet schools would even jump on this to start saving some money
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Not sure how it'd hurt apple to offer a free version of their operating system that is ad supported. I bet schools would even jump on this to start saving some money. Hell maybe Apple would cut them in on some fo the revenue for advertising to their captive teen audience.
It would hurt Apple in the same way that it would hurt Mercedes to offer a cheaper car with in-dash advertising. Apple is not going after the low-cost market, they're going after the quality-integrated market; minor cost-savings don't help them do that.
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I was thinking along the same lines. iAds could greatly reduce the cost of Apple products. I imagine that Apple would still have their Ad-Free OS installed on computers selling for the same as the current prices. However, if someone chose to get the iAds pre-installed versions, the costs would be steeply discounted. I don't see how this is different from a cheap Dell shipping with a bunch of bloat-ware.
Exactly. And Apple is one of the fastest growing computer vendors right now because of the impression that they are, in fact, very different from a cheap Dell shipping with a bunch of bloatware. Why would they jeopardize that?
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Re:Pot, Kettle (Score:4, Informative)
can you give me some examples? when i lost my ipod, i had no troubles switching to using my blackberry as a media player. i've moved firefox profiles and photoshop/illustrator files (with all supporting fonts, images, etc) from my macbook to a windows machine and opened them with no issues. i just haven't seen this alleged vendor lock-in that i keep hearing so much about, and i have to wonder what i'm missing.
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Interesting how people are quick to jump on Apple for this, when Android and Chrome are created by an advertising company.
neither android or chrome forces advertisements on the user. even the google apps in android are ad-less. even google search on android is ad-less.
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If Apple wanted OS X on non-Apple hardware they'd be selling it for non-Apple hardware at a pricepoint of their choosing.
Why Apple would want to run OS X on $DIETY knows what hardware configurations and get all the hassle that MS has on top of not selling their hardware is beyond me.
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That issue has nothing to do with money, it has to do with marketing -- they have worked very hard for people to make a distinction between Macintosh and every other PC out there, and ensuring that their software only runs on Macintosh computers is part of that effort.
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[Citation needed]
I got my numbers from Apple themselves, in the investor conference call on Tuesday, and the precise number is 33% increase in sales year-over-year from the same quarter last year. You can listen to the call yourself on Apple's website, or here is a summary [theappleblog.com] of some of the biggest stuff. Apple's numbers are more accurate than Gartner's, unless you think Apple is outright lying about their numbers and foresee jailtime for their executives in the near future. Also of note is that sales in Asia are up 71%, an
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