At Apple’s music event
they introduced Ping – a social network for music that lets you follow users/artists and comment on their activities. The other important announcement Apple made was about Game Center going live soon.
Over the past few days it has been interesting to follow the event’s coverage because you know who has both these services ready and live for their mobile platform? Not Android, take another wild guess, not Palm either… It’s Microsoft.
Zune Social lets you create your own circle of friends and share your music preferences with the web at large, and it has been around for quite a while. Then there’s Xbox LIVE. Neither offerings from Microsoft have been considered as reason for iTunes Ping or Game Center.
Apple did not create a Facebook meets Twitter meets iTunes since it was a magical way to make people buy music, they wanted to make sure Microsoft did not claim a social one-up. Game Center did not come out solely because iOS is the best selling portable gaming platform. Apple realized that users enjoy competing with their friends and score themselves, Microsoft had this as another potential USP with Xbox LIVE for Windows Phone 7.
The wide-spread existing Xbox LIVE community and the Zune Social user base Microsoft has is significant to their mobile strategy, Apple decided to do something about it. GigaOm calls Ping the future of social commerce, well with all due respect, this future has been around for quite some time.
In Apple’s favor, the collective wisdom of the Internet seems to have avoided mentioning Windows Phone 7 as the catalyst for Apple’s new services. I say Windows Phone 7 was the primary reason why Apple launched them. While Jason Calacanis might be right in saying Jobs created Twitter and Facebook in his spare time, the motivation wasn’t to “eat Zuck for breakfast”. It was to ensure that Apple had a reply to Windows Phone 7’s strengths.
Jobs might not openly accept it but introduction of iTunes Ping and Game Center clearly imply that Apple considers Windows Phone 7 as competition. Microsoft, you’re back in the game.
While I’m aware of the number of Xbox Live users and their impact, I would love to see some figures on Zune Social and its impact and growth. Mere words and hype which claims that Ping is comparable to Zune Social aren’t enough. As much as I know, it’s nothing compared to any other social network.
Ping isn’t the answer to Zune Social because Zune Social can’t even raise any questions.
Also, while I totally respect Xbox Live, iPhone is the king of mobile gaming. Game Center was only the next logical step to organize and socialize all the games because they’re so scattered among different social networks like Plus and OpenFient. Xbox Live for Mobile will be starting from square one against 100+ Million iOS devices. WP7 can’t compare to this HUGE figure.
Microsoft isn’t back in the game YET.
Actually, after using ping, it doesn’t even seem comparable to The Social. Maybe I don’t use iTunes enough, but Zune allows you to find people with similar music tastes. No, Ping is not an answer, it seems more like a weak imitation to me.
Give it a year or two, then it should be a good answer.
True that.I was arguing with my friend last week that,infact Apple knew about Windows 7 three years back and to stop MS gaining market share,they introduced iPhone.For some reason,he is thinking I am nuts.Don’t know why.Anyway,great research TNW and Manan.Keep it up.
-Sent from my iPhone
Microsoft talk too much. There’s definitely some sense in being Apple style secretive about upcoming features.
The parallels are too close to ignore. With MSFT having felt the need to announce all the “cool stuff” that is going into Windows Phone 7 (basically having to show their hand early to try to get folks to hold out for the new, much needed overhauled, smartphone OS
– comment continued –
it is only a safe assumption that Apple would take what it now knows and try to beat MSFT tot he punch.
There is one parallel that was missed – Zune never really caught on; therefore, Zune Social will probably prove to be another albatross. Ping seems to be taking off with all the ease of a kiwi bird (and if it does not make up lost ground soon, will go the way of the Dodo bird).
thank you
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