Apple | Internet Marketing Blog

The Web Week in Review

Thank god it's Friday! Without further ado, here are the stories that caught Drama 2.0's attention this past week.

by Drama 2.0 07 March 2008 11:00am 0 comments

Ten site search tips

Shoppers using an e-commerce site have two main ways of finding the exact product or service they want – the navigation bar and the search box.

While many sites have great navigation, there are plenty whose search options return some pretty poor results.

by Graham Charlton 04 February 2008 12:00pm 1 comment

Apple finally cuts iTunes prices in the UK

Apple has said it will reduce the cost of iTunes song downloads in the UK following an EU antitrust investigation.

The long overdue move will see track prices fall from 79p to 67p within the next six months. UK consumers had previously been paying around 10% more than the rest of the EU.

by Graham Charlton 09 January 2008 12:37pm 0 comments

Q&A: Bruce Tognazzini on human-computer interaction

Bruce Tognazzini was Apple's 66th employee, developing the company's first usability guidelines and founding its Human Interface team.

Almost thirty years later, he's a principal at Nielsen Norman Group and still making his feelings known when companies commit design errors.

Here, 'Tog' gives us a variety of thoughts on interface design, freedom, the future of computing, the iPhone's place in world history and why he travels around in a 400 sq ft motorhome while towing a 4x4 and two Segways.

by Richard Maven 06 November 2007 15:11pm 0 comments

Steve Jobs, Blue Peter and usability

Two news stories caught my attention recently – the UK launch of the iPhone and the scandal at the BBC over naming Blue Peter’s kitten.

You might not think they are related, or related to usability - but I beg to differ.

by Tom Stewart 08 October 2007 09:43am 2 comments

NBC jumps into bed with Amazon after Apple split

No surprises to see NBC heading over to Amazon’s Unbox online video service, following the content owner’s decision to ditch a deal with iTunes.

Amazon has catered for NBC’s variable pricing demands, with new shows likely to be priced more highly than older ones. Apple refused to budge on its fixed price policy, which appears to have been the dealbreaker.

by Chris Lake 05 September 2007 14:36pm 0 comments

Hey, NBC! Apple already does variable pricing…

NBC’s dispute with Apple over the company’s fixed pricing policy for downloads of its TV shows from iTunes is well worth tuning into.

The conflict is based on NBC’s demands for more control over the pricing of its content in iTunes, while Apple is insisting that variable pricing simply isn’t an option.

Well, here’s the kicker: Apple has already rolled out variable pricing in iTunes. It just depends on where you live. And, it’s frankly a bit of an outrage...

by Chris Lake 03 September 2007 17:06pm 5 comments

Apple launches TV downloading service in UK

Apple has launched its video downloading service in the UK, allowing viewers to buy TV programmes from its iTunes store.

The company is initially making 28 series available via the site, which will compete with the catch-up TV services of UK broadcasters.

by Richard Maven 29 August 2007 14:15pm 0 comments

Will DVD rental firms adjust, or will they die?

Is there any future for DVD rental companies? Yet another UK firm, ChoicesUK, is about to call in the administrators, having previously complained about the threat of piracy in the entertainment industry, along with ‘unseasonably hot weather’.

While piracy may have played a role in the company’s demise, it is more likely that it has been ground down by pureplay online DVD rental firms, including one operated by mighty Amazon, which launched its service in late-2004. For starters, online DVD rental pureplays have much lower overheads than ChoicesUK, which seems to have been strangled by the costs of maintaining 170 shops and 1,800 employees.

But hold on. I’m starting to wonder whether the pureplays themselves will last the distance, in the face of changing consumer behaviour.

by Chris Lake 21 August 2007 14:21pm 6 comments