Back in 1998, just before the Internet exploded (or perhaps a bit
after), Apple introduced the iMac. This was a revolutionary step to
making the Internet accessible to people who did not want to pay the
price of high-end machines. The iMac was a sign that Apple knew of the
potential of the Internet and was going to do whatever it could to make
the Internet accessible to the novice user.
This brings us to iTools, iReview, and iCards - three services that
Apple introduced on its Web site more than a year ago. These services
were created to provide Mac users with an easy way to interact with the
Internet and make the gap between the Web browser and Mac OS Finder as
small as possible.
Lately, the hot topic in the Mac community has been how Apple has
removed the iReview tab from its navigation bar. So what?
The iReview page now forwards to Apple's iTools: Does that mean the
service is gone - or did Apple just take it down for a little
adjusting? Either way, Apple is obviously reorganizing its Internet
department.
So what does the future of Apple's other Internet services look
like? Is it bright?
As part of its reorganization, Apple is making an effort to slowly
merge iCards into iTools what now may become the portal for all of
Apple's future Internet services. Eventually, the iCards tab will most
likely disappear altogether, and the service will only be available via
Apple's iTools.
I think this is being done to simplify Apple's Web site. Although
Apple's navigation system is far easier to comprehend then that of its
competitors, its many tabs may seem somewhat overwhelming to the first
time visitor. If Apple can organize these tabs in a more approachable
manner, which I believe it is in the process of doing, it will make for
a more appealing web site.
I, for one, was a big fan of iReview. I felt the service gave
surfers a great way to find new web sites, and it provided web sites
with a great way to get feedback from such an admired and knowledgeable
company as Apple.
iCards, on the other hand, is what I consider a rather unneeded
service. The number of different sites on the Internet that give you
the ability to send postcards online is tremendous - and I think the
idea of sending a greeting attached to a picture is cute, but not that
practical.
Apple thrives by offering services and products that other companies
don't - so how is iCards different from the rest of the crowd? It's
not. It may have a few advantages to attract users from other postcard
sites, such as a better design and more stable system, but it's not
original enough to get the attention it needs to survive.
iReview was different. To my knowledge, there is no other site on
the Internet that reviews other Web sites. iTools is different: It is
the only service of its kind that interacts with the operating system
in such a fantastic way. These are the kinds of services that Apple
needs to make more of to attract visitors - not replicas of existing
services like online postcards!
If these services are offered for free, how does Apple profit from
them? Apple doesn't make any money from iTools, iCards, or iReview
(with the exception of those who buy extra iDisk space, which I assume
is not a huge income for Apple), but it does help with Apple's
marketing. Existing Mac users visit Apple's site to use its Internet
services, and while they are there, they may come across a new Flower
Power iMac, check it out, and end up making a purchase. Apple's
Internet services entice PC users into switching to a Mac by providing
Mac-only benefits, like iTools.
I'm sure Apple's Internet services result in many computer and
software sales, but I'd like to think that that's not the only reason
Apple created them. I've always pictured Apple as a company that's for
the people - if they've got the resources to create great services like
iTools, than they should do it for the good of the Mac community.
iTools, iReview, and iCards have certainly been a success over the
year that they've been around. I hope that the disappearance of the
iReview tab doesn't mean that it's gone for good.
