Comments on: What Wine Goes Best With the Future of Ping?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 01:30:31 +0000

The logical future of Ping is to agree to Facebook’s terms in the short-term, even if it means operating at a loss. Build up the base, and in 2011, launch it exclusively on the iOS platform with the next iOS update, as an integrated, native Social Network which Facebook plugs into. Facebook for iPhone will be pretty pissed when that happens, and I suspect that is probably what a lot of the deeper negotiating is about. Steve Jobs is no doubt trying to position himself as an ally to Facebook, telling them it’s all about bringing down Google via taking market share from Android.

By: Phil M

Phil M — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:13:21 +0000

I use Ping, or use is maybe not the accurate word, I’ve became a member and have been checking it out a few times. The problem is definitely 1. the lack of interesting content and 2. the difficulties for people to start using it – most of my friends who use iTunes don’t even know what Ping is…

By: David

David — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:31:28 +0000

I signed up just to see what happened. It sounded like it had the potential to become a way for songs to go viral the way videos can on Youtube. I’ve logged in maybe once a week since. No not even that. (I go to facebook several times a day.) So far, all I see is a couple of major artists posting mostly pointless things one after the other.

By: Darrell Etherington

Darrell Etherington — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:17:21 +0000

Between Last.fm and Facebook (since others seem to like it, even though some do not), there’s no reason for Ping to exist at all.

Scrobbling built-in would do way more for Apple’s bottom line than does Ping, for sure.

By: Brian J.

Brian J. — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:02:43 +0000

I signed up for Ping. And haven’t opened it since. I saw very little use for it, given the fact that I listen to music, not obsess over the details of an artist’s life. Besides, with all the things I can spend my time on, Facebook wins over Ping.

Actually, I think that Ping goes against what iTunes was designed for–browsing, syncing, and playing media. Web browsers and IM clients are for social networks.

By: DGK

DGK — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:50:27 +0000

I despise facebook, and really don’t see the need for iTunes to link to it in any way. I know who my friends are, I see them outside of my computer screen.

Ping seems utterly useless, why don’t apple just build in Last.fm scrobbling into iTunes and let me submit the music I listen to straight to a site which was made for the purpose.

By: Darrell Etherington

Darrell Etherington — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:19:43 +0000

I think you’re right, Lee. They can do without the social, and have done so for a long while. I think they just fear not having any presence in a place where Google does have some, to be honest, so Ping’s designed as a placeholder.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:35:32 +0000

If Jobs had dinner with Zuckerberg, this has already hurt Apple’s reputation. Apple does a horrible job explaining the sign-up process for Ping, and even GameCenter. They need to abandon the social space.