Today Apple streamed its media event, announcing new versions of its iOS for its mobile devices, evolutionary iPods, and a new version of iTunes that contains Ping, a “social network for music.” As Dan Gillmor writes in his Salon piece, anyone who believes that “probably expected Amazon to remain just an online bookstore.”
The difference that makes a difference with Ping, compared to all of the other social media networks, is nothing short of astounding: Apple already has the credit-card numbers of 160 million verified users. It’s easy to explain why the record companies haven’t done something like this (their brains were small and, like the dinosaurs, they died). But it’s incomprehensible why Amazon wasn’t the first-mover here. As Gillmor writes, “... Amazon, which has been leagues ahead of everyone else on so many things, and which has had all the pieces in place for years now to create a transformative social/community operation, never tried.”
Apple has never done network products or social media well, but Ping may be different. Early reports are that Ping has an API (or will have) but Apple requires approval of the integration code.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, announced that iTunes 10 with Ping was available “now.” It’s not. And still no Beatles music in Apple’s iTunes Store.








