Demo back in the day...

As the guys here at TDL like to tease me about, I was geeky enough in 2000 to work a few Apple Demo days, happy to be a representative of my favorite brand, Apple Computer. I was so excited to be "working for Apple". It was not all stars and sunshine unfortunately.

The basic premise and set up was simple enough: encourage hesitant PC users wandering through Sears to check out an iMac. They mailed me a software pack, an iMovie tee shirt, and a few simple forms to fill out at the end of each Demo day.

I left for the mall my first day with such optimism. I was going to convert PC users to the Mac! After arriving at Sears and finding the frazzled electronics department manager to sign me in, I went to work. Once I installed the MS Word disc and a few other pieces of software on the main demo iMac, I hovered by the three demo iMacs they had, hoping for contact. After about a half hour, the only people I saw or talked to were the two teenagers working the Sears electronics department. They sort of sneered at me, "oh, you're here to sell those macs". Sigh. I thought I was. As lunchtime approached, I did have a few interested people- how does this thing work? It looks neat! It can run Word?! I heard it can't open any files from a PC...etc etc. I tried my best to correct all of the misinformed shoppers. I even did a quick demo of iMovie for a family with a teenage daughter that was looking to buy a computer. Unfortunately they decided the iMac was too expensive.

After 6 hours, no takers on my beautiful little iMacs. At the end of the day, I had the manager sign off that I was there, and asked him a few questions. "How many iMacs do you have in stock?"I asked. "3" the gruff reply. Um, what? I thought Apple was partnering with Sears to get a retail connection with the consumers- and apparently, if three of the people I talked with actually bought a computer, they'd be plumb out of them. Something smelled fishy about that. I tried to find out if they had just run out of stock, or if that was all they could get. He was fairly unresponsive, basically saying that was all the stock they needed.

Ouch.

I am so glad I was there at the beginning, a Customer Service Rep before Apple even had a bricks and mortar storefront. But it really shows us now just how far Apple has come. Imagine any teenager today walking into an Apple store and expressing shock that Macs can run Word (much less Windows!) In just 8 years, I went from Sears pariah to trendy for still having my old Demo Day tee.

The Music Royalty Board Blinked

Last year, Apple was blustering about potentially shutting down the iTunes music store. Yes, that's right... The world's largest music retailer said that an increase proposed by the Copyright Royalty Board to sweeten the cut of music track sales for songwriters from 9.1 cents to 15 cents would potentially cause Apple to cease iTunes operations. Really?

This week the Copyright Royalty Board decided to keep the rate unchanged. Whether you agree with the increase or not, the issue is concerning because of Apple's flair for the dramatic. We're expected to believe that Apple would really shut down the top-selling digital download site, which also happens to be the catalyst for iPod and iPhone sales, in the middle of an economic downturn. Stop and consider the consequences for Apple's battered stock for just a minute.

Shutting down iTunes is the closest thing to a "nuclear option" in the digital download world, and it should be used with caution. Ironically, if anything, the increase probably would've helped Apple. While most companies (amazon, rhapsody, etc.) would have to find a way to absorb the cost, Apple would more than make up for it in hardware sales. Considering there are roughly 50 tracks sold for every iPod purchased, Apple would've needed to absorb $3.00 more per iPod. I know electronics margins are close, but they're not that close.

Power in a market is a funny thing. Sometimes, once your the biggest, you actually have less freedom to do what you want to. While Apple may think users would've rallied around them if they actually went through with the threat, the reality is the lawsuits that would've sprung up, aimed at Apple, could be devastating.

Apple will never shutdown the iTunes store. Ever.

So You Want To Work For Apple? Part One of Many

As many of you know, this website and video network was founded by former Apple employees. Often, people ask us what it's like working at Apple. Well, that's a topic for several blog entries. Another frequent question: "What did you learn while working at Apple to use in the future?" This question usually comes from people considering a job at an Apple Store. Often, their first job out of college. Jamie and I tackled this question in a recent Root Access episode (below).

In general though, here are a few things about working in Apple Retail:
1. You don't have to work for a company because you like it. I remember before working at Apple the countless hours spent checking out the latest Apple news and rumors. A task that was much harder and far fringier in those days. Working for Apple though, certainly took away some of the magic and mystique.

2. If you have technical skills, consider your options. While Mac Geniuses are decently paid by retail standards, if you truly have a grasp of the technical side of things, you could make far more outside of Apple, or even inside Apple in another capacity.

3. Apple Retail isn't the farm league for Apple corporate. While I know many people who've made the leap from Apple retail to "real" Apple, it is a tough road, especially for those who aren't on the programming side. Initially, working for Apple will get your foot in the door, in terms of things like visiting Cupertino (if you're a genius) and yes, there are stories of potential geniuses who were snatched up, and brought on to engineering teams while attending genius training. This is NOT the norm. My rule of thumb would be, if you work at an Apple Store for 18 months and don't see a path to another part of Apple, get out. I personally know three people who ended up in Cupertino by working in retail, then taking my advice and leaving, before getting the call to corporate.

4. If you're retired, think twice. For older Apple fans, the store can look like a fun, and energetic way to spend a few days a week if you're looking to get out of the house. I would strongly advise visiting the store multiple times to get a feel for the actual demands of the store. Some stores are laid back, while others are, in nicest terms, a zoo. Just know what you're getting into.

The bottom line is, if you're looking to start a lasting career, it's nice to have Apple on your resume, but don't expect it to work wonders. And unless you want to develop a career in retail, get out at about the 18 month mark.

Personally, I worked for Apple for about three years. In that time, I was able to change jobs three times, and even helped with some special internal projects. By that time, it was clear there wasn't any sense in staying unless I wanted to continue in retail, which if that's your thing, then fine.

Also know that depending on the crew in your store, it could be one of the most entertaining jobs you'll ever have. It can be hell at the mall too, sometimes with the same people... Look for more in a future blog post.

The Case For App Store Refunds

For as long as computers have had floppy drives, people have been buying software. There have been some quirks that have made buying software somewhat different from buying all other physical products. The biggest difference? The inability to return open software.

Once you open the software you can peruse the lengthy licensing agreement, and usually find a clause about returning the software for a refund if you don't agree with the terms. Of course the reality is, no one takes back open box software. And granted there's some legitimacy for that, considering you could've just copied the software, and now brought back the original to "cheat" the system.

Through the years, we've been conditioned to think this is normal, and unlike almost any other product, if we try software and decide it's awful, too bad. No refund for you.

Enter the iTunes App Store. As you know, the apps use the same fairplay DRM (technically v 2.0) found in the iTunes music store. Among other things, this DRM keeps you from sharing, or copying apps from the App Store. Without the DRM key assigned to your device/computer, the software will not run.

With the App Store, the logical reasoning behind why software can't be returned has been removed. We're all agreeing to this because its the way software has always been sold. There's no reason the store couldn't have say a 14-day return policy to match the policy of the Apple retail stores. It would be quite simple to de-activate the license key for that program, and refund the money.

I don't expect Apple to add this feature on their own. There's nothing in it for them but lost revenue. They and the developers do far better by having you buy an app without refund before deciding whether it will even do what you need it to do. We, as consumers have the power to start to look at DRM software the same way as any item in the physical world. If it is impossible to keep a digital copy of something purchased, then it should certainly be possible to return it.

If you are able to buy a Texas Instruments scientific calculator, try it, and return it if you don't like it, why should calculator software for the iPhone that cannot be copied have a different policy?

Developers, We Want To Talk To You!

Just minutes ago, word came from Apple (via MacRumors)that they are removing the Non-disclosure elements of their agreement with iPhone developers, as they apply to released software:

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

As many iPhone developers know, we've been anxious to talk apps. So send us an email: feedback@thedigitallifestyle.tv we'd love to tell everyone about what went into making your application.