News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

April 22, 2008

speculation

Apple to create Second Life-inspired 3D virtual store?

Posted Apr. 22, ’08, 12:14 PM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Speculation

18-patent-3.jpgSpeaking of patent fillings, there seem to be indications afoot that Apple may open up a a Second Life-esque virtual store, or perhaps a store within Second Life. Cupertino filed a patent with the USPTO in late 2006 for “Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere.”

MacNN wonders if this isn’t a renaissance of the early 1990s Apple online world, eWorld? Infoworld, meanwhile, seems more convinced that it will be more akin to Second Life.

Despite the filling, I think the most interesting element is the potential downsides of such a setup. In Apple’s patent lawyers’ words: “one drawback of online shopping is that the experience can feel sterile and isolating. Customers in such an environment may be less likely to have positive feelings about the online shopping experience, may be less inclined to engage in the online equivalent of window shopping (e.g., will not linger in front of a display), and may ultimately spend less money than their counterparts who shop in physical stores.”

Either way, I’m pretty happy downloading tracks in iTunes—I’m not sure what I’ll gain by being able to walk around a giant album cover.


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