Apple's Ping Won't Work: 10 Reasons Why (
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When Steve Jobs took the stage on Sept. 1 and
started talking about Ping, the company’s new music-based social
network, some wondered exactly how it would be implemented. After all,
there are several social networks already in the wild. As Apple has
shown time and again, iTunes is a place to buy content and consume it
on one of its products – not a place where users hang out.
But Apple has a lot riding on Ping. The company
hopes to make it the social network that its users turn to when they
want to communicate. And by adding it to iTunes, the company has
effectively shown how important that service really is.
However, so far, Ping has done little to impress.
The service might have some value to music fanatics that don’t like
Facebook, but to the rest of the market, it becomes part of the noise.
And the chances of it succeeding in the highly competitive social space
seem awfully slim. Here’s why:
1. It’s one of many
Some folks might like to think that Apple is providing the first music social network,
but it isn’t. In fact, there are several social networks designed for
music lovers already available on the Web. Last.fm, for example, allows
users to share their musical tastes with friends. And although none of
the social networks perform poorly, they aren’t on Facebook’s level.
And they never will be. That’s something that Apple (and its
supporters) must keep in mind.
2. Buzz should be a lesson
Apple has seemingly forgotten about Google Buzz.
The search giant’s social network was supposed to be the platform that
would beat Facebook, thanks to the millions of Gmail users. But in the
end, it turned out to be a service that few in the Gmail community even
think about. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Ping will turn out like
Buzz, but if history is the guide, the cards are stacked against
Apple’s social network.
3. Full Facebook integration would be nice
Recently, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told All Things D
that his company tried to ink a full Facebook deal with Ping, but the
terms of that contract were “onerous.” That’s unfortunate. Having full
integration with Facebook would have added considerable value to Ping.
And it would have likely helped the service get over the first hurdle
of competing with the world’s top social network.
4. Speaking of Facebook – it’s a titan
Facebook is a major issue for Ping. Although Apple
was quick to point out that it’s offering a music social network that
won’t compete with Facebook, it really is. After all, it wants users to
communicate and use up their precious time on its social network.
Facebook wants the same. And given the size of Facebook, it’s likely
that most users will choose that option. As other social networks have
shown time and again, standing up to Facebook is a tall order.
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