From MacNN, Apple is looking to enhance the online shopping experience. To relieve the sense that online shopping is impersonal and  isolating compared to real world shopping, the patent proposes adding a variety of features:

• Ability to see how many people are in different sections
• Ability to see the sun (daytime) or stars (night time), adding the time dimension to the experience
• Ability to follow other users into different parts of the store
• Ability to see users with name tags who are working at the store, and ask them questions

An enticing idea, especially the part about the ability to see how many people in each section. For example, if I only use the site for music, and I see a bunch of people in the electronics section, I would be pretty curious about that. Based on my experience with setting up online chat, people like immediate gratification. The ability to see other users who “work” at the store would kick it up a notch, making it more inviting. A bit hesitant about the ability to follow (or stalk :P) other users though. I wonder who’s online shopping experience that mimics?

Since this concept is taken from virtual worlds, I think that the main challenge will be to make the site more realistic and sophisticated. If they overcome it - it could be a whole new world for online shoppers.

One Response to “Apple Enhancing Online Shopping Experience”

1. T. Says:
   April 30th, 2008 at 10:47 pm

   Congrats on the new site stef!

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