OnlineStore
Latest
Apple Store Holiday Gift Guide now live
Apple has launched a 2010 Holiday Gift Guide in their US online store. The guide this year is designed to spotlight three segments: buying entertaining gifts, buying gifts for creative minds, and buying gifts for yourself. Entertainment gifts include the Apple TV and Civilization V, while creative gifts include iLife '11, the Magic Trackpad, and Microsoft Office 2011. Gifts for yourself include a $400 Cole Haan Messenger Bag and a number of iPod docking speakers. While all the items are marked at regular price, Apple typically offers Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts at the end of November.
Amazon's Kindle Store opens digital doors in UK
Amazon has just announced the launch of its UK Kindle Store, furnishing UK netizens with a localized storefront from which to browse and purchase their ebooks. It starts life with an imposing 400,000 book collection, and is claimed by Amazon to offer the lowest prices "of any e-bookstore in the UK." Guess that gives price comparison sites a new avenue to branch out into. More than 170 magazines and newspapers are also available, for one-off purchases or on a subscription basis, while the new lighter, better, cheaper Kindle is up for pre-order and set to ship at the end of the month. Good to see that Amazon isn't neglecting its extra-American markets.
Apple Store goes down, get your credit cards ready
It's looking very much like yesterday's hypotheticals about Apple refreshing its hardware are about to bear fruit. The online store has been put on temporary hiatus -- presumably to get all those delicious new specs and pictures in -- and we can probably expect it to churn back into action around the company's typical 8.30AM timeslot.
Droid X available to buy now
Yes, the Droid X has joined the Kin... in being available to buy on Verizon's online Wireless store. No shock or awe here, it's a cent under two Benjamins with a two-year deal and you can give it the shopping basket treatment right now. Either that or wait in line overnight like a lovesick puppy, it's up to you. [Thanks, Nick]
Apple Store goes down as iPhone 4 pre-order prep enters final stages
The Apple Store has just gone into maintenance mode globally in preparation for the launch of iPhone 4 pre-orders, and our readers seem intent on bringing down our tip inbox as well. Steady yourselves, chaps (and ladies), the fun starts when the Store goes back up so let's pace ourselves with all the excitement. We'll alert you as soon as that happens, but for now, let's go easy on the old tip jar, eh? It's not made of Gorilla Glass, you know. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: AT&T's online portal is showing an iPhone 4 pre-order front end, but is yet to offer users the actual option to order the phone up. See a screenshot of it after the break.
Nook fails to communicate, download purchased ebooks
You didn't think the whole Nook saga was over, did you? After just succeeding in delivering devices to expectant pre-orderers in time for Christmas, Barnes and Noble is today cleaning up yet another mess courtesy of its ill-prepared content servers. Judging by customer feedback on its support forums, it appears a glut of download requests over gift-giving day jammed the B&N net pipes and left a great many disappointed Nook users. All attempts at downloading an ebook yesterday -- even by those who got their Nook a little earlier in the month -- were greeted with a "Queued: Will complete shortly" message, which apparently remained that way until early this morning when downloading finally resumed functioning. The biggest perceived failure here, though, is the book retailer's silence on the issue, which illustrates the importance of communicating with your customers -- most people seemed tolerant of the setback once they realised they didn't have faulty hardware. [Thanks to all who sent this in]
Sony to expand PlayStation Network into Sony Online Service, sell music, books, videos
Sony had a big management meeting in Japan today, where the tech giant announced some extremely vague plans for what's initially being called the Sony Online Service -- a new "iTunes-like" service built on the PlayStation Network that will sell books, music, and movies. That's really all we know for now -- Sony execs didn't set a launch date or provide any specifics -- but the move's been rumored for a while and makes total sense, considering Sony's huge investment in running PSN and vast array of products it could tie into the service, like the Reader e-book line, the PSP, and the various Network Walkmans. Now, whether or not Sony can manage to make good on this massive potential remains to be seen -- we've got high hopes, but this isn't a small challenge.
Snow Leopard box set makes short-lived cameo in Apple's online store
Whether or not Snow Leopard build 10A432 is really the ready-for-shipment "golden master," Apple's own site is giving hope to the masses that its next platform iteration is gearing up for a launch sooner rather than later. MacRumors is reporting that a Mac Box Set containing OS X 10.6 , iLife '09, and iWork '09 popped up on Apple's online store today priced at $169 for single users and shipping within 24 hours. The page itself no longer exists, although not before Google's spiders managed to pick up on it. It's probably wishful thinking to think this is indicative of a release before its projected September launch window -- and really, at this point, that's only a couple of weeks away -- if you were gonna hope for it anyway, here's some fodder for ya. Read - Snow Leopard box set briefly appears in Apple Online Store Read - Google entry for now-defunct page
Microsoft debuts Microsoft Store in apparent attempt to sell stuff
Hard to believe that a company the size and stature of Microsoft hasn't had an online store to call its home -- not even a quirky collection of "Bill Gates is my homeboy" CafePress t-shirts and mousepads. The newly launched Microsoft Store solves that, however, with its many store-like properties. Therein you can find all sorts of Microsoft products, like software, peripherals, games and professionally-printed "Bill Gates is my homeboy" t-shirts.* What's particularly notable is that Microsoft is jumping into electronic software distribution here, meaning in addition to traditional physical purchases you can buy a bit of software and download it right there on the spot. Downloaded software can be re-downloaded for as long as Microsoft provides mainstream support -- about 5 years in most cases. We'd prefer forever and always, but we suppose that will have to do. The store is live now, and we'd suggest you head on over before we make some drastically ill-advised enterprise software impulse buys. *This isn't true.[Via ZDnet]
Apple's UK Back to School promo starts, gives away new nanos, touches
Apple has started their Back to School promotion in the UK. It is similar to the Back to School promo that ran in the US, with the exception of people in the UK being able to get one of the new iPods that released at last week's iPod event. This promotion is good on the purchase of any new Mac and iPod nano (or touch). Qualified purchasers are "student[s] at a higher education institution, a teacher or a lecturer." When you purchase your new Mac and an iPod nano, or iPod touch, Apple will give you up to £95 via a rebate check. This deal ends October 31, 2008. You can visit Apple's UK website for more details. Do you plan on purchasing a new Mac in order to get a new iPod nano or touch? Which iPod would you choose? Be sure to take part in our poll! %Poll-19836%Thanks, Dan!
Dell confusingly "committed" to AMD
In a memo sent out today by Dell, the company has reassured us that even though AMD is disappearing rapidly from its online store, the company remains "committed" to AMD, and is just "in the process of redistributing its product mix" -- whatever that means. But despite those euphemisms, consumers can only buy most Dell AMD systems through a retail store or over the phone. Dell pointed out that it has kept its Energy Star 4.0 Inspiron 531 consumer desktop available online, but most other AMD machines are now just for business customers or those strange creatures that use "phones" and "buildings" to buy things. Read - Reg Hardware Read - The Wall Street Journal
Dell selling unlocked high-end Nokia phones online
In a welcome, yet odd, development, Dell has started selling several high-end Nokia phones in an unlocked state via its online store. So far searches reveal that Dell is selling the Nokia N80, E61i, and E61 for around $400, and the N95 for $732. Those prices don't sound too great when compared to in-contract prices, but compared to similar unlocked offerings from high street stores they're pretty damn competitive. Besides, it doesn't look as if Dell is partnering with any mobile operators, and is instead highlighting the unlocked prices. Unlocked cellphone price war, anyone? If Dell's in the game, then you can bet that others will join.
SGD '07: PSP online store planned for Fall 2007
The Sony Gamers Day event certainly offered a lot of PSP news, and the long since rumor of an online store was finally brought back into the fold. SCEA president Jack Tretton briefly mentioned the possibility of an online store for the PSP, followed by a quick comment that it should have premiered awhile ago. No other details except he hoped "to have it out there by the fall." We know Sony has the upcoming Station Launcher for movie downloads so it was only a matter of time before their libraries opened up wider to incorporate games as well. No official word on if Station Launcher will also offer games, or if the games division will have a new service altogether. Lets just hope the powers that be are heeding Jack's word and diligently working on making this a reality sooner rather than later. We want not just PS1 reiterations, but PS2 classics as well, so get cracking![Via digg]
US Online Apple Store is down
As of 8:00 AM ET, the online Apple Store (US) is down. The usual sticky note graphic and "...we'll be back within the hour" text have replaced the index page. We'll keep you posted.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
