Josh Catone of Read Write Web writes that web apps have hit mainstream. Well, the APPLEBOX storefront is most definitely a web app, and I definitely want it to go mainstream! Quoting from the original whitepaper:

“Web apps need to solve practical problems. Users don’t care whether they’re using a web application or a traditional application; they just want to get on with their lives. The good news for web app companies is that there’s very little barrier to adoption of web apps. The challenging news is that users expect the apps to solve real-world problems. Web app companies must make sure they’re offering a service that users really care about, and must explain the benefits of it in terms users can understand.”

I’d say wandering aimlessly along isles of DVD covers is a without doubt a practical problem to solve! And APPLEBOX does that. But as per the above quote, my customers don’t really care how it’s done, as long as it’s painless for them and the solution is easily accessible.

I use all the latest and greatest in Web 2.0 techniques - XML, SOAP and Serverless AJAX all bound together with enough JavaScript to keep the most dedicated JavaScript guru happy. But is it any better than a standard website? Is it easier to use, than say browsing the mail-order catalogue of Quickflix?

My answer is of-course yes. What all the Web 2.0 techniques can deliver is a more engaging experience, more cohesive for the user, more interactive, better performance. Users don’t get disoriented, can get around the app quickly, and forget about the app and just look at the movies. And thats what APPLEBOX is all about - the content - the movies.

Anyone want a free, blank DVD cover? They are starting to pile up in the shop - and I don’t need ‘em! If you want one (or five), please come in and grab them …

Paul and Sim were in the other night and started pulling apart APPLEBOX! That’s cool, ’cause it’s my baby and once you get me started I won’t shut up (and they think the idea rocks anyway). They wondered how much the licencing costs for renting a movie are. Answer: $0.

Yep - no (additional) licencing. I can buy a movie directly from K-Mart, and rent it. It’s that simple. My initial purchase of the disc provides all the licencing agreements I need. I can rent because I’m not violating copyright laws. I’m not copying it, I’m not broadcasting it. I’m not altering it.

Of course the studios would have it differently if they could. In 2001, Warner Home Video tried to argue that playing a DVD was actually copying it - that data read from the disc and stored temporarily in a DVD player’s memory constituted a copy that breached copyright laws. You can read more about it here. Cheeky! This was defeated by AVRA (Australian Video Retailers Association) - way to go AVRA!

So don’t believe the fine print you’ll sometimes see on a DVD that claims it must be authorised for lending. What bollocks! A sales receipt is all you need to start your own rental business. So buy up and go for it!

Have you got a widescreen monitor? Lucky enough to be sitting in front of vast acres of screen real estate? Great! Ever notice virtually NO website can actually give you access to that full width? Even most photo sharing sites won’t let you look at your photos in full tiled glory - from one edge of your monitor to the other. Instead you’ll get a nice expanse of dead space on either side of a centre column of images.

We do widescreen baby.

Go ahead. Try it. Open APPLEBOX on your 30 inch cinema display, and stretch it from one edge to the other. No dead areas. No dodgy spacing. Click a ‘See All’ link and go the full cover view. Slide the image size to max and enjoy. Even flickr, the darling of the photo scene can’t do that!

It’s now wednesday night, quiet, time to take a breather and recap!

It’s drizzling outside, Macy Gray is playing on the stereo, I’m sitting in my featherstone (a.k.a. groovy chair) with laptop by the window, last rentals went out about 10 minutes ago (thanks Ben and Dave). Fantales are all gone but still chomping on jaffas!

The beauty of a full web system - content management, POS, storefront, reporting - is that I can do it from anywhere!! APPLEBOX can be fully administered from Bean Counter, across the road. Could even whack some storage in there, hold some discs, config the system and be up and running with another store in under an hour.

But I digress - People GET IT!!

3 years ago, when I started talking about this idea, I mostly got glassy eyed looks from people. Yawn. I’m happy with my local store. What about Video On Demand? So why hasn’t it been done before? Blockbuster will crush you. Isn’t this just Quickflix? But now every single person who walks into this store gets it. Their reactions vary from the mild ‘Of course - this makes perfect sense’ to ‘WOW’ and ‘This is the best idea I’ve seen for ages’. It’s early days of course, but these reactions are fantastic.

The problem with pitching this idea is that most people think they are happy with their local video store. They don’t recognise there is a problem - the status quo has been maintained for 15 years. What’s more, people think the logical evolution is Video On Demand, and it’s just around the corner. APPLEBOX technology isn’t revolutionary, the market is mature (and declining), the next step seems to be enshrined in stone.

But - when you step foot inside our store, it all makes perfect sense. The barnyard expanse of Video Ezy is gone. The flouro lighting is gone. The gray melamine shelving, the thousands of covers blankly staring at you are gone. Instead, a small cozy space, 20 inch monitors with high res cover art, intelligent search & browse, your own account with favourites already picked. Absolute ease in finding a movie, and convenience because you can take the entire catalogue with you and do it all from home.

Video on Demand isn’t here yet. And whilst we definitely want to be part of the VOD future we aim to strike a balance between being part of that future, and taking pragmatic steps to get there. This is our first step toward that future - but even so, I suspect the humble DVD store will be around for a long time to come ….

We had plenty of fantales left over after our launch party - and they’re still here. In a big bowl between our iMacs. Too much chewing. I’ve got a sore jaw.

Yahooooooo!

I’ve earnt my first $3.50, hopefully of many $3.50’s to come! APPLEBOX opened it’s doors to the world at 10:00am, Saturday 15th September 2007.

And Stuart was there to rent! A very big thankyou to Stuart! In fact, the doors weren’t quite open as we were doing a quick training session, but we dropped everything matter of factly and got straight down to business!

It’s been a great day - lots of people through as they pass us after breakky/lunch/coffee at Bean Counter cafe. Been talking, demoing, signing up and renting! Theres a lull at the moment and so thought I’d blog from the shop. I’ve got the evening shift and will be here ’til 10pm, so anyone want a demo? Come on down!

I’ve disabled the launch button whilst the system is reconfigured for go-live. Doors should be open by tonight (Friday)! Stay tuned …

What’s the point of creating a product if you can’t celebrate it - RIGHT!

Well, last friday we did celebrate it. We had a small launch party, and it went down a treat. Let me see - champagne, appletinis, beer, wine, fantales, popcorn, red carpet .. and people of course! I reckon about 60 people turned out which was GREAT. With such a small space, we kept the invites to those who know us, who have been on the journey, and of course some of the locals.

We kicked off at 6pm, and by 9pm most people had been through and had drank merrily. The last dozen of us then retreated inside and kept drinking ’til midnight. Kel reckons ditch this DVD malarky and go with a bar! This space is soo funky she’d drink here any time. Thanks Mike - as appletini extrordinare, you furnished those martini glasses with liquid gold. Thanks kids! Zac, Thomas, Jacob - the Benny Hill finish to my speech (aka slap the bald dude on the head) was roooly funny. Onya Jim! first in the door and last to leave! Stellar effort. Katie! Love ya work. Bernard well met his match, didn’t have a chance and thanks for the whiskey sour as that perennial sneaky last drink at Kelvin before lights out. Gav, thanks for the video work - fantastic to have some footage that should make it’s way online soon. And Dazzer, those $9 bids at Gray’s did wonders with a set of glasses any restaurant would be proud to own.

Was great to see Ben and Richard from Sydney - Ben I hope we impressed you with our space! My neighbours - Bernie, Brian, Krystal, Tjeerd, Joan, Peter, Lauren, and also Maralyn, Tina, Gav, Bob - see it’s true! I have been working on a DVD store. And a HUGE thanks to Sarah who pulled the entire party together pretty much on her own, whilst managing the flu from hell (and not too mention the plumber as well). Fantastic job, fantastic space. Execution is everything and boy does Sare do it well. Tamara and Emily did a fantastic setting up the bar and getting the drinks out there, Michael from Bean Counter - sangers, coffee, brownies - Bean Counter standards as usual - beautiful!

Great to let the hair down (so to speak) and enjoy the moment. It doesn’t rain it pours of course. Next day I was at David John’s next exhibition launch (transmography), and then off to a good mates 40th that night. But, took the weekend off and are now in the final straight. We open friday and are looking forward to it.