Like many people, I have been trying to access the new iTunes Music Service today, and have been having problems getting connected. I tried to enable 1-click ordering, and Apple kept responding that there is a problem, to try again later. So I do.
But iTunes keeps reporing that there is a problem and to try again later, as it has been saying with many other "pages" on the site. So I keep trying every 5-10 minutes.
My bank calls me a few minutes ago, tells me that Apple has tried to do something with the account 16 times, and wants to know if our card got stolen.
Yay, Apple.
[Update: it works now. Yay, Apple!]
Now Playing: Symphony No. 40 - Allegro assai - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Symphony No. 35 & No. 40)
But there's a huge difference between selling a few hundred computers per day (each in the $1K-$3K range), and selling a few thousand tracks per day (for $1 each). Doubly so when browsing to find a track requires significantly more mouse clicks to eval/purchase.
Somehow, I think Apple will have a very rough launch, but in a few weeks or months, it'll be one of the biggest storefronts on the web. They might even run a success story on it. (Look at how these shiny XServes handle the load...)
Re:Stress Testing
pudge on 2003-04-28T20:38:33
I wasn't even buying anything (I know they still need to run the number and all). I was just registering with the service with an existing account. They already had my card number, I didn't even need to give it to them (as I had input it for other 1-click services for Apple).Re:Stress Testing
ziggy on 2003-04-28T20:47:57
The problem isn't only with registration. There are massive problems even browsing. In the browse window, I was able to see a handful of artists for a specific genre, but I never got a list of albums to come up. Browsing the wizzy interface had some problems; most of the front pages per genre would come up, but anything more complicated (like scrolling through the CD covers) wouldn't return anything.And it's not like it's transmitting a lot of data. I'm running netmonitor, and there was virtually no traffic when I was trying to browse the damned service.
:-S Re:Stress Testing
pudge on 2003-04-28T20:58:30
Yes, but that doesn't adequately explain 16 times connecting to my bank to verify my credit card number, or whatever they were doing.
I think these problems are why Apple has taken iTunes 4 offline. You can't download it anymore.Re:Stress Testing
ziggy on 2003-04-28T22:50:41
Yep, a rather extreme example of a "rough spot".Yes, but that doesn't adequately explain 16 times connecting to my bank to verify my credit card number, or whatever they were doing.:-) Look on the bright side -- now you have a legitimate reason to complain and make a fuss until they give you the two dozen tracks you so rightly deserve.
:-)
