14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is surveying iTunes customers less than two days before its September 1 event is scheduled to go live, asking iPad owners whether they enjoy the ability to instantly watch titles after purchase, among other benefits.
A recent survey kicked off by Apple would suggest the company is launching an iTunes streaming service, although the reference in question (which we’re about to point out) may also be a simple mistake on behalf of Apple.
Particularly, Apple is asking customers “What are the primary reasons for your satisfaction with the video content you’ve purchased or rented from iTunes and watched on the iPad?”
A list of choices is then provided, as follows (based on the screenshot published by Engadget)
- It’s convenient as I already use iTunes to buy music - It’s a good value - It’s easy to find titles - iTunes has a great selection of titles - iTunes has the latest “new release” titles - Titles are available to watch instantly - iTunes offers good picture quality - iTunes offers high definition (HD) content - iTunes is the best way for me to enjoy videos on the iPad - Other reason (please specify)
As you can see in the text (highlight ours), as well as the screenshot above, Engadget marks “Titles are available to watch instantly” with red, noting that this functionality isn’t actually available with iTunes, as the iPad requires the entir video to download before the user can play it.
The main reason we can consider this a sign is that rumors of Cupertino putting iTunes in the cloud have been floating around for quite some time.
Perhaps this is also worth mentioning:
In predicting that Apple was planning the release of a refreshed Apple TV this year, Piper Jaffray analyst, Gene Munster said that he anticipated Apple’s soon-to-launch data center in North Carolina to be used as a hub for a cloud-based iTunes service.
However, rumors aside, the phrasing in Apple’s survey does not really indicate that a streaming-capable iTunes is in the works.