Apple Keeps Showing Interest in an Ad Supported OS.

A new patent has emerged from the shadows illustrating Cupertino’s interest in creating an operating system that could be cheaper to own or free as advertisements take care of that aspect. The application “Advertisements in Operating System” has reappeared from the patent portfolio of Apple as they have added some new ideas to the file.

From the minds of Freddy A. Anzures, Mike Matas, Gregory N. Christie, Patrick Coffman and yes, the man himself: Steve Jobs, describe an operating system that would present an advertisement to the user disallowing them to use some basic functions of the software. At the end of the advertising segment, the user then would be able to continue what they were doing prior to the ad presentation.  The ad itself can be presented in a variety of ways, the patent states. Visual, audible, interactive, and can promote the opportunity for the end user to obtain some good or service, such as a deal on a HDTV or any deal or promotion the advertiser wishes to publish.

“The operating system can disable one or more functions while the advertisement is being presented. At the end of the advertisement, the operating system can again enable the function(s). The advertisement can be visual or audible. The presentation of the advertisement(s) can be made as part of an approach where the user obtains a good or service, such as the operating system, for free or at reduced cost.”

The OS would have an internal timer at which the user could preset the next time they are interrupted by an advertisement. Users could even pre-purchase more time to use the computer before an advertisement presents itself within the users experience. These software wouldn’t be used for personal use, but rather for public use such as an Internet café or a library. Potential users of this system could use a machine for free or, for a fee, use a machine that is opted out of the advertisement system.

While the images in the patent application show the tech being used on a Mac OS X-like software (being that a menu for the advertisements are presented in something that appear to be the Menu Bar and the Mac OS Dock displayed at the bottom of the image), Apple doesn’t directly note that the tech would be used on Mac OS, but rather mention that the software could be used on a variety of platforms such as smartphones, set-top boxes (such as TiVo or ReplayTV), and television sets and the software that they incorporate.

It doesn’t seem strange to us that the patent has been resubmitted by the Cupertino, California based company, as the are already in the advertising playing field with the iAd software thats off to a really impressive start. Apples goal and plan the change advertisement from the traditional way we see it is it merge the interactivity of the web and the emotion of television into one where the experience of the ad is more immersive.

iAds, in general, seem to be off to a really successful start for both Apple and developers. Apple has seen their iOS developer landscape hit a sharp increase do to iAds. Apples main purpose for iAds, to help developers keep their apps free and possibly create lower cost apps, also seem to be registering quite well among devs with one report of the software that aided a developer to rake in well over a thousand dollars in a day off one free app. With iAds showing great performance off the starting line, Apple’s estimation could possible come to fruition to capture just about 50% of the mobile ad landscape at the end of the 2010 calendar year.

share permalink ping 9 Comments