Dan Moren, Macworld, on Apple’s Passbook:
In just four short weeks, iOS 6’s Passbook feature has totally revolutionized the life of you, me, and everybody we know.
Okay, not so much “revolutionized” as “very mildly altered, maybe.”
Despite impressive early use for Major League Baseball, Passbook’s adoption has been relatively slow. I can echo the experiences described by Moren. My wife and I loaded $20 onto our Starbucks card to give Passbook a try. The first time worked great, although the remaining balance took awhile to update. The second time was less positive because the Starbucks location my wife visited hadn’t charged their scanner. Now, that’s not Apple’s fault, but when you depend on partners to advocate a feature on your platform, you are implicitly aligned with anything that happens - positive or negative. That experience left my wife ticked off and hesitant to load any more money on the card. Ultimately, Passbook’s success will depend on the support and experience offered by Apple’s partners. One month in, they have a long way to go.