Apple Store using Ajax

Sometime in recent weeks, store.apple.com picked up some Ajax. If you didn’t know this either, go play with the online configurator. Notice that as you make changes via the pop-up menus, updates to the “Summary” box in the upper right are made without a page load. The items that are added or altered by your selection are briefly highlighted in blue, which then fades out.

Examining the source reveals certain telltale signs as well.

This is clearly just the beginning, since there are many places in the store’s UI where Ajax approaches would make sense that are still using traditional architecture – like the “remove from cart” links. Very cool to see. Apple has not always been exactly progressive when it comes to web development, though their aesthetic standard is always high. This is very early adoption for them.