Although most of us at GloNo are de facto supporters of the Wintel cabal, there is a non-insignificant portion of the crew that believes that Apple is the way to go (or actually, Linux is the way to go but it has proven to be such a pain in the ass to master that its relevance is inappropriate—for now). While there may have been some questions vis-à-vis Apple’s use of poor grammar (“Think Different”) or the co-opting of historical figures to shill hardware (does anyone really think that Gandhi would have used a G4?), for the most part it is perceived to be more innocuous than, say, the use of “Start Me Up” by the fine folks in Redmond for the launch of Windows 95 (does anyone really think that Keith Richards would get excited by an operating system?).
Apple, of course, has long been known for its innovative designs and technologies. The iPod, for example, is certainly a clever device. A bit pricey, perhaps, but those whom we know who have them seem to find the unit’s functionality to be worth the deep swallow.
But when you think “Apple,” when you think “iPod,” do you think sufficiently differently enough to think…Madonna? It is a hard stretch. But be that as it may, for a limited time, until January 8, 2003, you can be the proud owner of an iPod with Madonna’s signature laser etched on the back of the case. Imagine! You can find it by going to Apple’s website or at Madonna’s (where, incidentally, you can hear multiple mixes of “Die Another Day”; interestingly, the radio mix is the weakest of the lot: go figure).
What will it cost you for this special Madonnaized iPod? About $50 more than if you were to get one with a blank back.
For those steeped in Apple lore, this signature situation is rather disturbing inasmuch as it, in some ways, is a mockery of something that made the company matter: Back when the original Mac was developed, back when “1984 won’t be 1984,” back when a pirate flag flew over a building in Cupertino, back when the developers were working so hard on developing a new product that there were broken lives and broken marriages along the way, it was decided that on the inside of the injection-molded case the signatures of the Mac’s developers would appear. (As you couldn’t add anything to the chassis of a Mac, you would be unlikely to ever open the case and see the names, but they were put there in testament to the work that had been done “to change the world.”) It was the sort of tribute that would be unthinkable of, say, IBM, a true sign of authenticity.
Now the signature is that of a fading pop star, and simply a marketing ploy.
Also Beck: http://www.apple.com/promo/ipod/beck.html
Tony Hawk: http://www.apple.com/promo/ipod/beck.html
No Doubt: http://www.apple.com/promo/ipod/nodoubt.html
I have an old PC XT clone that I’ll autograph and sell you for $5,000…
I disagree with the assertion that the ipod is expensive, I actually think its relatively cheap. The average 128MB mp3 player costs about $150. But you can buy a 5GB (5000MB) ipod for $300. In other words, the 128MB player costs $1.17 per MB, so a 5000MB player at the same cost would price at just under $6,000. Compare the 128MB ripoffs to the 10GB and 20GB models, the ipod is a total steal. If only you could subdivide your ipod and lease excess space to someone else, you could make some serious $ off of this.
Fikus makes a great point. Considering how much music it holds the ipod is a great value. The problem is that the entry price for buying it is above the pain threshhold (Considering you can get a PC at Costco for the same price!). I found it so much easier to buy an eDigital unit for $130 but it only holds 4 hours of music; however I’m always moving songs on and off of it: what a pain. By the way the Bond movie was dreadful.
You can also use the iPod as a portable hard drive, and it has an planner/address book built in. And the firewire connection lets you copy your mp3’s hella fast. I If I had a few hundred dollars to spare I’d pick one up, but then I’m a notorious Mac addict.
But I wouldn’t pay an extra $50 for anyone’s signature on it – that’s silly.
Pricing for these signatures is the same as the laser engraving that Apple normally offers. There’s a holiday sale on to get the engraving for $20 which is taken at checkout time, and this applies to the “signature” iPods as well.
Nice bit… I hadn’t noticed the “Signature” line yet, and yes – it is but an empty echo of was the company originally stood for…
The only thing I take exception with is the continuing assertion that “Think Different” was bad grammar. The idea is not to tell you how to think (“differently”) but rather *what* to think, like “Think Spring.” Once you wrap your mind around that admittedly difficult concept, the old slogan doesn’t seem as glaringly bad.
You know your Apple lore well, Mac… Did you read “Insanely Great?” That’s a fantastic book for those really interested in just what it took to put the first consumer GUI on the market.
I loved the Think Different campaign.
This is odd. Can I buy a TV with Jerry Seinfeld’s name lasered onto it?
I just happen to have an autographed Jerry Seindfeld TV, M, and I’m willing to let you have it for $250, just cause you seem like you have an honest face.