Thursday, April 29, 2010

Appholes

by Dick Mac

I have been moved by the recent developments in the Apple vs. Gizmodo fiasco.

You know the one: Apple employee allegedly leaves a prototype iPhone in a bar, a geek allegedly finds it and magically knows it's a top secret device in development, contacts a bigger geek at a geeky blog, sells the alleged top-secret device to the blogger, who creates a really insipid video (that is not even close to being geek-porn) in which he displays and discusses the device.

Apple gets angry and insists that the top-secret device be returned. It is returned.

The police (evoking laws intended to protect technology companies from having their intellectual property ripped-off) show-up at the big geek's home, smash the door down, and confiscate his computers.

As one commentator said: he got the "meth lab" treatment.

Over at Facebook, I expressed reservations about Apple's tactics, and some fruits with whom I am friends (and there are many fruits whom I love) have taken the "receiving stolen goods" position to defend Apple and the police in their gestapo-like tactics to punish the bad, bad, mean geek who bought and videotaped the device.

Arousing, isn't it?

Well, I was not successful at putting my finger on what exactly was irritating me about Apple taking this kind of Microsoft-like stance. Then, last night, Jon Stewart discussed the incident on the Daily Show and he puts words to much of what I feel about this:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Appholes
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorTea Party


I still want a MacBook and an iPhone! I sure wish I was rich!





No comments: