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Apple Hawks Madonna iPods

Posted by pudge on from the no-doubt-you-have-mp3s-at-your-beck-and-call dept.

danamania writes "Apple's latest promotion is a gimmick with Madonna, Tony Hawk or Beck's signature, or a No Doubt logo, on an iPod. It seems Apple's really pushing the iPod as a too-cool fashion accessory as much as a too-cooler MP3 player... is Maddie's signature worth an extra USD49 over the standard iPod?" Instead of $50 for the engraved signature, you can spend $20 to print "Madonna's Signature" in beautiful Helvetica.

7 of 349 comments (clear)

  1. Including Music by Fubar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple start shipping iPods with 'special tracks' from artists.

    I bet the RIAA wold love that.

  2. Should have music pre-loaded by johnkeyes · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This would make more sense if the iPod came preloaded with a bunch of music from the artist whose name is engraved.

  3. sounds like a gimmick but it is interesting.... by smd4985 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    because i'm sure all these artists understand that the iPod is often used to store illegally obtained music files. can this be construed as tacit approval? what would hilary rosen say?

    or perhaps musicians realize that like the VCR the iPod MAY encourage piracy but it has plenty of non-infringing uses. just like gnutella....

    --
    smd4985
  4. Who will do this? by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Bland trust-fund kids?

    How about ipods in *different colors*?? It worked for the iMac, and is a better choice than the signature of the 'flavor of the month'. Cmon, THINK DIFFERENT, indeed.

    Better yet, a clear, removable face plate that can cover photos or art of your OWN MAKING.

    That sounds more like Apple to me...

  5. Re:None of you understand this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, it's a hell of a lot more interesting than that. And I'm astounded that nobody's guessed it yet.

    See, the deal is that Apple's management-- Steve more than anybody else, really-- sees the record companies kinda dropping the ball. People are happy with MP3-quality music, and they want to be able to buy it over the Internet. Current systems for doing that just suck. Since Apple controls .Mac, the OS, iTunes, the iPod, and QuickTime 6/AAC, they're the only ones who are in a position to make a real end-to-end, easy-to-use digital music distribution system happen.

    In the future, you'll (assuming we can cut a deal with Apple Records on that nasty trademark matter) be able to plug you iPod into your Mac, browse a library of songs via iTunes, and download them directly to your iPod over broadband or AirPort. Micro-payment (well, semi-micro; on the order of a dollar per song) will be handled through the .Mac "one click" system, which Apple licensed from Amazon and already uses in iPhoto for buying photographic prints on line. The only DRM will be the stuff we've already go built into the iPod that makes it inconvenient, though of course not impossible, to copy music off of it once it's been put on.

    When we go live with this-- which we're hoping to do by the end of next year at the latest-- we're going to need some big names. That's why we've been talking to Madonna, No Doubt, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Moby, and some others.

    Basically Apple is trying to do an end-run around the record companies and the RIAA. It's not done yet, and it may not work, but the foundation is there and all that's really left is to sort out the legal details.

    If anybody finds out I've posted this, I'm out of a job, and I'll probably end up with my ass in court. Hope this "anonymous coward" thing works as advertised.

  6. Old technology by El · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wouldn't it a heckova lot cooler to use flexible displays or electronic paper wrapped around the iPod so you could customize the external appearance yourself? Skins for physical devices -- now THAT is cool!

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  7. Re:Increased value? by tangledweb · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I would not mind an iPod, but this is a stupid idea. Most of the people stupid enough to want a pointless celebrity endorsement on their purchases are too young for an iPod.

    Star Wars lunch boxes sell well to the to young to know any better, but I don't think many in this demographic have the spending power for consumer electonics.

    The only positive side I see is that surely some or all of the people they pick will turn out really unpopular. There has to be an iPod equivalent of the Jar Jar Binks lunch box.

    I picture the price list this way:
    Madonna iPod $349
    Regular iPod $299
    Mariah Carey iPod $149 (with bonus laser/bubblejet printable sticker slightly larger than signature)