[NTLK] On Topic and OT...

[James Fraser]

Hello,

--- On Thu, 4/1/10, Woo <vitcitylb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Sorry, but had to post this one... hehe prob. a April
> Fool's joke. :-O
> =====
> The Great Apple Newton Giveaway - Better than another free
> iPad
> 
> Everyone and their grandma is giving away an iPad, but not
> us. Okay, we are too. But the 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad is for the
> unlucky runner-up winner. The grand prize winner will get an
> original 1993 H1000 Apple Newton MessagePad. (It can send a
> fax. The iPad can't.) 

I have to wonder if this is ThinkGeek's way of gently poking fun at the iPad.  I know it's supposed to be an April Fool's joke and all, but it struck me as being more funny-peculiar rather than funny-haha.

Sure, ThinkGeek is a site that sells stuff, but perhaps the contest is their way of generating interest in the site while, at the same time, letting the "smart (m)asses" they purport to sell stuff to know that, in contrast to all the current hype, ThinkGeek is of the opinion that the iPad Ain't All That.

A look at their "about us" page left me with the impression that they are Open Source enthusiasts.  If my impression is correct, perhaps the ThinkGeek folks are somewhat less-than-enamored of a device that is so locked down and requires applications to be Officially Approved by a giant corporation as opposed to merely being approved by the end user (who likely purchased the device to serve them rather than the other way around).

To be clear: I don't know if that is actually what the intent was.  I'm only saying there could be more to this than just another website running just another contest.  Or not.


Best,

James Fraser