Apple apologizes to third grader

[xcellerate]

Thursday, 13 April 2006
Miracle Reported: Apple Contemplates Policy Change
Topic: iPod
Apparently, there is a way to crack Apple's veil of secrecy: Be a third-grader and get upset.

Bay Area CBS affiliate TV-5 reports that Shea O'Gorman, a South Bay third-grader, received an unwelcome reply to her hand-written letter to Steve Jobs suggesting improvements to the iPod nano.

She wrote the letter as a school project and received an unpleasant response from Apple's legal department noting the company does not accept unsolicited product ideas. Shea's mother's description of the girl running into her bedroom to hide is a perfect description of how it usually feels to ask questions of Apple. Hilarious.

According to the report, Apple's legal department apologized to the girl and is contemplating a different policy in its responses to letters from children.

http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/


tomorrow: third grader sues apple

 

[Raeven0]

...Why does a third-grader have an iPod?

 

[Vegeta897]

...Why does a third-grader have an iPod?

It's sad isn't it? Kids these days.

I want to see the letters!

 

[_Z_Ryuken]

Aw they made her cry. :'(

Whoever asnwered it probably had no idea who wrote it.

 

[Que-Ever]

Aw they made her cry. :'(

Whoever asnwered it probably had no idea who wrote it.

"Wtf? This isn't how you spell 'iPod'..."

 

[bvasgm]

SAT THE **** DOWN
screw you apple

 

[Zeus]

...Why does a third-grader have an iPod?

maybe because they like to listen to music?

 

[Raeven0]

maybe because they like to listen to music?

Third-graders should be happy to have shoes.
They can have luxuries when they're old enough to understand what "luxury" means.
(And I'm being generous by not labelling shoes as luxuries.)

 

[Vegeta897]

No kidding, I'm sorry but someone like a third grader can not begin to appreciate music the way one old enough to get something like an mp3 player would.

My bet is that they just have one because it's a stupid fad these days and they enjoy listening to some stupid band with a cute boy on the cover. I base this off my friend's little sister. And I'm positive this is how it works.

 

[JellyWorld]

Third-graders should be happy to have shoes.
They can have luxuries when they're old enough to understand what "luxury" means.
(And I'm being generous by not labelling shoes as luxuries.)

Just because you didn't have it when you were in third grade doesn't mean no one should have it. Luxury is relative. What you take for granted may be a luxury in some third world country. My dad grew up poor (as in, barely enough for food, no electricity kind of poor, not Oh no I can't afford an Alienware poor), but I've don't see him saying f00k you, you're not allowed to turn the lights on or eat three proper meals a day because that's a luxury and children aren't allowed to have luxury.

 

[Vegeta897]

Just because you didn't have it when you were in third grade doesn't mean no one should have it. Luxury is relative. What you take for granted may be a luxury in some third world country. My dad grew up poor (as in, barely enough for food, no electricity kind of poor, not Oh no I can't afford an Alienware poor), but I've don't see him saying f00k you, you're not allowed to turn the lights on or eat three proper meals a day because that's a luxury and children aren't allowed to have luxury.

Have you ever heard the term spoiled?

Third grader goes crying to mommy, "everyone else has an ipod and I want one too!"
"Ok honey"

 

[Raeven0]

Have you ever heard the term spoiled?

Third grader goes crying to mommy, "everyone else has an ipod and I want one too!"
"Ok honey"

Aha, that is the word I needed. "Spoiled."

Third-graders who have iPods are spoiled.

 

[JellyWorld]

Aha, that is the word I needed. "Spoiled."

Third-graders who have iPods are spoiled.

You haven't addressed the issue, you see iPods as an unnecessary luxury, but the same could be said about many of the other things we take for granted. What's your justification for insisting that your definition of luxury is absolute and applies to everyone?

 

[Niosis]

As far as I know, Creative doesn't make children cry.

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

My 8 year old sister is the most spoiled girl I've ever seen.

Which is why I'm glad I havn't seen her in 3 months.

 

[Vegeta897]

What's your justification for insisting that your definition of luxury is absolute and applies to everyone?

We are not talking about anyone else here, an Ipod is a luxury for everyone right now, it's in no way a necessity.

Your argument about reletivity across cultures is true but has nothing to do with this.

 

[Murray_H]

You haven't addressed the issue, you see iPods as an unnecessary luxury, but the same could be said about many of the other things we take for granted. What's your justification for insisting that your definition of luxury is absolute and applies to everyone?

lux·u·ry
n. pl. lux·u·ries

1. Something inessential but conducive to pleasure and comfort.

I don't think the girl will die without mp3s, nor do I think it will amazingly enhance her education.

 

[Adabiviak]

lol - when I was in third grade, we thought it was pretty dope if you had a three-ring binder to keep your papers in - the "Trapper Keeper" was the top of the line, and the 'rest of us' would settle for Pee Chee folders.

 

[madog]

shes a spy for microsoft!

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Aha, that is the word I needed. "Spoiled."

Third-graders who have iPods are spoiled.

I guarantee you you wouldn't complain if it was say, a portable game system.

I had a gameboy pocket when I was in third grade- fairly equivelant thing. You might've had one too, or a game console or something. I guarantee you you had something that can be equal to that today.

 

[Vegeta897]

I guarantee you you wouldn't complain if it was say, a portable game system.

I had a gameboy pocket when I was in third grade- fairly equivelant thing. You might've had one too, or a game console or something. I guarantee you you had something that can be equal to that today.

Ipod Nano = 150-250 dollars
Gameboy = What, 40 dollars?

And plus, a gameboy is far more fitting to a young child than a freaking IPod.

 

[Que-Ever]

pokemon cards. oh god D:

 

[Raeven0]

Ipod Nano = 150-250 dollars
Gameboy = What, 40 dollars?

Lovely comparison

If I remember correctly, when I was in the third grade, I played with trading cards.

 

[JellyWorld]

We are not talking about anyone else here, an Ipod is a luxury for everyone right now, it's in no way a necessity.

Your argument about reletivity across cultures is true but has nothing to do with this.

An iPod may be a luxury according to Murray's definition, but so are televisions, computers, phones, beds, nearly everything we own today, including many of the stuffs that people don't mind third graders having, can be considered a luxury.

 

[Vegeta897]

An iPod may be a luxury according to Murray's definition, but so are televisions, computers, phones, beds, nearly everything we own today, including many of the stuffs that people don't mind third graders having, can be considered a luxury.

Then just ignore the luxury argument, I wasn't the one who brought it up, and have a look at my post explaining why an Ipod does not belong in a 3rd grader's hands.

 

[Murray_H]

I didn't know how old third graders are....8-9 bloody years-old?! I can't even afford an iPod and I'm nearly 20!

 

[Niosis]

Not to mention a few hundred dollars in music required to listen to. How does a third grader have musical taste sophisticated enough to warrant 2 gigs of space? Hell, I didn't get a CD player till 5th grade and I thought it was a big deal to carry around a case with a few CD's.

 

[Que-Ever]

I don't even own any bloody CDs. I just listen to my parent's stuff.

 

[Vegeta897]

A 3rd grader with an Ipod is like an adult with a 200 dollar pacifier.

 

[Murray_H]

A 3rd grader with an Ipod is like an adult with a 200 dollar pacifier.

And if it's not spoiling....why an iPod? There are numerous alternatives that are cheaper and still do the same function but let me guess....the parents or the girl won't have heard of those

 

[evil^milk]

My bet is that they just have one because it's a stupid fad these days and they enjoy listening to some stupid band with a cute boy on the cover. I base this off my friend's little sister. And I'm positive this is how it works.

Fact.

they're probably listening to stuff like crazy frog all day -_-

 

[Raeven0]

Right, I forgot to justify calling it a superfluous luxury. Sorry!

The reason a third-grader should not have an iPod is pretty much the same reason as why a third-grader should not have a Lexus, a solid gold watch, or a valet: children shouldn't possess expensive, high-class stuff. You wanna let a kid sleep in a bed, go ahead; and if the iPod is her parents', and she's just using it, then that's a slightly better case. But if you give a kid a lot of shit, especially fancy expensive shit, at his very whim, you spoil him. Simple as that.

 

[Niosis]

Right, I forgot to justify calling it a superfluous luxury. Sorry!

The reason a third-grader should not have an iPod is pretty much the same reason as why a third-grader should not have a Lexus, a solid gold watch, or a valet: children shouldn't possess expensive, high-class stuff. You wanna let a kid sleep in a bed, go ahead; and if the iPod is her parents', and she's just using it, then that's a slightly better case. But if you give a kid a lot of shit, especially fancy expensive shit, at his very whim, you spoil him. Simple as that.

Pretty much.

It would be different if she worked the corner every night to raise the money for the damn thing.

 

[Raeven0]

It would be different if she worked the corner every night to raise the money for the damn thing.

Yes, exactly. I'd hi--uh, never mind.

 

[Murray_H]

I read the backstory to this.

The girl was given a choice; iPod, or food. We know what she took. Pretty soon she'll learn an important lesson.

May or may not be true

 

[Que-Ever]

heh... the cost of an ipod is like, pretty much the same for food for a week for a family of seven (or, mine). That little girl screwed herself and several hobos worth over

 

[Vegeta897]

I read the backstory to the backstory.

She was indeed a child prostitute. Raeven hit it. He then planted the iPod and forged the letter. This thread will self disctruct in 3, 2, 1,

May or may not be true

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Ipod Nano = 150-250 dollars
Gameboy = What, 40 dollars?

And plus, a gameboy is far more fitting to a young child than a freaking IPod.

Games for Gameboy = $

I'm sure you had more than just one.

Dude Ipod isn't all that amazing. It plays music. It's just a technologically advanced walkman (and I had one of those too, saved up allowance and bought one, the gameboy was a christmas present that year xD)


edit: Jesus Christ wtf is up with you people. IPod is not a golden city or fancy car or crazy blinging jewelry. Horrible comparisons. my gameboy/games one is the most accurate and equivelant in price including games- and a lot had those at that age.

 

[Vegeta897]

Games for Gameboy = $

I'm sure you had more than just one.

Dude Ipod isn't all that amazing. It plays music. It's just a technologically advanced walkman (and I had one of those too, saved up allowance and bought one, the gameboy was a christmas present that year xD)

I'm not saying it's amazing, I'm saying a 3rd grader has no point in having one. They simply don't appreciate music enough to need a 200 dollar device to enjoy their stupid songs they can get on MTV anyway.

For the 3rd time.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I'm not saying it's amazing, I'm saying a 3rd grader has no point in having one. They simply don't appreciate music enough to need a 200 dollar device to enjoy their stupid songs they can get on MTV anyway.

For the 3rd time.

What? I certainly liked music in third grade, like I said I wanted a walkman. It's about what sounds good in your ears not any "deep meaning" I certainly don't care about it all that much or I wouldn't listen to a shitload of bands that have leftist political leanings or such.