Apple in the funny papers
The first, sent to us by Bugg, pulls back the curtain on what NBC really wants from the iTS. Considering their "estimates" on iPod piracy, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that last suggestion was pretty close to their real ideal. That, or they actually want us to watch certain programs at certain times with ads placed at "commercial breaks" in between! Lunacy!
And second, what's the one thing that could get me to read a Cathy comic (sent to us by Damon)? An iPhone reference. Unfortunately, it's not very nice (or funny, but this is Cathy we're talking about), but I suspect if Cathy actually tried that Google Maps multitouch interface, she'd be singing a different tune.
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It's a slow day around TUAW HQ this Labor Day (hope yours is going well!). Besides the occasional fake new iPod nano and the catfight...
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Have you seen this? http://www.dvdtoiphone.net/unlock-iphone.html
just curious if this is for real or a scam?
I seriously hope I didn't just read a spoiler for The Office finale.
I haven't watched any of season 3 - I was holding out for the DVD that comes out ( checks watch) TODAY.
I'm also more than sure doubling of a wholesale price wouldn't have put the cost of an episode at 4.99. UK iTMS now has video which includes a lot of NBC TV shows which is priced awful high, but certainly not 4.99. I think the fight is more about a tiered pricing of products, and keeping ripped content off of iPods and AppleTV.
I posted the NBC executives contact info on my personal blog. Feel free to give them a call on their blackberries or send them an email. Please be courteous, but let them know our displeasure.
http://digg.com/apple/NBC_Executive_Contact_information
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone
This is a better critique of the iPhone (NSFW).
I've read novels shorter than that Cathy strip. How many panels for that rather lame punchline?
September 04 2007 at 1:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI agree with you, Reg, and far from it being 'just a comic', or merely an amusing stereotype, the creator actually believes that Cathy represents an identifiable and sympathetic 'everywoman'.
The creator's own blurb is telling - "Cathy is the Everywoman. She deals with diets, self-esteem, in-laws, and letting her husband know that she is the boss. Everyone can identify with her shopping, bills, taxes, planning for the future and coping with her husbandâs incessant computer golf games."
Notice that the first thing Cathy must deal with is diets, and the first thing that we'll identify with her because of, is shopping. Ugh.
And my $0.02 says that, perhaps Cathy's husband would interact more with her than the iPhone, if she could just manage a conversation starter more intriguing than, "look, an X !" where X is something she has just sighted.
One thing the world has tought me is, Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Many of us may think we know enough people to ponder what the general public is like, but we don't espically if we live in heavily urbanized areas.
Now at my age, i've not seen too many married couples, but From my experince, i've seen both sides of the coin. Take my Boyfriend's mother... and well.. my BF.. both of them, are not into the whole "Gadget" thing. It annoys me, because I'm a total gadget freak... my bf though, sees it as a waste of time... cause staying on the cutting edge, is a waste of money. He's seen the iPhone, i showed him all the cool stuff, and he's like "That's pretty cool......" and then he's gone.
now at the same time, i know plenty of people who thing the iPhone is the coolest thing ever. And if they had $500 to blow on it, and $200 to break their current contract, to spend $70 a month on AT&Ts service.. they'd SO get it.
The Cathy "wifeless web" reference is quite sexist, and not really accurate.
Most of the women I know are just as enthused, if not more so, by the iPhone's capabilities. And let's not forget that TUAW's own Erica is the goddess hacker of the iPhone. ( I wonder what her husband has to say!)
And for web use in general, a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project study showed just as many women as men spent time on the web, particularly for social web sites.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/3/press_release.asp
I know, I know, it's just a comic. But the strips are meant to be commenting on the realities daily life, not reverting to stereotypes.
Yeah, OMFG, I just read that Cathy got married. She's useless and I hate her. Typifies the weak, self-loathing and incapable modern woman. Except, such is *not* most modern women. I can't believe this rubbish comic is still around.. It is demeaning to both men and women of today.
September 03 2007 at 8:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI think NBC/Universal are, on the whole, forgetting that Jobs is the guy who walked into both Apple and Pixar and turned them both around by playing hardball, and as a direct result of that is Disney's largest individual shareholder with a seat on the board (having fought them for years) and also gave us the iMac, Mac OS X and the iPod, none of which have been particularly unsuccessful.
The long and short is: NBC might think they're good at negotiating deals (after all, they've juggled with affiliates and content producers and advertisers), but Jobs took on the might of Disney and won.
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