Caution: Student iPod User
from the pt-barnum's-laughing dept
Huge iPod sales have spawned a booming market for accessories, but surely this is going a little too far: a London department store is offering lessons on how to use the iPod, charging about $115 for a 40-minute one-on-one session. The store says it's responding for customer demand, particularly from older buyers and, surprisingly, children. While resisting the urge to repeat some comment about fools and their money, these people could always just walk the few blocks over to the Apple store and get help, for free.
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Greed is good by Mousky on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 10:31am
I love capitalism.
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Re: Greed is good by patentman on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 10:44am
"I love capitalism"
Me too. I see nothing wrong with what these people are doing. If people are dumb enough to pay for lessons when they could get them for free then that is there own issue.
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Wonderful idea by Vasco DaGameboy on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 10:55am
The iPod is so successful becuase it is so easy to use. I thought anyone could figure it out, but this story has inspired me. Ergo, I am offering the following classes if anyone is interested:
Using scissors: $115.00
Tying shoes: $150.00
Watching paint dry: >SPECIAL! Only $89.95
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Too bad by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 10:58am
Too bad they don't have apple stores in the UK.
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Re: Wonderful idea by Brad on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 10:58am
lol...scissors. Its exactly what they are doing. But hey like he said...if people are stupid enough to pay for lessons when they are already ree then hats their own damn fault!
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Re: Too bad by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 11:02am
"Too bad they don't have apple stores in the UK."
http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/regentstreet/week/20060115.html
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No Subject Given by Western Civilizations Need4What Other People Have on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 11:02am
Ooooooo Can I take 2 lots of watch paint dry ? Why not treat your self once in a while ? Thats what I say, After all its only about 340 days till christmas!
-Fools
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No Subject Given by Taylor on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 11:04am
I dont know about everyone else, but I find it hard to belive this could be successful marketed to children (or successful at all). I have never met anyone under the age of 25 that had issues with using some type of technology as simple as an ipod (or other, better MP3 players).
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Re: Too bad by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 11:25am
they do. there's one round the corner from Selfridges where these lesssons are taking place.
The thing is - the kind of shoppers that go to Selfridges want the personal service *now*.
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Re: by Miguel on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 12:43pm
The market is perfect.
http://economics.uchicago.edu/
University of Chicago, '03
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No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 12:46pm
In Soviet Russia, iPod listen to you!
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Re: Wonderful idea by John on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 12:49pm
This is hillarious.
If they charged 10 bucks that would have been tolerable, but over $100 they should be reported to something or somewhere, especially since what they sell is free.
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No Subject Given by jeff on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 1:01pm
Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with capitalizing on the mentally feeble, but it's time-wasting like this that's keeping our society from progressing and maturing.
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Re: Wonderful idea by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 1:37pm
You should let people know that the tying shoes is a 2 part series which explains the higher price.
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Re: No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 2:23pm
Are you kidding? The phrase "There's a sucker born every minute" couldn't be more true!! And what better way to advance society than by parting a fool and his money for cheap entertainment? Fools pouring money down the throats of dishonest and sleazy car salesmen and mechanics? That sucks. Pouring it down a dept. store's throats because the dept. store keeps getting requests to do so? Great! If you're that stupid to ask people to treat you like a moron, then by all means they deserve to indeed take your money.
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incredible patience required by Paul M on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 2:34pm
let's look at it from a different perspective.
has anyone here done tech support? if you have, can you imagine trying to help someone who's SO dumb they can't figure out an iPod in 5 minutes, or iTunes in 10?
if that's the kind of customers they're dealing with, the money's got to cover psychology counselling each evening after work!
remember, if breathing required conscious effort and wasn't a brain-stem function, there'd be many dead people around!
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Re: Wonderful idea by Rosamunda on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 2:55pm
I got to admit that your courses are very interesting! (lol I´m still laughing! Thanks!)
We should tell those guys to implement these ones too!
;-)
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Seems to work by DV Henkel-Wallace on Jan 16th, 2006 @ 3:02pm
Well now we all know that you can buy an iPod at Selfridge's!
(but my kid's school recently got a new photocopier and had to schedule a training session on how to use it. So people are easily intimidated by technology, I think because they've been taught to be).
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Re: Seems to work by jdragon on Jan 17th, 2006 @ 1:24am
Believe it or not, some people out there have trouble setting up their iPods. Not everyone is tech gadget savvy!
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mechanics only charge... by Paul on Jan 17th, 2006 @ 2:36am
60-80 dollars an hour for labor done on your car..
and these ipod people only get a 40 minute lesson!
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No Subject Given by haggie on Jan 17th, 2006 @ 11:17am
This article properly represents the average intelligence of the iPod customer base.
They overpaid for a closed-DRM music player because of marketing hype and a cute form factor. Why wouldn't you expect the same people to overpay for accessories and technical support of that same product?
iPods are for sheep.
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Re: No Subject Given by Mousky on Jan 21st, 2006 @ 6:34am
Keeping our society from progressing and maturing? Really? I think our society has been progressing and maturing fairly well. Capitalism and the free market are not perfect, but they are the best thing we have. It's time wasting if someone wants to pay for it.
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Re: No Subject Given by Tsubasa Kato on Jan 24th, 2006 @ 2:49pm
Man. This is funny... How to use iPod for over $100! Can't they read the instruction manual or get at least a guidebook?
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you what say now? by Alice on Jun 9th, 2006 @ 1:44am
I worked in selfridges for a large part of 2005; I never witnesssed these 'ipod training sessions'. Rumours I believe.
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