Apple Says iPod Users Would Rather Be Mugged Than Tacky

from the the-things-people-do-for-fashion dept

Last month, we mentioned reports that Apple's distinct white iPod headphones were attracting muggers who knew that the expensive device was tucked away in a pocket somewhere. For some reason, it took a month, but suddenly this is the big story of the morning, with just about every UK newspaper running some sort of article on the subject. However, what's more interesting to some is Apple's response. Instead of offering alternatives, or even pointing out that it's pretty easy (and cheap) to buy alternative headphones, they responded by saying: "customers would prefer to be robbed than wear something less trendy." Actually, it's a little unclear what the Apple quote really is. Each source I've seen reprints it differently. The two links above are about the same, but one swaps out "trendy" with "stylish". However, The Sun, provides a slightly different take on the quote, saying: "There are guys who'd rather be robbed than change the colour of the headphones." While the initial versions sound like Apple arrogance, that last quote sounds more like Apple disbelief.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Chomper, 30 Mar 2004 @ 12:07pm

    Idiotic is more like it...

    When will peeps realize the Apple headphone suck a$$!!! Gawd, get some real headphones!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2004 @ 12:12pm

      Re: Idiotic is more like it...



      Just one more bit of proof that Apple owners are idiots.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 31 Mar 2004 @ 7:00am

        Re: Idiotic is more like it...

        Not to mention the windows owners who also have ipods.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2004 @ 2:50pm

      Re: Idiotic is more like it...

      Yeah, I got my iPod over a year ago and I thought the earphones were rather cheezy. I swapped them out with some high-end Koss phones which I like. So as an iPod owner, I don't get the whole "white headphone" thing at all. I really don't care what people think I'm listening to.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        thecaptain, 31 Mar 2004 @ 5:54am

        Re: Idiotic is more like it...

        I'm thinking its less about what they are listening to, and less about how good it sounds and a lot more about:

        "Wow! Look at ME, I'm COOL..I've got an iPod!!!"

        Which pretty much sums up ALL of Apple's marketing strategy since the iMacs came out.

        The subtext:
        "Pay no attention to what our stuff actually does..only how cool it looks"

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    False Prophet, 31 Mar 2004 @ 9:53am

    OMG...

    It's a walkman, folks. If you are going to blow $500 on a walkman, that pretty much proves you're a mouth-breather, right up front. If you HAVE to flaunt them, you deserve to have your toys taken away.
    "But I can carry all my music!"
    Shut up. It's a walkman.
    "But I look REALLY cool!"
    Shut up. It's a walkman.
    Bloody thing looks like a pack of generic cigarettes, anyway...
    My $500 is going for a new vidcard and HDD. Ah...something USEFUL.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.