| SANDISK, maker of the world's 2nd best-selling mp3 | | | | to e200. You know why? Because as an iPod user, I |
| player (behind Apple's iPod) has started a new | | | | feel like I'm being insulted. Hey, I'm not a complicated |
| anti-iPod advertising campaign. You can read about it in | | | | guy so I won't go into the whole nitty-gritty of "Apple |
| detail here: | | | | makes you do this-and-that blah blah blah and it only |
| Here's the hoopla in a nutshell. SanDisk is said to be | | | | works with iTunes blah blah blah." |
| porting Rockbox, an open-source OS for digital music | | | | I plug the iPod into my computer and the damn thing |
| players (which supports many different mp3 devices), | | | | works. That's why I use it. |
| onto its popular e200 mp3 player. To bring the matter | | | | In my opinion, SanDisk's whole "revolutionary" ad |
| to public consciousness, SanDisk has started releasing | | | | approach, however provocative, is ultimately misguided. |
| the before-mentioned anti-iPod ads in an attempt to | | | | For one thing, SanDisk won't win me over by insulting |
| blatantly attack its arch-nemesis, Apple. | | | | me and comparing me to a monkey, puppet, sheep, or |
| The ads depict graffiti-like illlustrations made to | | | | any other kind of farm animal. Secondly, SanDisk's ads |
| resemble posters for an underground revolutionary | | | | also evoke a political edge, which makes no sense. For |
| movement. One shows a monkey sporting the iPod | | | | better or for worse, people buy iPods because they |
| earbuds with the line "Are you an iChimp?", and | | | | WANT TO, not because they're forced to. |
| another is of a guy strung up in white iPod cables like a | | | | Furthermore, Apple allows its products to stand on |
| marionette, with the text: "Have you become an | | | | their own merit and they never insult people for not |
| iPuppet?" | | | | using them. Although Apple has poked fun at PCs in |
| Okay, okay. Mp3 competition is fierce- I get it. SanDisk | | | | their own internet and TV campaigns, it's a far cry |
| wants to play rough- fine by me. As far as I'm | | | | from SanDisk's "Are you an iPuppet?" approach. |
| concerned, open source is good stuff, and there's no | | | | Perhaps I'm an iPod user who's taking this whole thing |
| doubt in my mind that SanDisk makes a good product. | | | | a little too personally. But if the e200 and Rockbox are |
| Competition is good for capitalism and the consumer. | | | | so great, which I'm sure they are, maybe SanDisk |
| I'm not here to tout the technical prowess of one geek | | | | should just tell us why and let the people decide. |
| gadget over another. | | | | For all of SanDisk's anti-iPod effort, Apple could easily |
| What I will comment on, however, is the nature of the | | | | fire back and say SanDisk is still #2, and 2nd place is |
| ads themselves. I took one look at these things and I'll | | | | the first loser. Even if it's true, it would be insulting, right? |
| tell you right now that I'm not going to switch from iPod | | | | |