Pulse: Ellen’s texting troubles earn Apple’s ire
by edit@cnet.com.au (Pam Carroll)Are you having trouble getting the hang of sending text messages on your touch screen phone? So is Ellen DeGeneres. While many touchscreen newbies would hide their flubs, the comedian instead made a spoof iPhone ad and aired it on her chat show.
You and I may get a chuckle out of it, but Apple did not. The scolding she got from the company prompted a profuse on-air apology. “They thought that I made it look like the iPhone was hard to use,” she said. “It’s not hard to use…I love it. I love my iPad. I love my iPod. I love IHOP.” (That’s International House of Pancakes for those who’ve never been to one of the US chain’s breakfast restaurants.)
Everywhere one turns nowadays it seems that Apple is being accused of being too touchy.
First, Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” ridiculed Apple after police stormed the home of a Gizmodo editor who had acquired a lost iPhone prototype. Then Apple allegedly fired one of its engineers for showing an iPad before the device’s official debut to the very threatening Steve Wozniak - one of Apple’s three founders. Later, Wozniak chided Apple for not being nice enough.
The recent events make one wonder if Apple needs to get its hands back on the public’s pulse. It might help the company’s image if someone over in Cupertino reminds everybody to lighten up. Apple sells products that are supposed to be fun and hip.
It can hardly hurt the company’s image to have a sense of humour.
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