A few developers receiving iPads early, must keep it in room with blacked-out windows and tuck it in every night
By Paul Miller 
posted March 19th 2010 12:42PM
posted March 19th 2010 12:42PM
posted March 19th 2010 12:42PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
@Damien K Two constants:
1) Any passionate group will always feel that the press, by not having views absolutely aligned with their own, must clearly be aligned with their opposition.
2) The opposition feels the exact same way.
See Apple Supporter/Engadget, Apple Hater/Engadget, Conservative/Media, Liberal/Media, Thinking People/Everyone Else.
You know... when was it exactly when Apple became uncool?
Sad days.
@MarkAnderson
2008
Now now folks, you don't wanna be labeled "Apple Haters" for making such an inquiry.
@MarkAnderson as for me they've never been cool. I mean, come on, iPad? Magic Mouse? Bubble gum suffle?
@MarkAnderson : 1976.
@MarkAnderson
Such unnecessary precautions.
When I bust out a case of bottled water and have to discard the cardboard flat beneath it I usually just pop it in the blue recycling bin outside next to the garage. I don't require any 10 page pact for my garbage men to sign. Nor do I feel the need to keep it in the garage and black-out the window.
Apple is going a bit overboard here...pure foolishness.
@N900
It's not hate - it's just sad seeing a company that has done so many things right recently start to f**k things up big time.
For me it started with that bloody third generation Shuffle.
@MarkAnderson
When the USS Enterprise (XCV 330) took off in 2123. That's when space travel, not computer technology, becomes all the rage.
@MarkAnderson
No company that makes lots of money and has share holders is cool.
@MarkAnderson I concur, they've done some good things and bad things, I'm just talking about the fanbois and their weapons of generalization.
@Wolfticket ok mr. hippie socialist d bag. keep smoking the reefer and hating capitalism.
@Wolfticket
No, but what IS cool is Daniel Tosh taking (what looks like) a 9-iron to an iPad in the middle of a production meeting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gA16Fq4SAo
@MarkAnderson
What is it about this article that makes Apple uncool? It sounds like a standard NDA, they've been around for years.
Last time I checked, Apple wasn't out to be cool, but make money. By the sounds of their increasing market share and high iPad sales though, they must be.
Come on you emo kids, it's business.
@MarkAnderson
Apple IS the next Microsoft. Both start their existence with a little "inspiration from others" and a couple of law suits... to defend their new acquisitions.
Microsoft has learn to "share"... Apple learn just to infringe.
Sad... the new Apple mobile era is like a close watched beautiful virgin closed in a castle, close enough to see ... surrounded by a bunch of horny solders.
@ytilanigiroon
Big companies with share holders can do cool things and employ cool people, but ultimately the company is not cool, as it would do very uncool things if it thought it would make more money that way.
Also,
@kojo87 STFU Cartman.
@DaveBach watch out man, they've got a patent on that.
@MarkAnderson The day that people bought Google's "Do No Harm" lie.
"emo kids" Not exactly the generalizing moniker I was looking for, but you see my point.
@MarkAnderson
everyone in the world needs to tweet about how awesome the ipad they JUST got is. el steve will be furious!
@MarkAnderson
Apple became uncool to PC users when Apple product's became so successful that it was no longer possible just to laugh at them. I guess it was in 1998-2000 with the first iMac and MacOS X.
The became uncool because other companies were so jealous of their success that they feel the need to bash them AND copy them at the same time.
Apple had thus to protect themselves and they need to be uncool in order to avoid the Apple vs Microsoft drama (you know... Windows 1.0) from happening again.
But I know that PC users (should I say Apple haters?) have another story.
@MarkAnderson When they started making obscene amounts of money.
@MarkAnderson 25 years after Microsoft stayed uncool, or 2006. But I still don't care. I buy shit because I like it, not because some d00d who lives in his mom's basement says it's cool.
@Wolfticket
The days of large companies acting responsibly are over. I heard a PR video playing today in a WalMart. It touted how they provide health insurance for all their employees. OOOOPS, it said all "frontline employees". Meaning , anyone who might see the public. Guess that means the one's in the back are SOL.
@MarkAnderson
I RECEIVED ONE!! ITS SO COOL!
oooooops
@neglewis
"Sad... the new Apple mobile era is like a close watched beautiful virgin closed in a castle, close enough to see ... surrounded by a bunch of horny solders."
Buy an iPhone... and the gates open.
@mikmik111
Agreed! I never bought a single apple product because there was always something better and cheaper... Apple is for sheep who get brainwashed by TV advertising. Why talk about the ipad when the notion ink adam is far superior?
@MarkAnderson
I don't know the answer to your question, but what I do find interesting is the paucity of responses from Apple defenders*. A comment like yours, 1 year ago, would have elicited zealous counter-responses... but not now. Makes me wonder if the techie demographic is starting to think that they have jumped the shark.
* I fully agree that there are zealous fanboys for all products/companies regularly seen on Engadget, not just Apple.
@nubbily
Do you have any Nike shoes? Levi's jeans? Sony TV? Any branded product?
Because, you know, you can find cheaper and better products... are you a sheep?
@MarkAnderson
I thought Engadget's headline was a joke at first.
@DaveBach
"When I throw away a the water bottle case I dont get the garbagemen to sign a 10page pact...."
Yeah, but thats a bit of cardboard mate. Not a new highly anticipated (like it or not) device from a major company...
@macmann
emo kids... lol. Perfectly put. Spoiled, pedantic narcissists. It's business, and no one can argue that Apple isn't one of the best at it. People like to disparage the capitalistic greed while hypocritically ignoring their own rampant sense of consumeristic entitlement.
@macmann "What is it about this article that makes Apple uncool? It sounds like a standard NDA, they've been around for years."
yep, probably every company has similar rules but don't get the press.
you wanna see really really uncool. go visit the apple.com homepage. don't they know that taking down the pic of your new great thing is totally uncool. no matter the reason (and yeah I'm being sarcastic)
@MarkAnderson
Not sure when it happened but I received my iPad today (finally). Sadly I have to confirm that it really is, just a big iphone without the phone part.
@HighestRanked2
So when can we look forward to HighestRanked3?
@Simon Sezie
I think that's the point - the RDF is collapsing. You can only bullshit people for so long.
@MarkAnderson
If you guys think Apple is uncool, it's good to see they're still the hottest brand in the world.
@ytilanigiroon oh i agree.. taking anything given to you and instead of handing it over to anyone else who may have wanted it is super cool..
d. tosh = d. bag.
@MarkAnderson "Agent Smith: You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson... "
@Atkins
No I buy things because they work, Which is why I wouldn't buy you.
This article did not happen.
@Baconbits
Hey Engadget, so which room are you keeping YOUR iPad in? Photographic evidence please (and use a flash - as you can't use Flash).
@Baconbits Tyrel Employee: "Describe in single words, only the good things that come in to your mind about... your iPad."
Leon: "My iPad? Let me tell you about my iPad!"
Holden: You're in a desert, walking along in the sand, when all of a sudden you look down...
Leon: What one?
Holden: What?
Leon: What desert?
Holden: It doesn't make any difference what desert, it's completely hypothetical.
Leon: But, how come I'd be there?
Holden: Maybe you're fed up. Maybe you want to be by yourself. Who knows? You look down and see a iPad, Leon. It's unlocked.
Leon: iPad? What's that?
Holden: You know what an iPod Touch is?
Leon: Of course!
Holden: Same thing.
Leon: I've never seen a iPad... But I understand what you mean.
Of course the room has to be blacked out, otherwise it's probably impossible to read something on the screen. :-)
@ShadowMaker SdR Engadget will know, although there's a block on twitter boasting about the pad, looks like the documentation didn't say anything about releasing info about the documentation ;)
Childish.
love the picture "tell me about your mother"
@(Unverified)
Awww, you beat me to it.
In this case, it's "tell me about your iPad", at which point he draws the gun and blasts the other dude...
Bladerunner FTW :)
@Kyzgar
You cannot draw a gun on the iPad. Remember it doesn't come with a stylus and is not intended for drawing...Steve said so.
@DaveBach I see what you did there. No wait, I don't, you uploaded it to Hulu. =(