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That sucks, the only thing I can think of to say in their defense is that they probably don't have a very big margin on the hardware. You also have to wonder what if anything are they doing to improve conditions in the countries where iPods are made. Like maybe they could do something to improve those people's lives. Don't get me wrong, it's still better for them to do that than do nothing, but it really seems like they are just exploiting a real issue for their own benefit, and ultimately, they figure it's going to make them more money than they lose. Instead of just giving the profit from the devices, they could actually dig into their own pockets and give all proceeds from the sale...
I guess Bill has them beat on philanthropy.
Maybe they should give all their 3 cent an hour workers a $15 iTunes certificate?
That would be equally stupid.

I'm at a loss as to how what Apple is doing is bad? If all good deeds and charitable donations are going to be measured against Gates, the worlds richest man, then by your standards they are all worthless.

Who are you arrogant fools to judge and what contribution have you made?

It's not 'bad' it's just misleading. They want to create an image of Apple as a company that cares, without actually making any real sacrifices. They will sell more iPods because they said the money is going to AIDS, but in reality, only some of the actual profit is going to AIDS, so they are going to sell more iPods than they otherwise would, and still profit, and basically write off the AIDS donation as an advertising expense.
My point is, if they really care about AIDS victims, just give as much as you can afford to AIDS charities, without tying it to the sale of your products -- and instead of advertising about how much you care, in order to benefit yourself, just care, because its the right thing to do, not because it sells iPods.

Misleading? It says, in plain text, right on Apple's main PROJECT RED page that $10 from every Project Red purchase goes to the charity. How is that misleading?

Before you throw out accusations of "arrogance" or "foolsishness", you should first check Neowin's posting rules and then comprehend the comment you're responding to.

The whole point is, (since you seem to have missed it) is that Apple gets $249 per red ipod. Of that, we know that 4% goes to charity, very little goes to the human manufacturers, and all the rest? Apple's greedy pockets.

Do you get it? It's not about giving money away (enter Bill & Melinda Gates), it's about selling more iPods. Granted, Apple is a business and businesses exist only to make money... But if you're going to make a charitable effort, make a real effort.

Now, tell us what contributions you have made because name calling on Neowin isn't exactly a contribution.

What a public relations joke. When Bono pays taxes I might listen to him.

I will concede that ultimately it is a good thing, and will probably raise more money by giving perhaps otherwise indifferent people an easy way to support a cause. Buy an iPod at regular price and Apple gives something to charity, you do something good, get an iPod, and it dosen't cost you anything extra really. Apple gets some good publicity out of it but ultimately it helps people and it's good.
Really maybe it's just an unpleasant reminder that nobody wants to help anyone unless they get something out of it, and that's why its frustrating.

I haven't called you any names, I simply identified the traits you were exhibiting. Stop playing the wounded feelings game and hiding behind rules that I haven't broken. Terms like foolish and arrogant aren't insults when they apply, and declaring that Apple isn't contributing enough because they have more is both arrogant and foolish. You are falling prey to the idea that those who have more (even when earned by hard work) owe those who don't a greater sum than what they already give, no matter how much that is.

I tire of the whole "evil corporation" rubbish you keep throwing up; you hold up the Gates Foundation when all the money he is giving away is personal gain from the evilest of empires. Do you get it, any charitable effort is worthy and only the most cynical of minds can find fault with that. Gates is doing some amazing stuff, but he isn't giving away any MS money, but his own personal fortune. So by your yardstick if Apple is greedy then MS is positively vile.

Don't forget that Apple's greedy pockets provides jobs for thousands, tax dollars for millions in communities where Apple operates and have made good effort at keeping manufacturing partners in line overseas.

Before you attack the company that is making a real effort, give me a run down of what Microsoft is doing for charity? Not the standard tax deduction stuff all corporations do, but something extraordinary like a red Xbox360 with 100% of the proceeds going to AIDS relief. Right, no such thing, but that is fine; because anything less than that kind of effort isn't real so why bother?

If I wanted to take your cynical viewpoint I would assert that the only reason Bill Gates is shoveling money out the door is to rehab his public image as a petulant, greedy tyrant. But I know how arrogant that would be, so I would never assert such a thing.

As for my contributions, likely not much ($10 for my wife's red iPod I suppose), but I'm not the one judging Apple's effort as not a "real effort".

As long as we're trolling this one to death : Now we see under the rhetoric your real motivation for defending Apple's Red iPod -- you bought one.

First, Apple is good by doing that because they help a good cause.
Second, I'm pretty sure that (PRODUCT) red = 4% of the price to AIDS. Maybe Apple doesn't even decide that ratio.
And 4% is still 4% better than 0.

How much they pay? What about work conditions?

Taxes? Taxes go where?

Exactly. Something is better than nothing.

Illogical and stupid reasoning. If something's better than nothing, does that mean Apple would be justified in even giving $1 from all red IPOD sales towards AIDS? If you say 'No', then why not? How about 10c of each sale? Why is the standard set at $10 then? Why is that reasonable? Beyond that, charity and fake, patheticly veiled altruism by proxy will never ever bring about peace in the world, cure starvation or every disease. On the other hand, full-out personal charity will never happen either. Why? People are too selfish and uncaring. It cannot happen given the nature of human beings. Sadly, we're making it far worse than we are any better as history has shown. We're going to be extinct and sooner rather than later. Not because of global warming, bird flu or AIDS; but because of ourselves and the ultimate entropy that most do not avoid, if they can even realize it.

All this talk about 4% being nice is ridiculous. Want to help with AIDS and have a nice red IPOD? Buy the IPOD and then give a lot of money to AIDS research directly. I am sick and tired of every wealthy and well-off (in relation to the average of the world) person hiding behind proximal charity and help for the poor, starving etc. You are not an altruistic saint if you buy this red IPOD, if you give to the church collection plate or if you give x amount of money to one of the thousands of charities of the world. It ultimately doesn't do ****. If individuals continue to care more about bashing the President, buying things and getting laid (just one example, in this case of a typical American male now-a-days), the 20,000+ innocent people who starve every day (more important than hospitalized AIDS victims or cancer unfortunates in my opinion) will continue to do so no matter what charities, Bono or corporations do, especially when all everyone is trying to do is cure every disease on the planet. You cannot and should not attempt to cure every disease. Boy, are we screwed... It's horribly depressing if you dwell on it too long.

I could go on and on, but I won't. I'm just going to go find personal happiness, satisfaction and pleasure by being with my lovely, beautiful girlfriend.

P.S. If anyone wants to turn this around and ask me how I contribute to save the innocent and unfortunate? I won't even respond. That kind of attack/defence is worthless and foolishly sad. I love individuals as individuals and help those I find are worth helping in my life. Helping by proxy is dillusional, selfish behaviour, whether one consciously realizes it or not.

Last edited by illz55 on 04 Nov 2006 - 06:12

So you thing something isn't better than nothing? Honestly, say you're looking to purchase something. You see two products next to each other, exactly the same features, exactly the same price, but one donates a couple bucks to a worthy charity when you purchase it. Which one will you buy?

Of course buying a red iPod will not cure AIDS. But it's a step towards helping the people who suffer from it in Africa. I didn't see people complaining about any charitable deeds by Apple before this, so why start complaining once they do throw a few dollars per purchase towards a charity?

Personally, I'm pretty sure the charities are stoked that Apple are doing this, raising money and awareness.

Been to Cupertino, Apple pays just fine. Been to the Apple Store in your area lately, no one in those jobs is making minimum wage or starving to death. The vast majority of taxes go back into communities where they are levied, regardless of the absurd anti-corporate/evil government rubbish that gets spouted around here.

So what? I'd just as gladly defend MS for a red Xbox360 controller, any contribution is better than none. I know most of the people replying to this thread are idealistic high school and college kids, but you guys are absurd.

So you wag your finger at everyone else for not "truly helping" then concede you don't care about anyone doesn't directly impact your day to day life? Thanks for prodiving a conrete example of why a gesture like the Red Produkt campagn is necessary in the first place. And the idea that we shouldn't attempt to cure AIDs or Cancer; I hope no one in your precious day to day life ever contracts either disease, as much as I would like to see you eat your words I won't wish that on anyone unfortunate enough to know you.

I'm sorry that you can't comprehend what Microsoft is doing. Let's start with giving away billions to charitable cuases. And it has nothing to do with "image" - if you want to hate Bill Gates that's fine, but that's your own (however mis-informed) opinion, not "fact".

And the facts here are that Apple is giving 4% of its sales to charity and keeping a bigger percentage for itself. If it really wanted to help it would give all profits to AIDS on this particula rmodel and keep none for itself.

Plain and simple.

No, C_Guy, Microsoft is keeping 100% of its profits on the Zune (if there are any), and Gates, a private individual is donating his money.

Apple is still better than Microsoft.

If Microsoft really wanted to help, they would give something, anything, but they aren't.

Get a Zune and make your own personal contribution = MUCH bigger contribution to AIDS research than buying an iPod [And you get a MUCH better media player].

Let's see: buy a device where 4% goes to AID research (as several other companies are doing without criticism) or buy a different device at the same price where ZERO goes to AID research. Makes sense. How is that a MUCH bigger contribution to AIDS research? Oh, you are claiming you are making a personal contribution. Well, if you did that with a PRODUCT RED device wouldn't that be 4% + the SAME personal contribution.

I thought you had almost gotten one part right, but then I realized you typed "better" not "bigger."

You fool. Learn to read and comprehend the english language better. He said buy a Zune (which he considers a better media player) AND make your own contribution; as in give your own donation (bigger than that of $10) towards helping with AIDS.

Yes, learn to read indeed.

Last edited by dp123 on 05 Nov 2006 - 15:42

Toot toot!! Here comes the Clue Train!

Hop on board, slappy.

Apple is spending billions to develop the next color of plastic.

Another mental giant with sub-par reading comprehension...these are anodized aluminum.

Second paragraph, can your attention span last that long? Reading is fundamental.

lol

I second that suggestion!

Microsoft doesn't even have a nano competitor, so C_Guy is clutching at straws (or bricks)

And why do you get to post things that make no sense? Microsot has a competing product right here.

And arguing facts is not considered trolling. If you can't defend Apple/Macs with facts then maybe you shouldn't read the comments on these news stories.

Last edited by C_Guy on 06 Nov 2006 - 16:56

Sell out!

It could have been purchased from colorwarepc.com, though.

Why? The white headphones are what define iPods.

zune 4 life, I want everything to match my setup

Why? Do you own a lot of other sub-par Microsoft crap?

hey, at least im not subjected to apples bullshit color scheme that nobody has even if they own a macbookpro, wait till cracked vista + cracked 2007office + amd owns your ass

have fun playing games...OH WAIT U CAN'T LOL..itunes store = http://www.defectivebydesign.org/en/node

Does that mean you're going to get brown headphones?

no, that no matchy, get black cuz that matchy

Your PC is brown?

Great contribution to the discussion of charitable donations by Apple. Keep up the good work.

Am I blind?
When did the article title change from "Apple Releases 8 GB Product Red Nano" to "Apple's charity"?

$249-$10(charity) =$239 for Apple's greedy pocket.

and be careful never to have a accident and need a blood transfusion aswell

And be careful not to be a child of a person who has sex

also be careful where you cut yourself

They're a "stuck-up", "I'm-better-than-you-company" . . . . which in the grand scheme of things is relevant how??

The bottom-line . . . is the bottom-line. A company's "personality" or "ego", if it can have such a thing, can perhaps at best remotely affect some level of their PR, but not much else.

Who cares *why* Apple is doing it? They also have the choice to *not* do it. And newsflash: EVERY multibillion dollar corporation that engages in charity work does it for PR, and it is nearly always publicized.

Apple just happens to use a an actual product to shepherd this contribution.

What did you expect???

I couldn't give a damn either way as long as my next iPod has new/better features, and as long as the upcoming Macs are better in quality and performance than their predecessors. The rest is gravy - irrelevant, but still gravy. I neither expect nor ask any corporation to heal the world. That is not why they exist.

Actually, it's specifically red not because Apple just randomly chose that color to represent a good cause (Global Fund to fight AIDS). It's actually an entire campaign that includes many well known corporations that are involved and have specific products in their lineup as part of the campaign.

Have a look at the PRODUCT RED™ website to learn more. They have a partnership with Motorola as well, so expect to see PRODUCT RED™ Motorola RAZR and SLVR phones as well.

Good point Hawkeye. Your comment just put a whole crowd of complainers into the "owned" category.