iPod Amnesty Bin

You've gotta chuckle! The guys a Microsoft have allegedly installed an iPod amnesty bin for all those employees that realise that its probably not a good idea to use a competitor's product in the office.

The Seatle Times wrote "MSNBC.com's Rex Sorgatz took the photo, which sparked the usual online zealotry at the end of a quiet, pre-holiday week. He posted a comment later putting it in perspective for an Apple fan who thought discarding an unwanted iPod, rather than selling it, was stupid:

"I think it's more of a joke than you're suggesting. Microsoft isn't actually dumb enough to think that people are going to drop their iPods in the bin — it's a way to show they have a reasonable degree of levity."

You've got to admit it is a bit of chuckle!

It's just a shame that MacWorld didn't find the funny side. They've obviously taken it far too seriously. They commented:

Oh it really is truly pathetic. Microsoft - renowned worldwide for embracing and extending the notion of good business practice - has retreated to schoolyard ethics as its empire collapses in the face of Apple's iPod.

The company has launched a brand-new anti-marketing scheme across its Zune group headquarters - an iPod Amnesty Bin. Employees are meant to dutifully drop their music players into the bin, and run hot-foot to the company store to buy themselves a Zune (also available in, erm, brown).

And they aren't doing it.

Well - sure, there's a few iPods in the bin, but there's no saying who put them in there. Those few binned iPods depicted in this Flickr-found image seem to be recent models.

Lighten up guys! It's just humour, moral building and a bit of a laugh.

This is the funniest bit of their piece:

The fact of the matter here is that by attempting to coerce employees into abandoning the world's favourite music player, Microsoft is actually showing how very popular the iPod has become - and the fact employees aren't playing ball reinforces the notion that Microsoft has lost this battle for good.

It's just a shame that the photographer didn't capture the Microsoft employee at the door giving workers a chinese burn until they pulled out their iPods and dropped them in the box.

Some people are so far up their own backsides that they can't have a chuckle. They can't see the funny side of the competition. You could see the lawsuits flying if Microsoft employees were coerced into throwing their iPods away.

But it doesn't stop there, Jonny Evans goes on to write:

the iPod Amnesty Bin move (if true) is a sign of Microsoft's corporate decadence. Child-like and unrealistic behaviour, the equivalent of King Canute's ill-fated attempt to turn back the waves.

now I've really got to stop laughing. Take a chill-pill dude. "Corporate decadence", "unrealistic behaviour". The only thing that comes to mind at the moment is "ego mastabation" - Jonny stop it mate or your head will explode!