[pavlos]

Steve Jobs (SJ) played good ol' samaritan and gave nano video ipods to 100 kids affected by the wildfires in CA. Apparently, this was SJ's response to a letter sent to his publicly known email address by Steve Boyack (a concerned citizen and involved in fire relief efforts) who asked apple for a donation.

read the whole story:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/e...9-1m4ipod.html

It's nice to hear that SJ wanted to share his blessings this year.
After all, 2007 spelled profits for him...
Iphone:Leopard:Ipod Touch:Ipod Classic:Nano Video:Mac Sales (both portable and desktop)

[alfiesy]

Is it just me or is there any other folk out there who feels that Apple should've done a little (nay, a lot more) than giving out 100 ipod nanos to affected kids? Given the banner year that Apple Inc. had in 2007, a more concrete assistance in rebuilding communities destroyed by the wildfires would probably be in order.

[kaffee]

I hear you, alfie. This news may be seen both ways: embarrassing, given that these young Americans – specifically "the high school kids" that Boyack, the donor-seeker, thought were always left out – definitely need more than an iPod to soothe the feeling of [greater] loss incurred by the wildfire, and a confirmation of Apple's famous culture of secrecy. Note that the article credits Boyack thus: He said Apple officials didn't want any publicity.

In the face of catastrophe, however, this is what bothers me somewhat:
(Boyack) “Having four boys, I thought what would be nice for the kids, and I thought iPods are an accessory most kids like and can't live without.” Then again, I guess it’s one of those things that set them apart from the third-world, like I see what is coming next: iPods to the evacuated youth of flood-stricken Washington and Oregon. On hindsight, there was no news coming out of New Orleans of the youth receiving iPods, even after they were evacuated and actually had electricity to charge their iPods with.

Well, maybe we will never know what charities and causes Apple donates to, unlike Bill Gates and Microsoft, which always hogs the headlines.

[pavlos]

i wonder if this award would sway SJ's mind over this weekend

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/12/....hall.of.fame/

come to think of it, donation=honorarium?

[kbmoi]

what could ipod's do in supporting families?

I really don't get the point

[CruciaL]

Not to mention, how will they load songs/charge their iPods. -_-

I doubt that many of those kids has computers at home.