Apple Camp

[Doctor Q]

Apple isn't shy about their retail store efforts. They've kept up the pace setting up new stores, having grand openings and other big events like the Jaguar release, putting on workshops, and having School Nights. Now they have Apple Camp (http://www.apple.com/retail/camp/) for kids in grades 1 through 9 to "to try out new applications, techniques and shortcuts". You have to buy a new Mac to qualify so you can send up to three "extended family members".

Parents are always scambling for what to do with the kids for the summer, so at first I thought it was a clever way to get parents to buy a Mac and let Apple indoctrinate their kids, by appealing to parents' yearn for summer activities and a place to leave the kids for a while. But it is only 7.5 hours total over 3 days (5 hours over 2 days for the "advanced" class), and parents are "encouraged to tag along". In fact, if you read the fine print, the permission form says "Attendees under age 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian" so you don't get babysitting after all.

Do you think this will be popular? Will it help sell Macs? Will you buy a Mac and send YOUR kids?

[evil]

hell. im 22 and i want to go to apple camp

[jethroted]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
Apple isn't shy about their retail store efforts. They've kept up the pace setting up new stores, having grand openings and other big events like the Jaguar release, putting on workshops, and having School Nights. Now they have Apple Camp (http://www.apple.com/retail/camp/) for kids in grades 1 through 9 to "to try out new applications, techniques and shortcuts". You have to buy a new Mac to qualify so you can send up to three "extended family members".

Parents are always scambling for what to do with the kids for the summer, so at first I thought it was a clever way to get parents to buy a Mac and let Apple indoctrinate their kids, by appealing to parents' yearn for summer activities and a place to leave the kids for a while. But it is only 7.5 hours total over 3 days (5 hours over 2 days for the "advanced" class), and parents are "encouraged to tag along". In fact, if you read the fine print, the permission form says "Attendees under age 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian" so you don't get babysitting after all.

Do you think this will be popular? Will it help sell Macs? Will you buy a Mac and send YOUR kids?

Why didn't they have camps like this when I was a kid? Screw archery camp. I want to go too.

[Doctor Q]

Obviously, what we need is an enterprising middleschooler who rents himself/herself out to adults who want a way to sign up for Apple Camp. You can register your rent-a-kid, tag along, and brush up on your skills. :)

[Royal Pineapple]

it seems to me that this is just to teach you the basics, eg. creating a playlist in itunes, using the dock, editing a movie in imovie, in fact they prolly focus on the iLife apps.

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by Royal Pineapple
it seems to me that this is just to teach you the basics, eg. creating a playlist in itunes, using the dock, editing a movie in imovie, in fact they prolly focus on the iLife apps.

in that case... can i send my parents there so i don't have to teach them how to do simple things 890312558912 times? ;)

[mactastic]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
in that case... can i send my parents there so i don't have to teach them how to do simple things 890312558912 times? ;)

Hehe... no doubt, for the basic stuff, the parents are more likely to need this than their kids!

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
in that case... can i send my parents there so i don't have to teach them how to do simple things 890312558912 times?If you can teach them how to do simple things once per second, it will only take you until the year 30,215 to finish teaching them 890312558912 times. By then, they are sure to catch on!

[alxths]

Who in their right mind would send their children to a summer camp run by a large corporation like apple? I know it's not as ominous as microsoft camp, but it just doesn't sit right with me.

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by alxths
Who in their right mind would send their children to a summer camp run by a large corporation like apple? I know it's not as ominous as microsoft camp, but it just doesn't sit right with me.

who feeds their kids food from a huge corporation like mcdonalds a few times a week?

i mean, believe me, i hate the big corps as much as the next person (big nader fan. ;)) but i don't think that applies so much here... sure, apple can get these folks to be apple fans for life if they get them early... but in my mind, that's not a bad thing. unlike the meat industry or whatever. hehe


ps. doctor q... you the man!

[mac15]

mac camp, kinda sad don't you think. Now they are breeding nerds

[vollspacken]

I want to go too... :(

[Doctor Q]

More details from Apple today: "Your boys and girls will learn everything from using the Internet (to communicate with others and do research) to making movies and photo books with iMovie and iPhoto."

Gee, they can teach a 6 year old to do Internet research in 7.5 hours! I guess if only they had 8 hours they'd throw in a little Final Cut Pro too.

[alxths]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
who feeds their kids food from a huge corporation like mcdonalds a few times a week?

i mean, believe me, i hate the big corps as much as the next person (big nader fan. ;)) but i don't think that applies so much here... sure, apple can get these folks to be apple fans for life if they get them early... but in my mind, that's not a bad thing. unlike the meat industry or whatever. hehe


ps. doctor q... you the man!

I hardly think the two are comparible... is eating McDonalds the same as going to a McDonalds camp? But regardless, I certainly would hardly feed my children that crap on a monthly basis, let alone a few times a week.

As an interesting side-not, i think there actually is a McDonalds camp, for charity.. Or maybe that's just Tim Hortons.