Apple Announces Winner of 1 Billion App Contest

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/24/apple-announces-winner-of-1-billion-app-contest/)

In a press release (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/04/24appstore.html) issued this morning regarding the App Store's one billion app milestone (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/23/app-store-reaches-milestone-one-billion-apps-downloaded/), Apple announced that the winner of the associated contest was 13-year old Connor Mulcahey of Weston, Connecticut. Connor, who downloaded Bump [App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305479724&mt=8)] as the milestone application, will receive a $10,000 iTunes gift card, a 32 GB iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a 17" MacBook Pro."The revolutionary App Store has been a phenomenal hit with iPhone and iPod touch users around the world, and we'd like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve the astonishing milestone of one billion apps downloaded," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "In nine months, the App Store has completely revolutionized the mobile industry and this is only the beginning."

Article Link: Apple Announces Winner of 1 Billion App Contest (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/24/apple-announces-winner-of-1-billion-app-contest/)

[TJ10]

I'm Jealous

[daneoni]

Lucky bastard

[.Andy]

Bump :(. I was hoping the 1 billionth app download would be Baby Shaker.

[DaBrain]

Wow that's pretty generous on Apple's part! What a Lucky kid! :);):apple:

[quagmire]

So the winner was the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app? I thought it was random selection? :confused:

Congrats to that 13 year old! I wish I won $13K in prizes at that age!

[Mew2468]

So the winner was the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app? I thought it was random selection? :confused:


That's what I thought too. It made sense that it with the 1 billionth download, but they kept saying you can enter without purchasing if you send in a form, and to be entered download any app.

Oh well.

[wavelayer]

Got a bunch of apps lately, had no idea it was the milestone app that got the prize. Oh well.

[Flore]

I think it was not. Bump was most likely the app that then in the end got him the price.

Probably just a slight error on MacRumors' side..

13 year old.. well he as enough time to spend the 10,000 at least. :D

[macdim]

Well congrats to the kid. It was supposed to be me.

[MBAir]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/7A280f Safari/525.20)

Lucky sob

[twoodcc]

dang it. why didn't i download a bunch of apps yesterday?

[Shasterball]

Ya. To a 13-year old kid, this must seem like the coolest thing to ever happen to him. Then again, I'd love it and I'm definitely not 13 anymore. :D

[pablol]

How the heck would anyone use that?? I guess it's like when u win the lottery and you get small payments for the next 30 years. Lame prize I think. Apple should have ponied up and given away more hardware.

[jholzner]

How the heck would anyone use that?? I guess it's like when u win the lottery and you get small payments for the next 30 years. Lame prize I think. Apple should have ponied up and given away more hardware.

Boy, some people are just never happy. They didn't have to give away anything and you are complaining that it isn't good enough. I'd be more than happy with a free 17" Macbook Pro!

[russ973]

Hope you have $4,000 to pay the taxes Uncle Sam will want on that amount of winnings.

Prize taxes suck. See "Extreme Home Makeover"

Of course otherwise every employer would have a "contest" to pay you. Flip a coin, heads you win $2,000 this paycheck, tales it's $1,999.

[vassillios]

That's what I thought too. It made sense that it with the 1 billionth download, but they kept saying you can enter without purchasing if you send in a form, and to be entered download any app.

Oh well.

yeah, pretty deceptive on apple's part. I'm pissed.

I mean why would they say you can download up to 25 apps a day if, on the first day of the contest, you would have no chance in hell of winning? Sure the rules said something about receipt of purchase (meaning when you were officially charged for the app) but come on!

The reason Apple was so deceptive was to encourage people to purchase a **** load of apps hoping to win.

LAME!!!!

[deannnnn]

Hope you have $4,000 to pay the taxes Uncle Sam will want on that amount of winnings.

Prize taxes suck. See "Extreme Home Makeover"

Of course otherwise every employer would have a "contest" to pay you. Flip a coin, heads you win $2,000 this paycheck, tales it's $1,999.

It's a gift card...

[puckhead193]

lucky SOB :p
i could have used a new lappy

[Evangelion]

How the heck would anyone use that?? I guess it's like when u win the lottery and you get small payments for the next 30 years. Lame prize I think. Apple should have ponied up and given away more hardware.

So, he has $10.000 to spend in iTunes. Which basically means free music, apps and movies for his lifetime. He also got a 17" MacBook Pro, 32GB iPod touch and a Time Capsule.

And you complain.... Apple could have given nothing, but they decided to go through with this.

[tirerim]

Hope you have $4,000 to pay the taxes Uncle Sam will want on that amount of winnings.

He's 13 -- he'll clearly be in the lowest tax bracket (10%), and after the standard deduction, the taxes won't be that bad -- under $1000.

[tirerim]

yeah, pretty deceptive on apple's part. I'm pissed.

I mean why would they say you can download up to 25 apps a day if, on the first day of the contest, you would have no chance in hell of winning? Sure the rules said something about receipt of purchase (meaning when you were officially charged for the app) but come on!

The reason Apple was so deceptive was to encourage people to purchase a **** load of apps hoping to win.

LAME!!!!

Well, someone's a sore loser. The reason they set the limit is to prevent everyone from just downloading a thousand apps hoping that one of them would be the billionth. The rules were confusing, but fair. And I'm pretty sure most people who were trying for it were downloading free apps.

[Macnator]

Oh well. Congrats to him though! :) I never win anything. :(

But, lucky for him.

[TJ10]

:eek:, I started to cry when i didn't win.
I bet you started to cry when you did win!
ha and im 17.
i got 9k for that giftcard?!?

[lifeinhd]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11a Safari/525.20)

Well, I guess I'd better go collect my prize then....

[iMacoo7]

So the winner was the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app? I thought it was random selection? :confused:

Congrats to that 13 year old! I wish I won $13K in prizes at that age!

I thought the same thing, I think allot of people thought it would be like that.
Somewhat of a lottery type drawing.
Kuddos to the kid that won, but the rules kind of were unclear.
My point?
All those people whom sent in the form and did not download an application, They are automatically ruled out I suppose.

[lifeinhd]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11a Safari/525.20)

My guess is Apple will start to see a lot of app deletions over the next few days from people who only downloaded apps to win the contest.

[Stephen123]

It's weird the way the tax works. He got a gift card and hardware. He probably owes something in the $1000 to $2000 range. But he can't use the gift card to pay it. So 'winning' is going to cost his parents a lot of money. I wonder if Apple will help with this in some way if they can't afford it? Perhaps cash in part of the prize for tax money?

[sk8mash]

It's weird the way the tax works. He got a gift card and hardware. He probably owes something in the $1000 to $2000 range. But he can't use the gift card to pay it. So 'winning' is going to cost his parents a lot of money. I wonder if Apple will help with this in some way if they can't afford it? Perhaps cash in part of the prize for tax money?

Wait...so in america if I was to give you a laptop, you would have to pay tax on it?!

[lifeinhd]

Wait...so in america if I was to give you a laptop, you would have to pay tax on it?!

If you, as an individual, were to simply hand me a laptop, it would be off the record, so no, I wouldn't have to pay tax on it. However, if you, as a corporation were to give me a laptop, it's on the record, so yes, I would have to pay tax on it.

[pdjudd]

Wait...so in america if I was to give you a laptop, you would have to pay tax on it?!

Corporations and individuals can only declare so much as a gift. Those are treated differently than prizes which are heavily taxed. They are very different things.

[crazychris3992]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

It's weird the way the tax works. He got a gift card and hardware. He probably owes something in the $1000 to $2000 range. But he can't use the gift card to pay it. So 'winning' is going to cost his parents a lot of money. I wonder if Apple will help with this in some way if they can't afford it? Perhaps cash in part of the prize for tax money?

Wait...so in america if I was to give you a laptop, you would have to pay tax on it?!

Yeah, I know. It even cost money to win. The US government is stingy. They want money from EVERYTHING!!!!

[Benguitar]

Lucky bastard

My thoughts exactly.. >_>

13 years old, and he is like endorsed by Apple..

[casik]

kinda sucks that a 13 year old that probably had no idea about the contest won, but things always end up that way:P Anyways to all of you that thought your downloads and forms were considered entries, you should have read the rules, or the bazillion posts on the forums here that were obvious in explaining that the billionth download was the winner. no sympathy.

[whistler222]

Hope you have $4,000 to pay the taxes Uncle Sam will want on that amount of winnings.

Prize taxes suck. See "Extreme Home Makeover"

Of course otherwise every employer would have a "contest" to pay you. Flip a coin, heads you win $2,000 this paycheck, tales it's $1,999.

would be that much. he's 13.. no other income

total value is like 13000.. less personal deductions etc..
he might pay 1000 in taxes..

[tk421]

How the heck would anyone use that?? I guess it's like when u win the lottery and you get small payments for the next 30 years. Lame prize I think. Apple should have ponied up and given away more hardware.

Personally, I'd rather have the $10,000 gift card than all the rest of the prizes put together.

[BlizzardBomb]

What would a 13 year old do with a 17" MBP apart from look at high-resolution girls? :p

[mackensteff]

So the winner was the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app? I thought it was random selection? :confused:

The rules for the billionth app promotion were confusing. My co-worker and I were led to believe that anyone who purchases an app or fills out the form online has a chance to win the contest. With the contest now ended Apple claims that a 13-year old downloaded the billionth app and therefore has won the contest. The very circumstance in which he won by downloading the billionth app doesn't match with what the rules state.
The Rules:
Timing. The Promotion shall run from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2009 and ends with the downloading of the 1 billionth app (“Promotion Period”). For purposes of the Promotion, the downloading of the 1 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 1 billionth app from iTunes or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 999,999,999th app, whichever comes first.
This is a legal requirement to tell everybody when the contest is over. Nowhere does it say a drawing or the winner will be picked at random!!!

How to Enter. There are three ways to enter the Promotion:
You will automatically be entered into the Promotion by downloading an app from the App Store.
You will automatically be entered into the Promotion by downloading an app from the App Store using your iPhone or iPod touch.
Non-purchase method: Go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-...own/entryform/, fully complete an online entry, including your name, complete mailing address (P.O. Boxes not acceptable), telephone number, and birth date. Once your online entry is complete, hit the “Submit” button to submit an entry. Entry via this method constitutes one (1) entry into the Promotion.
This is a legal requirement. Giveaways have to have a non-purchase method, or they become a lottery, with some state prohibit. The form is simply your way to play without purchase and make this legal in all states.

Limit: Regardless of which method of entry is used to enter the Promotion, only twenty-five (25) entries per person and/or iTunes account and/or email address, per day will be granted. The use of any automated launching or entry software or any other means that permits the entrant to automatically enter repeatedly or in excess of the entry limitations is prohibited.

This is for when it gets close to 1B. If they find out you entered 100 times on the day 1B downloads are hit, you are disqualified. Same for submitting more than 25 entry forms. I think this is to prevent the whole system crashing as it nears 1B. This will prevent people setting up a program to submit/download 1000 free apps as the time approaches

Sweepstakes. Sponsor is the sole judging organization whose decisions as to the operation of the Sweepstakes and the selection of the potential winner are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app. The potential winner will be determined by the order of the entries received. In the event that more than one entrant would be a winner based on the simultaneous timing of entries, one entrant will be randomly selected from those entrants as the winner. Each entrant’s chances of winning are dependent upon the number of eligible entries received.

Please read:
THE WINNER IS THE PERSON WHO DOWNLOADS THE 1 BILLIONITH APP OR THE PERSON WHO SUBMITS THE FORM AFTER THE 999,999,999 APP WAS DOWNLOADED. NO LUCKY DIP!!! NO RANDOM DRAWING. NO INCREASING YOUR ODDS BY DOWNLOADING?FILLING OUT MORE FORMS. DOWNLOADING AN APP ONLY GETS THE NUMBER CLOSER TO 1B.

No where does it say that it is a random draw. You do enter the drawing by downloading an app, you just happen to be the 1,000,000,000 - #app you downloaded loser of the contest. The person that downloaded app 999,999,999 was the 1st runner up or 1 loser. By downloading you enter the contest and helped that person win.

[x13gamer]

You don't have to be 18 to win? You don't have to be 18 to have an account?

[TwoSyllables]

Personally, I'd rather have the $10,000 gift card than all the rest of the prizes put together.

Really? I'd be the least interested in that. I'd want the MBP the most.

What would a 13 year old do with a 17" MBP apart from look at high-resolution girls? :p

Look at high-resolution guys. Hey - you never know...

[scotty96LSC]

Good for him. Very nice prize.
However, I too was under the impression it was a random. Oh well.

[southernpaws]

yeah, pretty deceptive on apple's part. I'm pissed.

I mean why would they say you can download up to 25 apps a day if, on the first day of the contest, you would have no chance in hell of winning? Sure the rules said something about receipt of purchase (meaning when you were officially charged for the app) but come on!

The reason Apple was so deceptive was to encourage people to purchase a **** load of apps hoping to win.

LAME!!!!

It might be slightly deceptive, but it's no reason to be pissed. I mean, unless you read all the rules of the contest, which were clearly posted, there's no reason to blame anyone but yourself. I made the same mistake, but that's what I get for being lazy and not reading the rules.

[alchemistmuffin]

I think it's two contest

First contest is the billionth app

Second contest is the random drawing.

So, I think Apple might be doing two winners.

[oTaRu]

lucky boy... hope he will appreciate it..

[autrefois]

It might be slightly deceptive, but it's no reason to be pissed. I mean, unless you read all the rules of the contest, which were clearly posted, there's no reason to blame anyone but yourself. I made the same mistake, but that's what I get for being lazy and not reading the rules.

The reason the three of us (and more) got the wrong idea was because Apple's ad was misleading (I would bet intentionally so, to avoid a mad rush of downloads as the 1 billion mark approached).

Here (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/10/apple-launches-1-billion-app-countdown-promotion/) is the story by Macrumors that has a screenshot of Apple's ad. The ad says:

"Download an app and you'll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet."

The subhead under "We're about to hit a billion" says essentially the same thing as the main copy of the ad, so you are twice given the idea that all you need to do is download an app to win, with no mention that it's specifically the 1 billionth app (or corresponding no-purchase entry) that would win. Tim Cook mentioned in the financial results conference call (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/22/apple-reports-1-21-billion-profit-for-q2-2009/) that they were "just hours away", so I'm sure if the ad were clearer they would have have more people trying to download the past couple days.

I'm not a legal expert to know whether you can imply or leave an important detail out of a contest ad and leave it to the "fine print", but I think it's clearly misleading on Apple's part. They were very clear about it with the iTunes contests they had before, so there is no excuse for them not to do so this time around as well (unless as I'm suggesting, they didn't want the servers to take a hit or go down from all the traffic that would have been generated as the 1 billionth download approached).

[monke]

I think it's two contest

First contest is the billionth app

Second contest is the random drawing.

So, I think Apple might be doing two winners.

No. That was it.

Like mackensteff posted, Apple clearly stated it was the person who downloaded the 1,000,000,000th app or submitted the form after app 999,999,999.

For purposes of the Promotion, the downloading of the 1 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 1 billionth app from iTunes or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 999,999,999th app, whichever comes first.


And it looks like he just snuck in too:
The Billion App Countdown Promotion (the “Promotion”) is open only to entrants who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry

Lucky kid. Congrats.

[WeegieMac]

Congratulations to the little guy, hope he enjoys his new toys.

I didn't even bother getting involved in the whole "1 billion apps" hype, I just downloaded a couple of freebie game apps last week because I noticed Time Crisis and Ferrari GT had "Lite" versions.

Besides, I bought my new iMac last month so I'm more than happy with my current Apple hardware. Those are some nice prizes though, I have to admit.

[Pugpuppydude]

Wait so am I wrong to have thought that one can purchase hardware from the Apple store with an iTunes gift card? :confused:

[Dmac77]

I think it was not. Bump was most likely the app that then in the end got him the price.

Probably just a slight error on MacRumors' side..

13 year old.. well he as enough time to spend the 10,000 at least. :D

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

[cjm3113]

Seeing as he could just sell the Gift card for $9,000 and/or the MBP for $3,000 I think it is unfair to say that winning is going to "cost his parents" a lot of money.

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

Please..

[Treq]

The reason the three of us (and more) got the wrong idea was because Apple's ad was misleading (I would bet intentionally so, to avoid a mad rush of downloads as the 1 billion mark approached).

Here (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/10/apple-launches-1-billion-app-countdown-promotion/) is the story by Macrumors that has a screenshot of Apple's ad. The ad says:

"Download an app and you'll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet."

The subhead under "We're about to hit a billion" says essentially the same thing as the main copy of the ad, so you are twice given the idea that all you need to do is download an app to win, with no mention that it's specifically the 1 billionth app (or corresponding no-purchase entry) that would win. Tim Cook mentioned in the financial results conference call (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/22/apple-reports-1-21-billion-profit-for-q2-2009/) that they were "just hours away", so I'm sure if the ad were clearer they would have have more people trying to download the past couple days.

I'm not a legal expert to know whether you can imply or leave an important detail out of a contest ad and leave it to the "fine print", but I think it's clearly misleading on Apple's part. They were very clear about it with the iTunes contests they had before, so there is no excuse for them not to do so this time around as well (unless as I'm suggesting, they didn't want the servers to take a hit or go down from all the traffic that would have been generated as the 1 billionth download approached).

OMG a 13 yo could figure it out...:eek:

[WeegieMac]

Wait so am I wrong to have thought that one can purchase hardware from the Apple store with an iTunes gift card? :confused:

I have no idea why anyone would come to the conclusion you could use an iTunes card to buy anything from Apple.com in the first place.

The name of the card gives it away ... iTunes.

[Compile 'em all]

Lucky bastard

+1

should have been me :p

[Pugpuppydude]

I have no idea why anyone would come to the conclusion you could use an iTunes card to buy anything from Apple.com in the first place.

The name of the card gives it away ... iTunes.

Well. . . low IQ i guess :D
Actually i think it is because when i buy stuff off Apple.com it asks for like a coupon code or something. Thought one might be able to use iTunes card code instead. Same company. Guess not though, thanks!

[vassillios]

Well, someone's a sore loser. The reason they set the limit is to prevent everyone from just downloading a thousand apps hoping that one of them would be the billionth. The rules were confusing, but fair. And I'm pretty sure most people who were trying for it were downloading free apps.

hell yeah i'm a sore loser! the point is I didn't even try to be the billionth download. I dowloaded 3 apps in the first couple of days and thought "well, there are my entries". Had I known, I would at least have attempted to download an app near the end.

[lifeinhd]

Wait so am I wrong to have thought that one can purchase hardware from the Apple store with an iTunes gift card? :confused:

Nope, only stuff from the iTMS, which is why that part of the prize is rather pointless. Who's honestly going to download 10,000 songs, 5,000 movies, or 10,000 crap-apps?

[vassillios]

The Rules:
Timing. The Promotion shall run from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2009 and ends with the downloading of the 1 billionth app (“Promotion Period”). For purposes of the Promotion, the downloading of the 1 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 1 billionth app from iTunes or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 999,999,999th app, whichever comes first.
This is a legal requirement to tell everybody when the contest is over. Nowhere does it say a drawing or the winner will be picked at random!!!


and nor does it say it say the winner is the one who downloads the billionth app. it simply states that the contest ends when the billionth app is downloaded.

again...misleading.

[Pika]

Nope, only stuff from the iTMS, which is why that part of the prize is rather pointless. Who's honestly going to download 10,000 songs, 5,000 movies, or 10,000 crap-apps?

Well i know a kid that would like to download 10,000 flash lights and iFarts.

I would simply keep the money for the next generation Mac Pro or sell it. :D

[Treq]

and nor does it say it say the winner is the one who downloads the billionth app. it simply states that the contest ends when the billionth app is downloaded.

again...misleading.

Yes it did. Read again.

[vassillios]

You don't have to be 18 to win? You don't have to be 18 to have an account?

Nope:

"Eligibility. The Billion App Countdown Promotion (the “Promotion”) is open only to entrants who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry, and a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States or ...."

pretty convenient that the kid hit the minimum age.

[vassillios]

Yes it did. Read again.

I read it again, I don't see it

[Treq]

I read it again, I don't see it

Keep reading...:rolleyes:

[vassillios]

Keep reading...:rolleyes:

still don't see it, perhaps you can read it to me.

[Pika]

I wonder if the kid was at school at that time :rolleyes:

Maybe he wasn't playing attention to class and was playing with his iPod Touch instead.

[vassillios]

I wonder if the kid was at school at that time :rolleyes:


probably downloaded on his iPhone

[Treq]

still don't see it, perhaps you can read it to me.

Sweepstakes. Sponsor is the sole judging organization whose decisions as to the operation of the Sweepstakes and the selection of the potential winner are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion. The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app. The potential winner will be determined by the order of the entries received. In the event that more than one entrant would be a winner based on the simultaneous timing of entries, one entrant will be randomly selected from those entrants as the winner. Each entrant’s chances of winning are dependent upon the number of eligible entries received.
See it yet?

[vassillios]

See it yet?

yep. I thought you were asking me to read the timing section again...and again...and again.....

[mmzplanet]

Hope you have $4,000 to pay the taxes Uncle Sam will want on that amount of winnings.

Prize taxes suck. See "Extreme Home Makeover"

Of course otherwise every employer would have a "contest" to pay you. Flip a coin, heads you win $2,000 this paycheck, tales it's $1,999.

Because he is 13, and has no other income. He probably falls under exempt for federal taxes.

[Schtumple]

I'm sorry but the "discussion" in this thread is pathetic, you're honestly saying the contest was misleading, HONESTLY, and not just because you didn't win, this thread seems to just be filled with a bunch of pissed off brats who are jealous they didn't win.

This contest has been the same as all the others (iTunes song downloads), so I fail to understand the "confusion"...

If you're that bothered, write a blog, because whining on here is going to make no more of an input than pissing into the ocean of blogs. Atleast that way you're not clogging up this page with pathetic cries of woe.

/rant.

[Goona]

For all the sore jealous losers, go cry a river. Congrats to the kid.

[Pika]

probably downloaded on his iPhone

If i had an iPhone in the 90's, i would have passed all my grades easily by cheating. :D

I was a very big cheater in the past. By using other methods instead of gadgets.

[lifeinhd]

For all the sore jealous losers, go cry a river. Congrats to the kid.

Thank you. Any idea as to how I ought to spend my new $10,000 iTunes gift card?

[NoahK17]

No where in the rules did it say it was EVER a random drawing. It clearly said that the winner was the person who downloaded the billionth app.

Sucks for everyone who mis-read the rules and bought 100 apps thinking that was 100 chances to win.

LOL

[Pika]

Any idea as to how I ought to spend my new $10,000 iTunes gift card?

Downloading expensive useless applications such as iFarts & FlashLights. :o

[Goona]

If i had an iPhone in the 90's, i would have passed all my grades easily by cheating. :D

I was a very big cheater in the past. By using other methods instead of gadgets.

The iphone is a very cool tool for cheating especially with the web and notes app. ;)

[Dmac77]

The iphone is a very cool tool for cheating especially with the web and notes app. ;)

I tend to agree. I Wouldn't have passed my english final without my iPhone. Evil bitchy english teacher, I didn't say that.

Don

[Pika]

The iphone is a very cool tool for cheating especially with the web and notes app. ;)

Not just the web/notes but also audio/video recording the class.

[mrkgoo]

No where in the rules did it say it was EVER a random drawing. It clearly said that the winner was the person who downloaded the billionth app.

Sucks for everyone who mis-read the rules and bought 100 apps thinking that was 100 chances to win.

LOL

It WAS misleading, even if unintentionally so - they could've easily said "Billionth App Wins!", but it was left in the fine print. A lot of people at first assumed it was billionth download, but people tried to correct, based on the "25 entries" idea (Apple's fine print also stated that entries had to be within a certain time period). It couldn't have been THAT clear if so many people were mistaken so easily:

Lucky dip, up to 25 entries per person per day, including free apps. Closes when the billionth is downloaded, it's all in the first post!

No, all apps downloaded between 10 April 00:01 and the billionth downloaded are entered into a lucky dip. It's not the billionth that wins, just signals the end of the competition.

Hate to put a dampener on it, but if you download one app, you've got a 1 in 72million chance of winning. Even if you download a few, the odds are still pretty long!

You don't understand, your download does count. What you are talking about before is when the contest ends. The contest ends when they reach 1 billion apps and then they randomly choose a person.

Sweeet, I just entered! How amazing would it be if someone here on MR won the contest?

Why is this so hard to understand? any app you buy or download for free now will make you eligible for winning. When 1 billion downloads have been reached, the winner will be announced.

I guess the whole point of making it seem like every entry counts is that people download 25 apps per day.

Let me repeat this again, if you buy/download an app NOW you can win. The winner will be ANNOUNCED after the 1 billionth app is downloaded.

have we sorted this out yet?? is it a random entry that wins or the one billion

DUDE! All you gotta do is download one free App to be entered to win. Download more (up to 25 a day), and increase your odds proportionally.

Is it the one billionth download that wins? If so, where does it say that?

Why can you enter daily up to 25 times if it makes no difference since it's the billionth download that wins??

*enter
*enter
*enter
(repeat 22 more times...
every day!)

That's not what it (the terms) says at all. The competition finishes when the billionth app is downloaded, those that have taken part during the promotion will then go into a sweepstake where the winner will be chosen.

And so on. I don't think these were the only people mislead. You can argue about how reading FTW, or whatever, but it wasn't totally clear in the announcements.

[Watabou]

I'm really jealous.

He's so lucky.

[Pika]

Maybe the kid is Steve Job's son. :eek:

[fleshman03]

Bump :(. I was hoping the 1 billionth app download would be Baby Shaker.

Ha-Ha! !!! !!!!!


Maybe the kid is Steve Job's son. :eek:

No, No, No. Tim Cook didn't win.

[fleshman03]

Deleted

For double.

[skavoovie1964]

Anybody else think it stinks that the winner comes from a town that's the sixth most affluent community in the US? Median income there is $185,377. He's probably already loaded with toys...

Don't get me wrong, not trying to be a sore loser but I was really hoping someone underprivileged would win.

[mrkgoo]

Anybody else think it stinks that the winner comes from a town that's the sixth most affluent community in the US? Median income there is $185,377. He's probably already loaded with toys...

Don't get me wrong, not trying to be a sore loser but I was really hoping someone underprivileged would win.

How about coming from one of the most affluent countries in the world? I don't see why it matters where someone comes from. And you don't even know if this guy is well off or not. Don't make assumptions (although you could argue that he probably has an iPhone or iPod touch, but you never know).

[Dmac77]

Anybody else think it stinks that the winner comes from a town that's the sixth most affluent community in the US? Median income there is $185,377. He's probably already loaded with toys...

Don't get me wrong, not trying to be a sore loser but I was really hoping someone underprivileged would win.

Well here's the thing. Most underprivileged people don't have iPhones or iPod Touches.

Don

[LeoFio]

Congrats to him....but the questions becomes, will he actually put that MBP to good use?....as i continue to type on my 12" PB :(

[Peace]

Great new ad on CNN (http://www.cnn.com) about this.

It implies Shazam was the 1 billionth d/l.

[Bad Paper]

I was only vaguely aware of the "contest," and yet instinctively knew that the billionth app download made the winner. How could you think otherwise?

[abhimat.gautam]

Great new ad on CNN (http://www.cnn.com) about this.

It implies Shazam was the 1 billionth d/l.

Nice ad. They're reusing the music from the original iPhone 3G ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEjhVZFGbh0).

[mrkgoo]

I was only vaguely aware of the "contest," and yet instinctively knew that the billionth app download made the winner. How could you think otherwise?

That's what a lot of people thought, especially if you only heard about it vaguely. But it becomes increasingly unclear, as it never explicitly states the 1 billionth download wins except in fine print OR many people still asked and people were saying it's any entry.

After all, Apple only allowed you 25 entries per day.

[TwinCities Dan]

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

You can thank that so-called **** music for bringing vinyl back to a respectable level of main stream acceptance... :rolleyes:

Congrats to the winner, anybody still bitching about it has some issues... ;)

[DaBrain]

How the heck would anyone use that?? I guess it's like when u win the lottery and you get small payments for the next 30 years. Lame prize I think. Apple should have ponied up and given away more hardware.

You have got to be kidding? Apple did not have to give anything! :rolleyes:

[mikeinternet]

lucky SOB :p
i could have used a new lappy

I know right? haha
13 from CT with an iPhone who is concerned with trading his contact information.

[DaBrain]

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

So What! It's his choice what he does with his winnings!:rolleyes:

[DaBrain]

If i had an iPhone in the 90's, i would have passed all my grades easily by cheating. :D

I was a very big cheater in the past. By using other methods instead of gadgets.

Wow! Now there's something to be real proud of! :rolleyes:

[Pika]

Wow! Now there's something to be real proud of!You could not believe how cheatieus i was back then... since elementary school to university.

- Stealing exam-answers.
- Paying nerds to give me answers
- Hiding notes
- Manipulating teachers
- Making plans to steal exam-answers with gangs
- Night Sneaking in school

...ect

We where true ninjas.

[Markov]

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

Not a fan of hip hop and rap myself, but come on... really? God forbid he has a taste in music that differs from yours.

To all of those who are complaining: Apple owes you nothing, the 13 year old kid won, get over it, it's over, crying about it won't make you the winner. I say this with all due respect.

Congratulations kid, enjoy your new toys. (Buy Apple Care!!!!)

[Eanair]

Anybody else think it stinks that the winner comes from a town that's the sixth most affluent community in the US? Median income there is $185,377. He's probably already loaded with toys...

Don't get me wrong, not trying to be a sore loser but I was really hoping someone underprivileged would win.

LOL.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. :)

If you're living in Weston, CT, chances are that you're gosh darn loaded already.

Congrats to the kid!! :)

[mac*jedi*g]

...my A88! 13 teen years-old, he was downloading a porn app! :rolleyes:

Well that's alright - I'll just wait for the 2 billionth app promo - in 2013!!!:p

[dmmcintyre3]

what is that 13 year old going to do with that MacBook Pro?. Hopefully more than just stuff a netbook could do.

Not games ether that is just a waste of a MacBook Pro. That is for PC's

[leandromp]

Lucky Bastard.
lol.
Well, congrats.

[inkswamp]

I'm pretty sure I saw reference on Apple's site to multiple winners, some being announced later. I wonder if the billionth downloader was a winner and there will be some random drawings at a later time.

The problem is Apple has to have a non-purchase method by which you can enter to win. I believe that's the law, otherwise it's considered gambling. If there's only one winner (i.e., the billionth downloader) and that winner is determined by a purchase, then there was no way to win via the non-purchase entry form and so purchase was required. I'm not sure I understand how that would work.

Either way, congrats to the winner. Sucks to be the rest of us. :D

[cantthinkofone]

Would he even have to pay taxes? $13,497 is probably poverty level or at least i hope it is in CT. Would his parent's or legal guardian have to pay taxes? I can't imagine the IRS would send this kid a W2.

But i still wonder...what would anybody do with $10k in itunes money? I think my wish list is like $200-$300.

[NoahK17]

They gave away prizes for each 100,000 app downloaded too, during the contest. That was the "other" prize they talked about. The BIG WINNER of the 10k and the Macbook Pro and TC was just the billionth app downloaded.

*shrug*

[pdjudd]

Would he even have to pay taxes? $13,497 is probably poverty level or at least i hope it is in CT. Would his parent's or legal guardian have to pay taxes? I can't imagine the IRS would send this kid a W2.

But i still wonder...what would anybody do with $10k in itunes money? I think my wish list is like $200-$300.

Yes, I assume he or a guardian/parent would be responsible for the prize taxes incurred. Thats part of the agreements for accepting prizes

[ryan.stewie]

What I'd like to know is how a 13 year old can afford an iPhone.:eek:

[bobertoq]

Dibs on 1 trillionth app :D

[Billy Boo Bob]

Granted the details are in the rules, but I think the reason a lot of people were mislead was by the wording of the original front page banner about it...

Join the celebration. Download any app and you automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro.

As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download any app and you'll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet.

It does, at a quick read, seem like any app until then qualifies. Most of the people mentioning it here seem to be saying "I was under the impression...", rather than "the rules don't say...". Very few seem to be whining, as implied. Most are just noting that they should have said, up front, that it was the billionth download.

I, myself, concede that I didn't read through the rules. I didn't purchase a bunch of needless apps in hopes of winning, either.

I wonder, though... Was this always at the start of the rules?

NO PURCHASE OR DOWNLOAD NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR DOWNLOAD
OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

[acvball92]

Kid goes to my school.

[armoguy94]

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

DonWay to be ignorant!

Hope the kid uses it well. I hope he actually had a USE for any of them. However who really thinks his parents would let him keep all that?

[dukebound85]

And how much do you want to bet that he's going to spend in on ***** music (rap, Hip Hop, etc.)?

Don

who says rap and hip hop is ***** music?:rolleyes:

[holycow]

I wonder if apple would have fudged the numbers a bit if the billionth app downloaded was complete crap?

[iSaygoodbye]

wow.the sad thing is he will have no use for all of the macbook pro's power!

[SecurityTinker]

Yeah honestly....congrats to the kid, but that monster MBP is probably gonna go to waste as just an internet machine. He still has to go through high school, so he won't be able to learn how to seriously use any Pro Apps if he values his studies. Maybe he knows how to install Windows on it.

And the ad WAS misleading. DON'T tell me "it was in the rules; you failed to read". I bet the wording was intentional, and it doesn't make my day any better. I'll just have to forget this ever happened.

[bretm]

You could not believe how cheatieus i was back then... since elementary school to university.

- Stealing exam-answers.
- Paying nerds to give me answers
- Hiding notes
- Manipulating teachers
- Making plans to steal exam-answers with gangs
- Night Sneaking in school

...ect

We where true ninjas.

Which explains why you can't even spell the abbreviation for et-cetera on a computer.

You spent more time cheating than I did studying. Studying was so much about getting the answers, but more an exercise in learning how to learnn. Kinda prepares you for the real world. I guess your method prepared you for, well, being a ninja?

[coolbreeze]

13 year olds pay taxes?

[TwinCities Dan]

Which explains why you can't even spell the abbreviation for et-cetera on a computer.

You spent more time cheating than I did studying. Studying was so much about getting the answers, but more an exercise in learning how to learnn. Kinda prepares you for the real world. I guess your method prepared you for, well, being a ninja?

This guy's round is on me! ;) :D

[southernpaws]

The reason the three of us (and more) got the wrong idea was because Apple's ad was misleading (I would bet intentionally so, to avoid a mad rush of downloads as the 1 billion mark approached).

Here (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/10/apple-launches-1-billion-app-countdown-promotion/) is the story by Macrumors that has a screenshot of Apple's ad. The ad says:

"Download an app and you'll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet."

The subhead under "We're about to hit a billion" says essentially the same thing as the main copy of the ad, so you are twice given the idea that all you need to do is download an app to win, with no mention that it's specifically the 1 billionth app (or corresponding no-purchase entry) that would win. Tim Cook mentioned in the financial results conference call (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/22/apple-reports-1-21-billion-profit-for-q2-2009/) that they were "just hours away", so I'm sure if the ad were clearer they would have have more people trying to download the past couple days.

I'm not a legal expert to know whether you can imply or leave an important detail out of a contest ad and leave it to the "fine print", but I think it's clearly misleading on Apple's part. They were very clear about it with the iTunes contests they had before, so there is no excuse for them not to do so this time around as well (unless as I'm suggesting, they didn't want the servers to take a hit or go down from all the traffic that would have been generated as the 1 billionth download approached).

Like I said, I made the same assumption. I didn't take the time to read all the rules of the contest, so I made the same mistake everyone else did. All I'm saying is that there's no reason to cry foul when you didn't even pay attention to the rules.

Obviously, if they had clearly said the billionth app gets it and started the counter at 933 million, it would have taken forever to get to a billion because everyone would be sniping for it. If they had waited til closer to a billion, then nobody would have known about it. So the reasoning for leaving it obscure is there.

I mean really. they were giving away something for free. They weren't taking anybody's money. There's nothing to complain about.

[southernpaws]

And the ad WAS misleading. DON'T tell me "it was in the rules; you failed to read". I bet the wording was intentional, and it doesn't make my day any better. I'll just have to forget this ever happened.

Yes, the ad was obscure. I won't tell you "it was in the rules you failed to read" if you'll just say "I was too lazy to click on the 'official rules' link." I know I was.

Seriously. It was enough to ruin your day and you have to resign yourself to forget this ever happened? That's awful melodramatic. I would imagine your life is no different after not winning free stuff. If something is important enough to ruin your day, it should be important enough to read the rules.

[TheScavenger]

He's thirteen :eek:

[southernpaws]

Which explains why you can't even spell the abbreviation for et-cetera on a computer.

You spent more time cheating than I did studying. Studying was so much about getting the answers, but more an exercise in learning how to learnn. Kinda prepares you for the real world. I guess your method prepared you for, well, being a ninja?

ninja misspelled were as well.

[StuddedLeather]

Congrats kid! He's probably a PC user in the closet lol J/K:apple:

[lotzosushi]

I'm sure most people would be fine if some regular ol' person won. It's just cause some 13 year old kid with an iPhone or iPod touch (already spoiled) got so much that he probably would never need or use until college level. :/

*Sigh* congrats I guess...

[hfletcher]

Doesn't anyone think it's slightly funny that the winner is in the USA? What happened to all the other countries in the world? They had the billion app promotion as well...:rolleyes:

http://www.apple.com/choose-your-country/

[sammich]

Doesn't anyone think it's slightly funny that the winner is in the USA? What happened to all the other countries in the world? They had the billion app promotion as well...:rolleyes:

http://www.apple.com/choose-your-country/

I think you're onto something here...the billionth iTunes Music purchase was made in Michigan. :eek:

Wonder how many people who know this kid are going to buy Apple products now? Seriously, that 17" UMBP is a force to be reckoned with.

[Tymmz]

Bump :(. I was hoping the 1 billionth app download would be Baby Shaker.

Me too.

[Compile 'em all]

Me too.

is babyshaker in cydia yet? :D

[autrefois]

Like I said, I made the same assumption. I didn't take the time to read all the rules of the contest, so I made the same mistake everyone else did. All I'm saying is that there's no reason to cry foul when you didn't even pay attention to the rules.

Obviously, if they had clearly said the billionth app gets it and started the counter at 933 million, it would have taken forever to get to a billion because everyone would be sniping for it. If they had waited til closer to a billion, then nobody would have known about it. So the reasoning for leaving it obscure is there.

I mean really. they were giving away something for free. They weren't taking anybody's money. There's nothing to complain about.

I'm glad you basically agree with me, but out reaction to it is different. I personally don't care that I didn't win. I never expect to win a contest like this. But I think people have the right to complain about it. I don't think it's fair that the ad avoided telling what was arguably the most important part of the contest—how the winner would be selected.

To all of those who are complaining: Apple owes you nothing, the 13 year old kid won, get over it, it's over, crying about it won't make you the winner. I say this with all due respect.

I'm sorry but the "discussion" in this thread is pathetic, you're honestly saying the contest was misleading, HONESTLY, and not just because you didn't win, this thread seems to just be filled with a bunch of pissed off brats who are jealous they didn't win.

It's possible to think the ad was misleading without thinking Apple owes me something, and without being jealous or having ill-will towards the person who won. I guess it's a lot easier to dismiss an argument by (mis)characterizing the people making it than to actually try to refute their argument...

I haven't seen anyone with a convincing argument showing why the ad was not misleading. I think it was misleading, whether intentionally or not. It's not some mom-and-pop operation we're talking about here, it's a Fortune 100 company. With a number of people unclear on how the contest worked, certainly someone could have made the ad clearer so people knew how the contest actually worked. That's all I'm saying.

[MacFly123]

I'm Jealous

Haha, me too. And a little 13 year old?! :rolleyes:

I'm assuming he already has an iPod Touch since he downloaded the billionth app, either way, if I were him, I'd sell all that stuff. But I already have most Apple stuff so the cash would be nice hehe! :D

[Burnsey]

Wait, I didn't win? There must be some misunderstanding. I'll just call Apple and clear this up.

[sd2009]

What I don't understand is that he won an iPod Touch. Everybody who entered this contest would already have an iPod Touch or - even better - an iPhone. So WTH? :confused:

[mpqtpie]

I'm sure those parents are feeling pretty proud right now.

Btw, DaBrain: your avatar made me swat my computer screen. :p

[J&JPolangin]

...lucky kid, congrats...

[nickhutson]

How is a 13 year old even able to download anything on iTunes? Don't you need a credit/debit card? Hence, the account must surely belong to parents... so they should get the goodies from Apple!

[iPhoneNYC]

I think it's great that it's a 13 year old kid. I'm sure alot of older types spent hours obsessing on how to work this out and just turned out to be a contest open to all.

[Ademius]

This contest did not make me download a lot of apps just trying to win the contest by a very slim chance, but rather getting me to rediscover the App Store after sort of forgetting that it was there now almost a year later. It's really amazing that the App Store has reach such many downloads in under a year, and it really makes you think of what's to come with 1000 new APIs with iPhone OS 3.0.

Kudos to the 13-y/o, lucky bastard :)

I wouldn't know what to do with the prize package, so if it would have been me, (that is - if I had entered the contest) I would just try to sell most of it off.

[Sesshi]

Nice haul. He must have an ear-to-ear grin.

[lifeinhd]

Haha, me too. And a little 13 year old?! :rolleyes:

I'm assuming he already has an iPod Touch since he downloaded the billionth app, either way, if I were him, I'd sell all that stuff. But I already have most Apple stuff so the cash would be nice hehe! :D

Actually, I'm going to assume he has an iPhone, since I see little reason to use Bump on an iPod Touch.

[lifeinhd]

How is a 13 year old even able to download anything on iTunes? Don't you need a credit/debit card? Hence, the account must surely belong to parents... so they should get the goodies from Apple!

He could do what I do: keep buying gift cards! I've never even linked my account to a credit card.

[pdjudd]

How is a 13 year old even able to download anything on iTunes? Don't you need a credit/debit card? Hence, the account must surely belong to parents... so they should get the goodies from Apple!

From day one the iTunes store could be used without a credit card. You could set up an allowance based account or you could open an account via a gift card. Heck you could even open up an account during the pepsi promotion by redeeming a free song code. You just need to have a method of payment. Credit card is the most popular, but it is not the only way. The base requirement is age related.

[SilvorX]

I remember when iTunes had their 1 millionth music download contest, the person who won supposedly joined MR and a few bad apples started harrasing the dude with emails and phone calls and whatnot.. it was sad.

Congrats to the kid :)

[wackymacky]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11a Safari/525.20)

Well, I guess I'd better go collect my prize then....

So I guess you won't be needing your current MacBook or itouch listed in your profile.

I'll take them off your hands.

[doubleohseven]

What I don't understand is that he won an iPod Touch. Everybody who entered this contest would already have an iPod Touch or - even better - an iPhone. So WTH? :confused:

True, but this is a 32GB iPod touch that he won...even if he did have an iPhone, he wouldn't have had 32GB of space to mess around with.

Congrats to the kid, what a lucky guy...and I thought I was lucky having a new MacBook at 14! :rolleyes:

[MacFly123]

Actually, I'm going to assume he has an iPhone, since I see little reason to use Bump on an iPod Touch.

Haha, right sorry. I wasn't familiar with that app.

What is a 13 year old doing with an iPhone??? :rolleyes:

So I guess you won't be needing your current MacBook or itouch listed in your profile.

I'll take them off your hands.

There is no such thing as an iTouch... iPod Touch!

Sorry, pet peeve of mine.

[AJ1BostonMASS]

...Heck you could even open up an account during the pepsi promotion by redeeming a free song code...

That's what I did!

You can thank that so-called **** music for bringing vinyl back to a respectable level of main stream acceptance... :rolleyes:

Congrats to the winner, anybody still bitching about it has some issues... ;)

I saw a katy perry vinyl, in best buy, the other day. I am pretty sure that's not rap or hip hop. Yet, still can be considered **** music haha

[war eagle]

I wonder what message boards this kid posts on..

[ogee]

Who's honestly going to download 10,000 songs, 5,000 movies, or 10,000 crap-apps?



Puts up hand.... I would.

[michael.lauden]

True, but this is a 32GB iPod touch that he won...even if he did have an iPhone, he wouldn't have had 32GB of space to mess around with.

Congrats to the kid, what a lucky guy...and I thought I was lucky having a new MacBook at 14! :rolleyes:

you still are.... when you learn the value of a dollar (or for that matter 1000 or more) you will appreciate it in about 4 years.

oorrr you'll be begging mommy for the new MacBook for college :D

[przemekspider]

Hello, check out my new blog. I am a Polish Mac blogger and I have just launched an English version of my blog. Please see one of my first posts: http://www.spidersapple.com/2009/04/appstore-billions.html

[DiamondGCoupe]

Got a bunch of apps lately, had no idea it was the milestone app that got the prize. Oh well.

Me neither I thought everytime you downloaded an App it entered you into a pool.

[thunderweb]

Puts up hand.... I would.

totally!! who wouldn't want to be able to purchase anything they wanted on itunes? of course it's gonna take a heck of a lot of time to download that much content.... lol

[Bye Bye Baby]

It wasn't me :(

[doubleohseven]

you still are.... when you learn the value of a dollar (or for that matter 1000 or more) you will appreciate it in about 4 years.

oorrr you'll be begging mommy for the new MacBook for college :D

That was my original plan...when I graduate school (in 2011) I plan on upgrading my MacBook to a new MacBook Pro...or whatever Apple has to offer in 2011/2012. But for now, I'm very happy with my MacBook. :D

And no, I won't be begging Mummy for the new MacBook ;) hahaha...I'll definitely have a job by then.

[buxtone17]

The funny thing is that by the time this kid actually has any need for his 17" MBP, it'll be obsolete.

[djelliott]

I could have sworn it said you must be 18 or older to enter.

[djelliott]

I could have sworn it said you must be 18 or older to enter.

Nope I'm wrong. I went back and read the rules. It's 13 or older. Congrats kid. I must say I'm jealous. :D

[anubis]

I'm surprised at how bad people are at understanding basic tax code...

Assuming he is claimed as a dependent by his parents (which is most likely the case because a) he probably didn't earn at least 50% of his income by himself, and b) a child dependent is worth thousands of dollars after all credits are considered), then the prize winnings will be considered his parents' income, not his. Therefore the prize winnings will be taxed at his parents' top tax backet and they will be responsible for paying the tax.

But yeah, a 13 year old kid from an affluent northeast area with an iPhone probably isn't hurting for a Macbook Pro (he probably already has one). Then again, as has been pointed out, most people who can afford the iPhone and its data plan probably aren't hurting in general.

To people from other countries that claim the entire USA is affluent: there are very large areas of the US that are very economically depressed and could easily be mistaken for 3rd world countries. And unless you've actually been to those areas, no argument. (And yes, I've been to 3rd world countries so I can compare)

[Goona]

http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26425:weston-teen-is-the-apple-of-apples-i&catid=55:weston-local&Itemid=1270

[iOrlando]

best part>



Ms. Mulcahey said the phone was ringing when she was bringing groceries inside last week. She hurriedly picked it up and was told her son had won Apple’s Billion App Countdown contest.

“I said, ‘I’m, sorry, I don’t believe you,’ and I hung up,” Ms. Mulcahey said.

The person from Apple tried to call back several times, “but I wouldn’t let Shannon answer it. I figured it was a scam. We’ve become such skeptics,” she said.

But the folks at Apple were persistent, and they sent several e-mail messages to the Mulcahey’s Apple account.


Apple had to reach this kid. It turns out the 1,000,000,001 app downloaded was actually iFart downloaded by a drunk college kid in Iowa.

[diemos]

that's pretty stupid to hang up, just listen to what they have to say. Ignorant and lucky.

Good job

[evilspoons]

For everyone saying that $10,000 worth of iTunes gift card is stupid... I have a (*legal*) music collection that if I were to buy through iTunes would probably cost me $8500, and there's hundreds of albums I'd like to add to it. Then there's the movies and TV shows... in five years I could likely burn through $10,000 without even buying anything stupid.

[Jaredistheman]

Wow, i guess it's fair and everything, but i don't see a 13 year old kid having any use for anything in that package. Oh well!

And after reading what the kid did i think they should've gotten another name. Thats pretty stupid.

[CromulentChriss]

I remember reading through the rules a while back and there was no doubt i my mind that there was supposed to be a random draw between everyone that had downloaded an app from the start of the contest and until the 1B app was downloaded. But I think I, as many, misread this part:

The potential winner will be determined by the order of the entries received. In the event that more than one entrant would be a winner based on the simultaneous timing of entries, one entrant will be randomly selected from those entrants as the winner. Each entrant’s chances of winning are dependent upon the number of eligible entries received.

However, there is some conspiracy (http://www.ithinkdiff.com/why-apples-billion-apps-downloaded-countdown-is-a-lie/) going on that apple a long time ago predicted a date and time for the billionth app download - and obviously the app countdown clock is just a marketing tool mirroring those calculations. And with a lot of apps being downloaded every second it would be hard to pick 1 winner - and the rules even says it probably would com down to a random draw...But the question is: was the winner picked as a random draw between all of the guys and girls who downloaded an app just around the time of the 1B download - or was it a random draw between everyone who downloaded an app just around the time they predicted the 1B app download.

[bobertoq]

who says rap and hip hop is ***** music?:rolleyes:I say rap and hip hop are ***** music.

[TwinCities Dan]

I say rap and hip hop are ***** music.

:rolleyes: Nobody cares, I say Alter Bridge is ***** music. :p

"Just cause you don't like it don't mean it ain't no good!"
- Mike Muir, Suicidal Tendencies

[pinoyplaya]

Kinda hard to spend $10,000 worth of iTunes GiftCard... If it was Apple Store GiftCard then it would be spent in a day :)

[happydude]

He's 13 -- he'll clearly be in the lowest tax bracket (10%), and after the standard deduction, the taxes won't be that bad -- under $1000.

nope, prize winnings aren't tied to tax brackets. standard roughly 30% across the board, one time tax payment. same for price is right as it is for powerball.

[seven7seven]

Seeing as he could just sell the Gift card for $9,000 and/or the MBP for $3,000 I think it is unfair to say that winning is going to "cost his parents" a lot of money.



Please..

Who the **** would pay $9,000 for an iTunes giftcard worth $10,000 :confused::confused::confused: