apple news/media reports
06/19/2006, 8:45am, EDT
Monday, June 19th
50 Cent turns to Apple for Mac deal
Hiphop rap star 50 Cent is currently in negotiations with Apple's CEO Steve Jobs to produce a line of affordable home computers to inner-city residents, according to a new report. Referencing a report from Forbes, the popular rapper is negotiating the branding deal with the computer /software giant. "I'm creating a foundation that will be around for a long time, because fame can come and go or get lost in the lifestyle and the splurging," Fifty Cent explained to Forbes. "I never got into it for the music. I got into it for the business." Manager Chris Lighty of Violator management, also working with 50 Cent, said that Jobs "is setting a new standard in the music business.... Let's just say we get each other."
The report says that 50 Cent, who ranked in the top 10 in the Forbes Celebrity Power 100 List, earned almost $41 million dollars--mostly from record sales and branding deals that include a clothing line, a line of sneakers, a video game and his G-Unit line of clothing, which was launched in partnership with Marc Ecko in July 2003.
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Here's a few potential roadblocks -
1. Fiddy is talking about it. (as Carlos Mencia might say, "De de dee!!!") Steve like to surprise people. Fiddy should know that if they truly "get each other". This was either a boneheaded move that will kill any chance of it happening, or Jobs already said "no" for one reason or another, and Fiddy is doing some underhanded PR warfare that will make him look saintly, and Jobs/Apple look like a$$holes.
2. Can you imagine the contract(s)? Jobs will want to retain control over the "experience" and probably the outward design of anything this would produce. Fiddy would prob. like to be able to pre-install any WinXP, etc software he pleased, and add either his own logos, or other branding to the cases to sell as advertising/sponsorship space to offset the costs. I can't see Jobs/Apple allowing that.
3. Manufacturing. Unless an existing Mac design/production line (eMac?) was used, where is the production for an entire new line of "kinda Macs" going to come from? Who's going to foot the bill for that?
4. Training. It's a Windows world out there. If those receiving these Macs don't have access to some type of training, and all they have access to is people that live and die by XP, will these Macs ever see MacOS X used on them in day-to-day use? And if not, will Jobs accept that? I don't see it.
This has potential to be a great idea. For those $0.50 is trying to get computers to, and Apple (potential huge mindshare gains). I just have trouble seeing these issues not derailing any potential partnership.
I'd like to be wrong. Just don't think this will happen.
jwd
I think the point is that Apple produces technology that is accessible to the commmon man.
I'm not saying that it matters that the majority is Windows. All the more reason to get more copies of MacOS X out there! I'm saying that if the only people available to provide support, think XP or nothing... then it would hurt the chances of this happening.
I'm saying that if the only training/support available for them is from people that think 'XP, or it's crap', then these Macs will only see XP running on them. It's a potential downside of the new Macs being able to run Windows. And a possible reason Jobs may not go for it. (Adding the cost of MacOS X specific training/support may create a higher cost than $0.50 wants for such a project. But not having that level of training and support available may relegate these Macs to just being glorified XP boxes..)
And that's the part that Jobs would $hit a brick over, and the reason I cite it as a potential roadblock.
Just my $0.02... nah, make that $0.50US.
jwd