Luxury charter yacht integrates iPad into guest services
updated 11:50 am EST, Tue December 28, 2010
Tablet an increasingly common perk
An extremely high-end luxury charter yacht, the Solemates, has reportedly made the iPad a central element of its guest services. Each guest is given an iPad while onboard if they don't already have one; in either case, automation systems allow a tablet to control different aspects of the ship. People can adjust the lights and blinds in cabins, as well as various entertainment and climate controls.
Chartering the Monaco-launched yacht costs $600,000 a week. In part because the ship caters to the super-rich and only has space for 12 passengers, an iPad can also be used to summon a crewmember to bring more drinks. The hardware has become an increasingly common perk for rich shoppers. In New York City, for example, clothing retailer Bloomingdale's recently gave away iPads to people willing to spend $1,500 or more.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Yet another sign of the bad economy
It used to be they had a manservant to do all that for you. Now they're replacing them with iPads? What's this economy coming to?
And you've gotta use an iPad to summon a crew member now? I used to just yell out, "boy!" and they'd have a martini out to me faster than I could yell at him for using too much vermouth.