The iPhone’s always had a certain cool factor, something that makes fans love it, and even sensible people rate it more highly than the many phones that I reckon far outclass it in every way. The question now, though, is whether other people are latching on to that cool factor for their own reasons?
An example? Well, according to Macworld, the University of Missouri’s journalism department has made it a requirement for all students to get either an iPhone or an iPod Touch.
In itself, that’s a bit of a bizarre request, but it gets even weirder because the dean of the journalism school said that the rule “will not be enforced, however, and there will not be a penalty for students who chose not to buy an iPod touch or iPhone.”
Er, which immediately begs the question of why they’ve got it as a requirement in the first place. Of course, its audio recording capabilities could be useful in lectures, but then, why the iPhone? You can pretty much do the same on most phones nowadays (my Sony Ericsson X1 will… hell, even my old Sony Z7 would in 2002!). The real reason for the clause is to give students on financial aid access to it, according to the dean, as it means they’ll be able to include the price of it in the financial need estimate, effectively giving those students the cash to get one.
Ooooooookay, not come across something like that being done before. And while we’re on the subject, why just the iPhone? Why not the HTC Magic, which is equally capable, or any mobile phone that can record audio?
Ah, are we back to that cool factor argument again? Anyway, the conclusion is this: I have no idea, my mind’s still trying to grasp the concept, and part of me is going “we never had mobile phones in my day, we had to make do with pen and paper, kids today don’t know they’re born!”
Dear god, I feel old, and the sad part is, I only graduated in 2000, so I’m not even that old!
Sigh…
Do you reckon students should get free iPhones? Or do you reckon they’re costing you money in taxes (which, incidentally, they’re NOT)? Leave us a comment and have your say!