Maybe I'm just being snarky, but does anyone else find it somewhat amusing that this file photo of the iPhone using GoogleMaps has a big fat Starbucks as the point of interest? Hey potential iPhone users, now you can plan you next trip to Starbucks instead of just tripping over one every 30 feet! Brilliant I tell you!
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But is it fair? Normally, I enjoy seeing Starbucks get slammed by pretty much anybody, for the usual reasons. But this time I'm wondering if we have a case of environmentalists being narrow minded, near sighted, and dumb.
Over the last few years, I've developed a routine of working at Starbucks in the early morning, between the bus picking SteelyKid up (at 7:30-ish, ugh) and when I need to be on campus.
It's the latest Starbucks advertising campaign: they are handing out free subway passes and movie tickets in the hope that all the niceness and holiday cheer will be contagious:
It's been a while since I've done a post over-analyzing some everyday situation, because I've been too busy to do any silly experiments.
I think that during the presentation where the iPhone was first unveiled Steve called the Starbuck's next to the convention center and ordered like 4000 lattes. I think that the image is the same one as the presentation. Now, I totally agree that there has to be some kickback going on there, which is odd considering that Starbuck's partners with t-Mobile rather than Cingular.
Man the sordid lives of corporations are complicated...
Yes, he demonstrated the map feature by searching for a Starbucks and then prank called the closest store. Fits right in with his love of turtlenecks, U2, and chic little gadgets.
I can't help but wonder, though, how much influence Starbucks' free wifi access had on its use in a search on a device with a wifi chip inside (: Maybe he was trying to be subtle: "Don't forget, you can use the Internet for free on this device from all of these locations! You already spend all your time there, right?"
Hm, interesting. You know, if you go to Boston, there isn't a Starbucks on every corner -- more like every other corner. So the mapping feature might come in handy. Now Dunkin Donuts on the other hand... those really are everywhere.