McDonald's offers free use of iPads
An enterprising McDonald's in Virginia Beach, Va., decides that a suitable incentive for its customers is to offer them mounted iPads to peruse while they chew.
I have it on very good authority that many Apple fanpersons eat at McDonald's simply because they serve Big Macs.
These people will do anything to extend their Mac affiliation.
Perhaps, therefore, it's for them that a McDonald's in Virginia Beach, Va., has struck upon a novel idea to induce loyalty from its customers: it has placed iPads in its restaurant for their use.
Yes, entirely for free.
As my regular reading of the Virginia-Pilot revealed, the iPads are mounted on tables, so that you can surf while you chew.
Some might surely worry that the screen must get terribly greasy, as McDonald's food does have a certain, well, fluid content.
However, the franchise owner, Hugh Fard, seems delighted with the idea. He first noticed the concept at a worldwide McDonald's convention in Florida. (I wonder what the catering was like.)
So he leased the iPads from a French company, which looks after them and even replaces them, should some full-bellied miscreant decide he needs to perform a takeaway.
Oddly, though, Fard chose to block YouTube, as he oddly believes that some of its content is pornographic.
However, one wonders how much other blocking he might have done. Some porn sites do have rather innocent-sounding domain names.
It's odd, too, that McDonald's would want customers to stay longer. Once upon a time, the whole concept of fast food was to get the customer in and get them out again. Yes, the way Google used to think.
Starbucks has certainly had its fill of laptop loungers in some of its New York establishments.
The McDonald's customers, though, seem to love their iPads, which complement the chain's move toward a more stylish environment.
I wonder what McDonald's might think of next. How about wrapping large to-go orders with a free iPhone 5 connector plug?
