Teen iPad destruction--'what was the point of that?'
A group of youths pound an iPad with a bat and post the video to YouTube. Many viewers are outraged; others call the youths heroes.
A video of teenagers using a brand new iPad for batting practice is white-hot on YouTube.
The video, which as of early Monday morning had more than 257,400 views, is sort of a send up of the traditional "stress tests" that reviewers sometimes do on gadgets. The teens bought the brand-new device at a Best Buy store and went out to the parking lot to film their demolition. First, they dropped the device on the cement. Then, out came the aluminum baseball bat.
"Batter up, bro," says one teen. "Give it a swing."
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
After the device--which went on sale across the country Saturday--was clubbed into a dented and cracked pile of scrap, someone asked what seems like a reasonable question (at 1:09 on the clip): "What was the point of that?"
Many viewers apparently couldn't see any, judging from the comments left at YouTube. Most were offended at what they saw as pointless destruction and an apparent waste of $500.
"The greatest losers ever," wrote one person. "I don't particularly care how much money you have or what you do with it--this is shameless waste and wanton destruction."
A smaller number offered praise. "Don't listen to the others," wrote one person who posted. "You guys are heroes."
The Los Angeles Times interviewed the videographer, Justin Kockott, 19, of Pittsburgh, Penn. Turns out he's an Apple fan. He said he bought two more iPads later that he didn't pulverize. He said he thought the stunt would be funny.
Two things come to mind after seeing that video. First, the iPad held up well considering the amount of abuse it endured. After one of the teens first dropped it on the cement, the screen appeared to crack at the corner. And it certainly broke after receiving multiple blows from a baseball bat. But that's a lot of force, and overall the body stayed together throughout the bashing.
If you own an iPad, buy a case and it appears you'll be OK. The other takeaway here is that the economy must be making a comeback if teens can flush $500 down the toilet for kicks.
Batter up, bro.