Rambling On: iDo or iDon't?

This weekend as I came through the midtown tunnel into NYC, I spotted several interesting posters adorning the side of a building. One had a sheep wearing what appeared to be iPod earbuds, with the challenge "Don't be an iSheep" or something to that extent. A similar bill bore a primate listening to music with his iPod and the statement "Don't be an iChimp." There was a donkey labeled an "iFollower" for trying to grab a dangling carrot and a guy in a suite with his arms strung up like an "iPuppet." At the bottom of each of these posters was an ominous link -- to iDont.com.

Needless to say I was intrigued -- I myself have never gotten around to buying an iPod, but several of my friends and co-workers carry them around as if they were permanently attached. They have the attachments to play their iTunes in their cars, through stereos at home and of course on their computers. The iPod has definitely left its social, cultural and historical marks on this society -- from children to seniors, bankers to busboys, the white earbud has become as common a sight as people yapping on their cell phones. So it came as no surprise that someone out there was 'raging against the machine', fighting what they perceived as mindless conformity. Whether I agreed or not, they had succeeded in their mission: they got my attention enough for me to remember to check the site out when I got home.

Upon arrival at the site, I was once again greeted by the iPod wearing sheep, now joined by a dozen of his dancing friends. After the odd introduction, the sheep vanished and were replaced by graffiti-esque text upon a dark, gritty background -- all clearly designed to drive home the point that the folks behind this site are rebels, part of the underground resistance. Their "Manifesto" took great steps to drive the point home, just in case I hadn't gotten it the first time -- this site was created as a place for "free thinkers, contrarians and malcontents" to "rise up against the iTatorship." But how? How would I (were I an iPodder) be able to tear the MP3-playing monkey off my back and stand proud and earbud free? Strangely enough, iDon't had an answer.

My eyebrow raised in suspicion. Something was beginning to smell funny, and it wasn't those sheep from before. With great trepidation, I clicked on the link ominously labeled "The Alternative."Suddenly there was a picture of an MP3 player -- but not an iPod. It was a Sansa e200. That's right. The iDon't site, created by SanDisk, was challenging me not to become a iPod drone -- but in fact was inviting me to become a Sansa eSlave (my words, not theirs).

So kudos to SanDisk for their clever marketing ploy -- it certainly got me clicking. But once I found out that this was nothing more than a cheesy attempt at trying to take a bite out of Apple's solid spot in the market, they lost me. I looked at the site again and saw a company using the facade of rebellion and non-conformity to hide their bitterness at not being number one. They'll probably get a few converts or newbies thanks to their iDon't site (there's plenty of genuine anti-iPod sites and sentimentality out there). As for me, I'm still MP3 player-less. But in all likelihood, when I do decide to buy one, you'll probably see me grazing out there in the field with the rest of the iPod sheep.