It’s no secret that Apple is big in Japan. That everything is big in Japan is besides the point – Apple is really big in Japan, guys. The release of an Apple product is nothing short of a holiday, and the Japanese seemingly make Apple’s offerings a more standard way of life than we do, even here.
Case in point – You’re looking at shots of ease, a cafe in Tokyo’s Marunouichi Building, which offers its patrons an iPad at every table. ‘So what?’ you scoff. ‘Best Buy has a ton of public iPads.’ And true enough, I’d reply. But be that as it may, not only do you get to sip your pretentious beverage while fingering your favourite content, but if these photographs are any indication, these iPads lack the conspicuous Best Buy cable tether. These iPads are just chillin, unguarded – or at the very least, unrestrained.
I guess this is an exercise in trust? I don’t think I’d ever do the opposite of fail to leave an unattended iPad where it lie. And frankly, I don’t think I’m a bad person for it.
Could you imagine doing that in the US? Your coffee shop would be iPad free and the doors closed by noon. I can’t even fathom living in a place you can be so trusting.
I would drink way more coffee if they had such a thing where I live. That would be great to go down to the corner cafe and surf the web on an iPad while I enjoyed my favorite beverage. In addition to that I could make some sweet side money stealing iPads and selling them on eBay!