Difference between revisions of "548: Kindle"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
The {{w|Amazon Kindle}} is a device that allows people to read books via ebook format. The comic was published three weeks after Amazon released the Kindle 2, which included the ability to read {{w|Wikipedia}} articles via the 3G connection that was included with the device.
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The {{w|Amazon Kindle}} is a device that allows people to read books via ebook format. The comic was published three weeks after {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}} released the {{w|Amazon_Kindle#Kindle_2|Kindle 2}}, which included the ability to read {{w|Wikipedia}} articles via the 3G connection that was included with the device.
  
[[Cueball]] remarks that "ebooks are for chumps", but goes on to explain the real reason for purchasing a Kindle. Since it has free cellular web access, he could navigate through any city (presumably with 3G access), assisted by Wikipedia and Wikitravel.
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[[Cueball]] remarks that "ebooks are for chumps", but goes on to explain the real reason for purchasing a Kindle. Since it has free cellular web access, he could navigate through any city (presumably with 3G access), assisted by {{w|Wikipedia}} and {{w|Wikitravel}}.
  
[[Megan]] scratches off the Amazon Kindle logo to reveal that the device is actually ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (fictional)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}''. This fictional electronic encyclopedia is described in the real-life franchise of the same name. Those works recount the tale of a travel editor who works for and owns a copy of the ''Guide'', which provides travel tips throughout the galaxy, including an entry for {{w|Mostly Harmless|Earth}}. The comic suggests that Amazon simply re-brands copies of the ''Guide'' as Kindles.
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[[Megan]] believes she has heard such a description of a device before and snatches the Kindle away from Cueball. When she scratches off the Amazon Kindle logo at the top of the device she reveals that the device is actually ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (fictional)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}''. This fictional electronic encyclopedia is described in the {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|real-life franchise}} of the same name. Those works recount the tale of a travel editor who works for and owns a copy of the ''Guide'', which provides travel tips throughout the galaxy, including {{w|Mostly Harmless|an entry for Earth}}. The comic suggests that Amazon simply re-brands copies of the ''Guide'' as Kindles.
  
The title text refers to the great utility of having the ability to access Wikipedia for free on an easy-to-carry device. The speaker states that should this utility ever become disabled, he would stage a drunk protest (another reference to the book series) on the lawn (again) of {{w|Jeff Bezos}}, the CEO of Amazon.com.
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The title text refers to the great utility of having the ability to access Wikipedia for free on an easy-to-carry device. The speaker states that should this utility ever become disabled, he would stage a drunk protest on the lawn of {{w|Jeff Bezos}}, the CEO of Amazon.com.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking at a kindle.]
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:[Cueball is looking at a tablet.]
 
:Megan: A kindle? Ebooks, huh?
 
:Megan: A kindle? Ebooks, huh?
 
:Cueball: Ebooks are for chumps.
 
:Cueball: Ebooks are for chumps.
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:Cueball: One reason:
 
:Cueball: One reason:
  
:Cueball: <u>FREE</u> cellular web access. Even if I spend months broke and drunk in a strange city, I'll still be able to use wikipedia and wikitravel to learn about anything I need.
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:[Text is above the frame in which Cueball wanders a city with the tablet and with small bubbles forming above his head to indicate him being intoxicated.]
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:Cueball (narrating): <u>Free</u> cellular web access. Even if I spend months broke and drunk in a strange city, I'll still be able to use Wikipedia and Wikitravel to learn about anything I need.
  
 +
:[Megan takes the tablet from Cueball.]
 
:Megan: Why does that sound familiar?
 
:Megan: Why does that sound familiar?
 
:Megan: Gimme that.
 
:Megan: Gimme that.
:[Megan takes the kindle.]
 
  
:[The top of the kindle says "Amazon Kindle".]
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:[Zoom in on the top of the tablet where the name is written:]
:[Megan scratches at the top.] ''scrape, scrape, scrape''
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:Amazon Kindle
:Top of "kindle": Hitchhiker's Guid...
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 +
:[Zoom out to Megan who scratches at the top of the tablet.]  
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:Scrape, scrape, scrape
 +
 
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:[Zoom back to the damaged top of the tablet where a layer has been scraped off. This partly reveals a new name, where the first letter and the last two letters are only partly visible:]
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:Hitchhiker's Guide
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

Revision as of 18:08, 22 September 2015

Kindle
I'm happy with my Kindle 2 so far, but if they cut off the free Wikipedia browsing, I plan to show up drunk on Jeff Bezos's lawn and refuse to leave.
Title text: I'm happy with my Kindle 2 so far, but if they cut off the free Wikipedia browsing, I plan to show up drunk on Jeff Bezos's lawn and refuse to leave.

Explanation

The Amazon Kindle is a device that allows people to read books via ebook format. The comic was published three weeks after Amazon released the Kindle 2, which included the ability to read Wikipedia articles via the 3G connection that was included with the device.

Cueball remarks that "ebooks are for chumps", but goes on to explain the real reason for purchasing a Kindle. Since it has free cellular web access, he could navigate through any city (presumably with 3G access), assisted by Wikipedia and Wikitravel.

Megan believes she has heard such a description of a device before and snatches the Kindle away from Cueball. When she scratches off the Amazon Kindle logo at the top of the device she reveals that the device is actually The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This fictional electronic encyclopedia is described in the real-life franchise of the same name. Those works recount the tale of a travel editor who works for and owns a copy of the Guide, which provides travel tips throughout the galaxy, including an entry for Earth. The comic suggests that Amazon simply re-brands copies of the Guide as Kindles.

The title text refers to the great utility of having the ability to access Wikipedia for free on an easy-to-carry device. The speaker states that should this utility ever become disabled, he would stage a drunk protest on the lawn of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com.

Transcript

[Cueball is looking at a tablet.]
Megan: A kindle? Ebooks, huh?
Cueball: Ebooks are for chumps.
Megan: Why get a kindle, then?
Cueball: One reason:
[Text is above the frame in which Cueball wanders a city with the tablet and with small bubbles forming above his head to indicate him being intoxicated.]
Cueball (narrating): Free cellular web access. Even if I spend months broke and drunk in a strange city, I'll still be able to use Wikipedia and Wikitravel to learn about anything I need.
[Megan takes the tablet from Cueball.]
Megan: Why does that sound familiar?
Megan: Gimme that.
[Zoom in on the top of the tablet where the name is written:]
Amazon Kindle
[Zoom out to Megan who scratches at the top of the tablet.]
Scrape, scrape, scrape
[Zoom back to the damaged top of the tablet where a layer has been scraped off. This partly reveals a new name, where the first letter and the last two letters are only partly visible:]
Hitchhiker's Guide


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Discussion

I changed the explanation so that it refers to the device actually being the fictional, encyclopedic Guide, not the novel. For one thing, the novel describes the Guide as essentially an e-book (despite being published in 1979). Mainly, having the novel on hand while traveling would not be of much use in the ways described, while access to the fictional encyclopedia would match the description exactly, just as it is used in the fictional franchise. - jerodast (talk) 23:53, 3 December 2012 (UTC) Where is the transcript? 121.54.48.38 04:09, 12 May 2013 (UTC)

this was before. Wikipedia offline for android. 108.168.13.84 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

There's no transcript. Someone fix please? 108.162.216.45 04:50, 9 November 2013 (UTC)

The transcript is done. --Dgbrt (talk) 19:45, 9 November 2013 (UTC)

Alternative explanation: Cueball hid his copy of the Guide in a Kindle shell. 108.162.245.44 13:20, 12 November 2016 (UTC)


(Five years later) - The 3G network that the Whispernet relies on is being decommissioned in 2022. I wonder if Randall will show up drunk at Bezos or Jassys lawn... (cite) Popup (talk) 14:10, 5 July 2021 (UTC)