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iTunes Store offers free John (PC Guy) Hodgman audiobook
Apple’s iTunes Store is offering the audiobook version of John Hodgman’s The Areas of My Expertise for free through Christmas. The audiobook normally sells for $18.95. Hodgman plays the “PC” in Apple’s current “Get a Mac” TV ad campaign. His book is “a brilliant and hilarious compendium of handy reference tables, fascinating trivia, and sage wisdom on all topics large and small… a different kind of handy desk reference, one in which all of the historical oddities and amazing true facts are sifted through the singular, illuminating imagination of John Hodgman, which is the nice way of saying: He made it all up.”
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1
D’oh US store only! i hear this one is funny too
Posted by josh on December 20, 2006 at 12:49 PM (PDT)
2
WOO! EXCELLENT! I own both the hardcover and softcover versions of this and have gifted various versions to several people. This could only be cooler if Apple were giving this away preloaded on iPods for Christmas.
To summarize: WOO!
Posted by Multimoog on December 20, 2006 at 12:54 PM (PDT)
3
is there any way to download this without having to give a credit card number?
Posted by mrmojorisingi on December 20, 2006 at 1:14 PM (PDT)
4
Huh, one can only hope that free audiobooks on C++ GUI are next!!
Posted by Obadiah on December 20, 2006 at 1:16 PM (PDT)
5
Anyone know if this is read by John Hodgman? His inflection was probably the only thing missing from the print version.
Posted by Michael P. on December 20, 2006 at 1:18 PM (PDT)
6
Never mind- it is.
Posted by Michael P. on December 20, 2006 at 1:39 PM (PDT)
7
Darn, I already have the paperback version.
Posted by Fritz on December 20, 2006 at 2:03 PM (PDT)
8
wow—-I’m super impressed by iTunes on this one. An excerpt, even 1 of 3 would have been a nice ‘gift’, but the whole 6 plus hour book—-awesome! And just in time for so many iPod toting travelers.
Posted by andrew Chasnoff on December 20, 2006 at 7:47 PM (PDT)
9
Even if you have a version of the book you should download this - there’s a lot of new material in the form of candid remarks, back-and-forth between Mr. Hodgman and his troubador Jonathan, original music and guest readers. It’s well worth the time it takes to download and listen to it. I’d recommend this even if it weren’t free. I was an Apple fanboy before, but now I’m a bonafide cult member 4 lyfe, dawg! Er.
Posted by Multimoog on December 20, 2006 at 9:50 PM (PDT)
10
now i know what i’m listening to for at least part of my 1900 mile round trip Christmas extravaganza.
Posted by bozz on December 21, 2006 at 7:28 AM (PDT)
11
bozz—1900 miles? where are you going?? you should download ‘keith and the girl’ and ‘nightshift podcast’. check out podcast alley, you’ll find some awesome options, and then go download them from iTunes. Have fun!
Posted by andrew chasnoff on December 21, 2006 at 2:16 PM (PDT)
12
Anyone having issues downloading the book? I get error -42018 when it tries to download.
Posted by RS on December 22, 2006 at 3:30 PM (PDT)
13
Maybe you can find something interesting in .torrent search…
Posted by IL_MORUZ on December 24, 2006 at 3:47 AM (PDT)
14
Getting error when downloading: “Purchase of this item is not currently available, This item is being modified. Please try again later.”
Posted by occipitaltexas on December 25, 2006 at 12:21 PM (PDT)
15
Darn. I just read about it at 10:40 pm EST and they cut it off. I clicked on the link above and it said the price was “Free”. I went to my “Shopping Cart” and it said $18.95. Now the page says $18.95.
Posted by Chuck G in Minneapolis on December 25, 2006 at 8:52 PM (PDT)