Ooo, what could be inside this box that IBM shipped to a reader—retail-packaged software? Peripherals? Maybe a hard drive with air padding? A logo-emblazoned hoodie? Monogrammed pencils? A kitten?

Nope: it’s two replacement trackpoint nubs, smaller than a lapdog’s nipples.

We know some of you don’t like these “big box-tiny product” posts, but they highlight the waste and incompetence of current shipping methods, and remind us of how messed up the supply chain remains, despite years of fine-tuning. As long as companies increase profits by passing costs on to the consumer instead of seeking out and addressing these inefficiencies, we’re going to see higher and higher levels of government-style red tape and bureaucracy. And big boxes with big shipping fees with tiny products inside.

“Reason #2389 Why IBM is a Ridiculous Corporation and Why My Next Computer Will Be a Mac” [Optimus Crime Toronto]
(Thanks to Sofi!)

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