Posted on April 08, 2010 by editor

While hundreds of thousands of people rushed out to purchase the Apple iPad last Saturday, there was at least one person who took things to the next level and rushed out just as quickly to customize the iPad to make it truly his own.

At approximately 8:00pm, April 3, Saturday evening, Marcos Payan was at the Fusion of Ideas store in Irvine, Calif. getting his third tattoo, that is, third if you count the iPad as the latest extension of his body (which it very well could be).

The laser engraving service, branded DigitalTechToo, at Fusion of Ideas allows customers to get any design of their choice permanently engraved onto any electronic device. Like a tattoo, these designs can be very personal with a unique story behind each and every one.

In this case, perhaps the world’s first laser engraved iPad, the story is about a film—you may have heard of it—called Ghostbusters. Fusion of Ideas interviewed Payan to find out a little more about his story behind the design:

FOI: You customized the iPad immediately after purchasing it, why? Is customization important to you?

MP: I work in a business that will have many, many iPads floating around in the next few months. I wanted to make sure that there was no mistaking which product was mine. Fusion of Ideas has done some really great work in the past, and I knew that they would not let my new toy down. Getting your new investment its first laser tattoo can be a bit stressful since you can’t just get it undone, but I knew I was in good hands.

FOI: What did you have laser engraved onto your iPad?

MP: I had the three original Ghostbusters and the Ghostbuster logo engraved on the back of my iPad. Film has always been a passion of mine and the one film that I’ve latched onto the most growing up was the original Ghostbusters. That was the movie I watched over and over as a kid and really, it is the film that inspired me to take up film-making in the first place. I can still watch that movie over and over again (notice the ghost in the logo isn’t holding two fingers up. I pretend the second movie never even happened). I was lucky enough to meet Harold Ramis some years ago and he was kind enough to spend about twenty minutes with me talking about Ghostbusters and the industry in general. At that time I had nothing for him to sign and this was before cell phones had cameras on them as a standard. Now my goal is to get each of the Ghostbusters to sign the back of my iPad. Not exactly sure how I will make that happen …

FOI: How does it make you feel when you walk around with your newly customized iPad?

MP: I love showing it off. I’ve been stopped a few times already and asked about it. There seem to be a lot of people out there who really dig the movie still. The engraving looks fantastic. Most people think the image was painted onto the back of the iPad.

FOI: Apple critics say that all Apple products look the same and that there is not much opportunity for personalization. What is your response to that?

MP: Apple does design some pretty sleek products so I really find that people embrace the look of Apple products. There are so many great ways to make the products your own. If someone can’t find a way to make an iPhone, iPod or iPad their own, they aren’t even trying to look for options. I went into Fusion of Ideas with barely an idea of what I wanted the back to look like and within 15 minutes Russ [FOI founder] and I had found the perfect design for me. I might actually create my own personal artwork for my next iPhone.

Customers who also have a story to tell through design may visit the Fusion of Ideas retail location at the Irvine Spectrum Center mall in Irvine, Calif. or go online at www.fusionofideas.com to submit their artwork or design where a Fusion of Ideas design specialist will work with customers one-on-one to craft the perfect look.