See, there is something going on. They called us mad when we drew the connection between Gap, Inc. CEO Mickey Drexler's appointment to Apple's Board of Directors and the seemingly inexplicable decision to ship the iBook in Blueberry and Tangerine. See, while Blueberry is by far the most popular iMac color, Tangerine seems to be the most reviled, based both on heard-it-on-the-street popular opinion and actual sales figures. So why Tangerine for the iBook? Various theories flew back and forth. For instance, one says Steve loves Tangerine and was upset that it didn't catch on with the iMac, so he made it one of only two choices for the iBook with the goal of boosting its popularity. Another says that Apple's trying to get rid of the vats of Tangerine dye left over due to that color's unpopularity in the iMac line. But the truth struck us like a lightning bolt when we saw that "Everybody in Vests" Gap commercial, pushing orange like it's the best thing to happen to color since the discovery of "purple" in Vienna in 1903.

Obvious, right? Either Mickey nudged Steve in the ribs and tipped him off that orange would be this fall's hip color with fashion-conscious teens and young adults, or Steve RDF'd Mickey into believing that orange is worth pushing as the Young Color of Choice. Either way, the result is the Tangerine iBook being more than a cool portable Mac-- it's also a hip accessory. One third-party company has already announced the iStrap; for those who feel that the iBook doesn't look enough like a purse, the iStrap is just what the doctor ordered. Seriously, the handle's cool and all, but the iStrap is a hands-free way to tote the iBook without hiding it in a backpack. People who are worried about looking "girly" need not apply, but if the Gap-Apple orange push is successful, there are going to be lots of young'uns out there for whom a visible Tangerine iBook is a fashion necessity.

So for those who shrugged off our theory as just the ramblings of a pack of conspiracy fanatics, perhaps you heard the news about Uncle Steve's new corporate duties? Faithful viewer John Buscemi (sadly, no relation to Steve Buscemi) was the first to point us towards the Gap's latest press release: Steve Jobs is the latest addition to Gap Inc.'s Board of Directors. Sort of a "Board Member Swap," if you will. Still questioning the Tangerine connection?