I came so close to disliking Steve Jobs and Apple

Strike One

Earlier this week, Apple announced its new line of iPods along with a $200 price cut on the iPhone. Both of these announcements left a bad taste in my mouth. For starters, I just purchased my iPhone a little over two months ago–the first day they were released to the public to be exact. While I understand that being a pioneer of new technology products comes with a price, I didn’t think that price would be $200.

Strike Two

Furthermore, the new iPod Touch model looks identical to the iPhone. In fact it pretty much is the iPhone minus the phone and the national data plan. Since the phone was never the main feature that attracted me to the iPhone in the first place, I was very disappointed to see these new iPods hit the market so soon after I purchased my iPhone.

Strikeout?

Apparently, I was not alone in these feelings. The next day when I opened up my Google feed reader to read my daily assortment of technology blogs, I was greeted with headlines like these:

  • “iPhone owners crying foul over price cut”
  • “Early iPhone adopter letdown”
  • “IPhone Price Cut Annoys Some”
  • “Apple’s iPhone Blunder Makes Buyers iRate”
  • “The iPhone bubble bursts”

It didn’t help any either that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, followed up these complaints by issuing a statement that, summed up, said ”tough luck” and “that’s life” to us early iPhone adapters.

Curve ball

But lo and behold just as I thought strike three was imminent, the next day I saw a new crop of headlines:

  • “Apple lobs $100 credit at iPhone buyers”
  • “Jobs offers $100 apology to first iPhone customers”
  • “Apple offers $100 credit to early iPhone adopters”

Read the official letter from Steve Jobs to all iPhone customers.

Think what you want of these headlines. Marketing ploy? Probably. PR move? Sure. I think it’s brilliant. And now instead of being mad at Steve Jobs and Apple, I am once again singing the praises of my iPhone. Not to mention I’m looking forward to my upcoming trip to the Apple Store, $100 credit in hand.

1 comment for this blog post so far...

  • #1
    September 07, 2007 at 4:10 pm

    keven (element six creative group)

    Hi Patric,

    I stumbled across your blog and was compelled to comment. Good points but like most iphone articles I come across, there is a negative vibe. So many PC users, jealous people, and Apple critics that have it out for apple, spread bad press across the web. Let’s not forget that Apple, as cool and hip as they may seem, are a business, not charity. I made a conscious decision to be an early adopter. The bragging rights were great. except when people harp on me for buying it saying it was too much $ but want a full demo and take it out of my hands! haha

    I am actually compiling a list of downsides and upsides to the iphone. Amongst NONE of them was the price and the recent price drop because I have been more obssessed with things in the future then the past. I want the software improvements. NOW. the list of downsides is large. but the phone is a breakthorugh that will hopefully require the competition to step it up.

    The $100 rebate is a smart pr move. think about all of us walking into the apple store and spending MORE then the $100 because most americans will think “heck, i’ll spend this $100 but spend $200 on something!” my business partner is purchasing a $250 ipod with the $100 rebate! apple is going to make MORE off this we think.

    cheers,
    kev

    PS: under “strike 2? change the first “iphone” occurance to ipod so it reads accurately.

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