Speaking of public relations crises... By now, you probably know that Apple announced its new iPod line on Wednesday; and at the end of the presentation, they surprised everyone by announcing a $200 price cut on the iPhone. One of the reactions I started to hear is exactly why they did it: several friends almost immediately contacted me and said "maybe I'll go ahead and get one now." My thanks to those same friends for not rubbing in what was by then being called the $200 "early adopter tax." Apparently Apple didn't fully anticipate the anger and/or disappointment by those of us who already owned the iPhone. And since the iPhone is the most successful product launch in history with sales well beyond projections, thats a lot of potentially pissed off people. Discussion boards and web sites lit up with angry complaints. Personally, I was disappointed, but I wasn't pissed. My business runs on Macs. No other cell phone communicates successfully with Macs. My old cell phone died about a week after the iPhone hit stores, so I had no option of waiting. It was a no brainer for me, and for me, the iPhone has exceeded my expectations (see link to my earlier post below). That said, I knew Apple wasn't going to let the anger out there go unanswered. I decided to sit and wait to see what happened. Sure enough, less than 24 hours later, the Apple website featured "an open letter from Steve Jobs." In it, he apologized and offered a $100 credit in any Apple Store (including online) for all existing iPhone owners. Consider me placated. For me, that will probably cover the upcoming release of Leopard, Apple's new operating system. If not, I could always just get iLife 08 and some iTunes downloads. For those out there saying "I don't need anything from Apple," allow me to offer some suggestions. Spend a little time doing some shopping - maybe you could use a case or a bluetooth headset for your iPhone? If you have a laptop, how about a spare battery for when you travel, or a second power adapter and cord (I'm already on my third); not to mention a printer or a digital camera? Or even a gift card to give someone else at Christmas? Quit yer bitchin, take your time, shop, enjoy your bonus. It doesn't have to be made by Apple, just something they sell at their store. That's a lot to choose from. Life could be a lot worse.
3 comments:
iSay use the $100 to buy the 3 year Applecare plan ..its like getting two years of protection you didn't plan on. Blah blah blah with all the bitchin. Please. Its still the best damn cell phone I have ever had the pleasure of owning AND I got to be the first on my block to own one. That shit was so much fun it was almost worth the $200!
2 year Apple care...got carried away there!
Actually, Applecare is a brilliant suggestion. I'm not a big fan of extended warranty plans, but I always recommend Applecare for anything! Apples tend to not break very often (though they seem to more as they become more popular), but when they do, theyre very expensive to fix if you dont have the plan. Great suggestion. And by the way, American Express is reportedly refunding the $200 to people with their 90-day purchase protection plan (or something like that). Worth checking into.
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