[DM-MUG] boo hoo iPhone

[Bill Davis]

On Oct 15, 2007, at 6:44 PM, AB wrote:

> Personally, Bill, I wait anywhere from 8 months to 2 years to get a  
> feel for if a pricey item is
> worth buying. Being a consumer is a lot like gambling. lol.
>
> I love Apple, but experience has taught me (and not just of Apple)  
> not to buy a first generation
> of any electronic/technological device. Examples would be: The  
> first generations of DVD players
> which may have problems playing DVD-Rs or burned DVDs, G5s, Mac OS  
> 10.0, Sony's Blu-Ray which
> because of cutting corners during production of the PS3 sales are  
> down, and a large percent of PS3
> end up getting returned or exchanged. Sort of like an increasing  
> number of iPhone owners.

Normally I'd agree with you, but I've generally had excellent  
experience with Apple products, even first gens when I've bought them  
occasionally.  I've been buying Apple products since 1984 and using  
them since 1976.   Not this time, and then, my only objection is the  
hardware design.  It's just too fragile for a cell phone.  The iPods  
weren't at all fragile so I expected the iPhone to be similarly  
sturdy and in truth it was ONLY the glass that shattered; the phone  
kept working just fine....you just didn't want to press shattered  
glass to your face or touch it wth your finger.  Like most safety  
glass, it spiderwebbed rather than falling apart, but was still not  
safe to use in that state, though I did for a couple of days until  
the loaner phone arrived.

My experience with the hardware was so contrary to my normal  
experience with Apple products (even the occasional first generation  
ones I bought) that I want to make sure everyone is aware of the  
issue before they buy one.  It's a very, very important problem that  
is not being addressed or even talked about much.  Yes, I'm ticked  
off I had to pay $280 more bucks after only a month....but I should  
be, shouldn't I?  Cell phones MUST be sturdily designed.    It seemed  
so at first, too, despite the thinness.  But I found out differently  
and want to tell folks about it.


> Out of curiosity I had been casually tracking job openings related  
> to the iPhone. Haven't checked
> since the release of the iPhone, but in July and August every other  
> job opening at Apple was
> related to the iPhone. The far runner up was for the support and  
> development for Leopard.

Interesting!

>
> Maybe people forget...
> Companies often push production and then they also don't quite  
> think of all the things and ways
> their products are used or handled.

True, but that's no excuse,either.  And in this case, well it's not  
like they were pioneering the cell phone.  They most likely all have  
them and have dropped them.   They screwed up the design of the  
iPhone and need to be called to account for it.

> Apple was pushing the iPhone in fear of competition releasing  
> something better and more profitable.

Again, not my problem, or the customers.

> They are also pushing the iPhone to buy more time to get the kinks  
> worked out of the new OS 10.5 Leopard since they didn't release it  
> as expected back in May/June. Which if you notice, with the iPhone,  
> the new iPod Touch, and the new look of iMacs,
> the marketing diversion worked.

I don't see that.  Most computer-savvy folks understood the reasons  
behind the wait for 10.5 and expected the new product releases  
anyway.   No diversion was necessary...or done.  Leopard appears to  
be on track, as of late last week anyway.

Most non-computer savvy folks don't pay attention to such things and  
wouldn't even notice.  I don't buy a "diversion".  iMacs and iPods  
are normally updated around this time of year, historically.  The  
iPods especially need a refresh and we expected an iPhone form-factor  
iPod (although I wanted an iPod Touch, or an iPhone, with a larger  
storage capacity, at least 80gb).

> Thus, less pressure to rush the release of Leopard. I'd be  
> surprised if they release it in November as tentatively planned.

Actually, the plan is and has been October, not November, and the  
release date is the 26th, according to recent news reports.

>
> Angela Bennett
> Specializing in Design
>

Interesting...wasn't Angela Bennett the name of Sandra Bullock's  
character in "The Net"? She was a Mac user in that, too.  Yep, I just  
checked:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113957/