This Open Letter to Steve Jobs Says it All
The furor over Apple's $200 price drop of the iPhone has taken a predictable turn. Steve Jobs wrote an open letter to iPhone users on Thursday. One angry Apple user responded to Jobs with an "Open Letter to Steve Jobs" which was posted to Apple's own support forum.
Here is an excerpt from Shayna B. who posted this response to Steve Jobs' open letter earlier this morning:
“Your decision to lower the price of an 8G to lower than the price of my 4G only nine weeks after you came out with the 4G is insulting. I have worked in software development since 1981, so I know it can be a bumpy road, but why would you go out and create more bumps for the community who helped you to be successful for so many years? I could understand the price lowered a slight bit after we have had our iphone for 6 months or so.
I feel used as a test market, and manipulated by the timing and severe price drop of a product and a company which I have helped to promote. A hundred bucks of store credit is too small a gesture. The 4G iPhone I waited in line for 9 weeks ago is obsolete.
So I am divorcing Apple for irreconcilable differences. My alimony is a $100 store credit, and the children (my Macs, iPods and other products) will go to foster care in eBay.
I am joining my friends on the "dark side" because Apple doesn't look so sunny or friendly anymore. Fly your flags at half-mast. It is a sad day for former Apple supporters.”
Here is the entire letter:
OPEN LETTER TO STEVE JOBS
Posted: Sep 7, 2007 12:32 AM
I have an Apple II upstairs in my closet. My first personal computer was an Apple 126. Then I upgraded to a 512. I purchased a Quadra, a Mac SE, a Powermac, 2 EMacs, and 3 IMacs. I bought nearly every Mac except (thank God) for the Lisa. I bought 6 ipods (shuffle, mini's, etc) for my kids and for gifts. I have supported Apple from the early days before you flew the pirate flags. As I lived in Cupertino and worked in software publishing, I earnestly supported Apple against the tide with colleagues who worked for Rohm and IBM, among others. I debated with Fred Gibbons at SPC about developing more Apple programs instead of going over to the "dark side." I have been a proud Apple supporter since nearly day one, and I have always felt that Apple was fair and more than good to its customers.
I have never been the first to buy new technology (I still don't have a Tickle-Me Elmo), but I waited in line for 5 hours to get the iphone. The other buyers in line with me became a community that day. We put up tents and tables outside the AT&T store, we played cards, and we bought each other bottled water and ice cream to stay cool. We walked out of the store cheering each other, and we proudly displayed our new purchases to anyone who asked to see or sample the iphone. We were making a statement about the superiority of Apple products. We did this, not be be arrogant or boastful, but to show-off a product we thought was special enough, not only to pay $499 or $599 for, but to suffer a $175 contract loss to former cell phone providers. We were making a public statement of support for Apple.
I needed a phone to work seamlessly and fully with ical and my other Apple programs. We all took a chance that day, having never seen or demo-ed the product. We were confident Apple would treat us well and develop a superior product. I didn't mind giving up the voice recognition or easy handwriting tool of my Sony Ericcson PDA.
My first disappointment came when I realized the iphone does not support many of the ical features I depend on, like color categories and to-do lists, to name a few important ones. The map feature did not work correctly as well. The bluetooth devices I have tried need constant prodding to hook up. Though I have tiny fingers, I could not manage the keyboard. I signed up for a class at an Apple store, which I still had to wait over 2 hours to get into, and it didn't help much, since the instructor was not well versed yet in the keyboard either. I still try to avoid keyboarding and miss my stylus.
Your decision to lower the price of an 8G to lower than the price of my 4G only nine weeks after you came out with the 4G is insulting. I have worked in software development since 1981, so I know it can be a bumpy road, but why would you go out and create more bumps for the community who helped you to be successful for so many years? I could understand the price lowered a slight bit after we have had our iphone for 6 months or so.
I feel used as a test market, and manipulated by the timing and severe price drop of a product and a company which I have helped to promote. A hundred bucks of store credit is too small a gesture. The 4G iphone I waited in line for 9 weeks ago is obsolete.
So I am divorcing Apple for irreconcilable differences. My alimony is a $100 store credit, and the children (my Macs, Ipods and other products) will go to foster care in ebay.
I am joining my friends on the "dark side" because Apple doesn't look so sunny or friendly anymore. Fly your flags at half-mast. It is a sad day for former Apple supporters.
Shayna B.
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These people are unbelievable! It wasn't wrong of Apple to drop the price, it was wrong of them to charge $599 for a phone in the first place! It was a ridiculous price, especially when you take the bad internet connection, extra charges by AT&T, and the ridiculous waits for it! You waited in line for days to spend $600 on a cell phone, why is that Steve Jobs' fault? It's your fault for being an "early adopter" and buying into the hype.
No, Apple finally did the right thing by dropping the price of the phone to something reasonable. Now, it's in line with other smartphones and it's probably the best deal out there for the category. If nobody would have paid that ridiculous price, Apple would've done this last month. So write your letters and cry all you want, but you're the one who paid for it. At least you got $100 in extra Apple merchandise for your troubles. Consider it a lesson learned.
The fact that both of these whiners decided not to spend an extra 20% to get more than double the useful space (since the OS made available space about 3 GB or 7 GB) shows a lack of good judgment. Apple probably cancelled the 4 GB model because most people knew better than to buy it.
Is it surprising that Apple charged $600 for the iPhone when it first came out? People waited in line to get them, so obviously demand was high. Free market economics, anyone? If it wasn't worth $500 or $600, then don't buy it. The lines would have been a lot longer if the initial price had been $400.
And now these people are going to punish themselves by moving to an inferior platform? If Apple makes much better products that they believe (when they paid!) were worth the price, what are they doing to themselves? If Apple's products aren't worth the price, then they are admitting that they were fools before - either way they are admitting to foolishness.
This should not have come as a surprise. All technology gets cheaper over time. These days, it happens more rapidly than ever. Consider it an expensive lesson about early-adoption. Just say no.
This should not have come as a surprise. All technology gets cheaper over time. These days, it happens more rapidly than ever. Consider it an expensive lesson about early-adoption. Just say no.
Also, shouldn't the title of this blog post be "THESE Open LETTERS to Steve Jobs Say it All" or "This Open Letter to Steve Jobs SAYS it All," depending on whether the title admits there is more than one letter? Either way, there is a plural/singular mismatch there.
Very interesting logic, if you mean, expect no less from billionaires. If, however, you expect me, a guy who loves to go tech crazy on a bi-quarterly basis, to accept a price change of $200 on a product purchased 2 months ago as a fair business practice, you are insane.
I didn't even purchase one of the blasted things and I'm angry about it. What many people fail to realize is that companies only do what the consumer allows them to do. If they start a trend where they can give "early adopters" (we're talking two months ago BTW) a severe shaft like this without penalty, more greed inspired companies will follow.
I will never understand the logic of a consumer who defends the inflated egos and pockets of the big companies that make their billions by screwing us over. Apple does it today, and tomorrow it will be accpetable to turn massive profits on "early adopters" using a two month cycle instead of what has been the industry wide trend of 6 months. Consumers should stick together.
So wait, Shayna gets her iPhone and pretty much hates it from the start, doesn't take it back and now is upset because her 4GB model is "obsolete" because it is discontinued??? Did it stop making calls or browsing the internet?
OK, so we get it that Shayna didn't like her iPhone and preferred her good old Sony Ericsson PDA. But exactly who held her down and made her buy an iPhone and then forced her not take it back to the store when it didn't work out for her?
And for all the "Apple is another big company screwing the consumer" ranters, can you tell me when ANY other company offered you something when they dropped the price on something you purchased two months ago? I'm still waiting for Sony to do it for my HDTV, Maytag for my refrigerator, Nissan for my car, etc. etc.
This was a point blank shot for Apple haters to take. No surprise at the number of bullet holes around, but a little reality check would be nice.
I'm still fuming over this. Since 1985 I've had to defend apple products to my clients, bosses, co-workers and relatives. And never more so than with the iPhone, which, inspires most people to think you've lost your mind to spend $600.00 on a phone. For the first 10 weeks of ownership I would defend and promote the product as worth the high price - and then apple stabs me in the back. How does apple expect to sell more of these when they've set the precedent of arbitrary price cuts? Where are the tv news reports of Apple stores with lines of customers waiting to buy at the new price poiint?
Pixar and Apple have made Steve a rich man, and this has made him loose contact with the average shmo that is buying his product.
Like Shayna, my Apple stuff is heading out the door . . .
Why do some folks look at legitimate customer feedback and complaint as "whining" and dismiss it without a further thought? Consumers have made their dissatisfaction known; the company has been forced to respond. That's good, normal, rational market interplay.
That's how public relations works. Apple doesn't want more of a marketing SNAFU than they've already got. If consumers think they're being treated unfairly - not illegally or anything, but just unfairly - they can make a public stink and force the huge, powerful corporation to acknowledge them. I don't understand why some of the posters here are so contemptuous of the consumer. "You deserve it. Consider it a lesson. Quit your whining." Two things wrong with that response.
First, it's heartless. Regain your sympathy for your fellow man, posters. Second, it willfully ignores the fact that these complaints matter to businesses. Since this story was posted, Apple has in fact authorized a full refund of the $200 difference. Score.
Why do some folks look at legitimate customer feedback and complaint as "whining" and dismiss it without a further thought? Consumers have made their dissatisfaction known; the company has been forced to respond. That's good, normal, rational market interplay.
That's how public relations works. Apple doesn't want more of a marketing SNAFU than they've already got. If consumers think they're being treated unfairly - not illegally or anything, but just unfairly - they can make a public stink and force the huge, powerful corporation to acknowledge them. I don't understand why some of the posters here are so contemptuous of the consumer. "You deserve it. Consider it a lesson. Quit your whining." Two things wrong with that response.
First, it's heartless. Regain your sympathy for your fellow man, posters. Second, it willfully ignores the fact that these complaints matter to businesses. Since this story was posted, Apple has in fact authorized a full refund of the $200 difference. Score.
Why do some folks look at legitimate customer feedback and complaint as "whining" and dismiss it without a further thought? Consumers have made their dissatisfaction known; the company has been forced to respond. That's good, normal, rational market interplay.
That's how public relations works. Apple doesn't want more of a marketing SNAFU than they've already got. If consumers think they're being treated unfairly - not illegally or anything, but just unfairly - they can make a public stink and force the huge, powerful corporation to acknowledge them. I don't understand why some of the posters here are so contemptuous of the consumer. "You deserve it. Consider it a lesson. Quit your whining." Two things wrong with that response.
First, it's heartless. Regain your sympathy for your fellow man, posters. Second, it willfully ignores the fact that these complaints matter to businesses. Since this story was posted, Apple has in fact authorized a full refund of the $200 difference. Score.