“First an iPhone price cut left early buyers feeling foolish, and then came reports that some iPods were spitting sparks,” Jessica Mintz smears for The Associated Press.
MacDailyNews Take: We didn’t feel “foolish.” We just enjoyed our superior technology – and our $100 store credits; while most of the rest of the world (and, most likely, the AP hack who scribbled this mess) fumbled around with antiquated pieces of junk. Those “some iPods” that were supposedly “spitting sparks” affected first-generation iPod nanos which haven’t been sold since December 2006 and amounted to two (2) units out of millions sold. Now you know the rest of the story – and that makes AP’s hit piece (even more) laughable.
Mintz continues, “Such a string of mishaps and missteps might throw another electronics company into crisis.”
MacDailyNews Take: See? It’s truly laughable.
Mintz continues, “But of course, Apple Inc. isn’t just another electronics company. Even as iPhone griping rages online, it looks like Apple’s sterling reputation will emerge untarnished.”
Blah, blah, blah. The full ham-fisted, amateurish load, “Apple fans loyal despite iPod, iPhone 3G woes,” Think Before You Click™, is here.
MacDailyNews Take: Seriously, is this the best AP can muster? Mintz can’t even do basic propaganda right.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “MidWest Mac” and “Carl H” for the heads up.]
Shut the AP down and give the shareholders back their money!(?)
There is a lot more to the article than what MDN points out. It hammers Apple for the iPhones inability to connect to 3G networks like it should, among other things.
Wasn’t it proven recently that the connection issues with the iPhone were on AT&T;’s end?
@Cyxodus
For the most part, yes. It was somewhat Apple’s fault, because the phones were demanding too much power from the towers, and when too many phones were on one tower, they zapped it of all power, causing the disconnections/failed connections. So it was both Apple and the network’s fault. Apple had a bug, AT&T;was unprepared for such heavy 3G use.
This appeared in the Globe & Mail RSS tech feeds yesterday. I opsted this reply then:
“Now a dose of reality.
1. Most 3G connection problems have been squarely laid in the lap of the service providers like Rogers and ATT. All the testing this week on the iPhone 3G functions have shown that they are absolutely normal.
2. One individual’s complaints do not make it so widely experienced problem that ‘Phone griping rages online’.
3. Hearsay and undocumented rumour do not make a case of any kind.
4. According to research, which you’ve probably not read, Apple has an 85% satisfaction rating with it’s consumers in customer support and product quality. That’s a huge lead over the competition. Yes, when you sell millions of units you will have a few lemons in the batch. It’s what is done about them that counts.
5. These iPhone Apps developers signed a non-disclosure contract with Apple. No one forced them. Aren’t we all taught to read the fine print?
6. In that same contract with Apple, they get 66% of the cost of their App from Apple with no marketing expenses or stocking of shelves on their part. But the contract gives Apple the right to decide whether the App can be made available or not. Read your fine print. You lose the right to complain once you sign on the bottom line.
That’s why APs nickname is Associated Propaganda in the business. They jumped the shark years ago. They like most of the media just don’t understand why no one watches or reads they stuff anymore.
The pressure to upset is more respected than the commitment to inform.
I can’t imagine the cauldron that is the modern newsroom.
“Keep the sizzle up at all costs.”
And the ultimate victim is journalism.
Make that trustworthy journalism.
RoughlyDrafted explains the iPhone 3G connectivity issue here. The brief explanation provided by “MrMcLargeHuge” (great MST3K reference there, btw) is essentially correct.
This story was also picked up by CBS
Go over there and add to the comments
But be like Fonzie – Be Cool
Is example of a place where our comments can help the un-washed masses understand what we’re about, why we’re here, and why Apple is “better”
Catch more flies with honey than vinegar
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/28/business/main4394440.shtml
BC
AP = Asshat Press
“Due to their Revolutionary and Civil War, coming to America could get you shot!”
See, I can write for AP! Hire me, fiction is soo much fun!
My $600.00 iphone paid for itself very quickly. No more need for internet access or phone service at my warehouse … Savings about $100.00 a month. That nice little $100.00 store credit paid for a copy of iwork. Not to mention, not having to use yet another POS cell phone. Yea, I am feeling real foolish
Have to disagree with you on the iPhone price cut issue. That was a bullshit move probably planned well in advance by Apple to take advantage of the goodwill of many of their faithful customers. They had SIX months between the introduction of phone and it’s rollout; they should have cut the price THEN. Had they done that they’d have sold WAY more and not left their buyers feeling, yes, foolish.
I have two Macs, eight iPods, two Airport Expresses, lots of Apple software and an iPhone in my house. I will probably buy a new laptop before the year is out. Last year I talked at least ten friends or co-workers into switching. By any measure, I am a good customer who will NEVER buy another Apple product upon it’s release.
It’s not the money nor has it ever been. I can afford it but no one likes to be left feeling they have been taken advantage of on account of their affection and admiration.
What Apple did was wrong and they half way admitted it by offering the credit. It left a lot of people feeling “once bitten, twice shy”.
Even when the 3G is not working, the new iPhone is still a good deal considering it has all the functionality of the first-gen iPhone at half the price.
The iPhone price cut didn’t bother me, nor cost me a penny. I get a $100 store credit from Steve which I used to good effect, and I got a $100 back from my AMEX gold credit card, with its price protection. So, I got my iPhone on the day of release, with no wait whatsoever at an AT&T;store, and I got the cheaper price. Who’s complaining?
@halapeño
Welcome to technology world!!
You can choose to be a pioneer and buy the product upon release or wait until it matured! It’s a choice.
I saw the Apple ][ lovers feeling betrayed by Apple, the Mac 128 feeling betrayed by the 512 and then the MacPlus and so on so forth til now the iPhone, the price cut and then the 3G.
Don’t feel bad, simply choose your side on for all. Do you want to be a pioneer or simply a follower? Nothing wrong with this.
Pioneers buy cutting edge, expensive most of the time buggy products, followers wait for products to mature and to become a success.
It’s the whole fun of this world we are leaving in. We can’t wait for the next product to go out.I can’t tell precisely the number of Mac I had from The Mac 128 to the latest 8 core MacPro. I just bought 2 iPhone 3G the day it went out for my wife and myself.
I wish there would be a new one now with even better features.
I can’t wait for the next step.
Do like me, choose your side… I love this industry, Thank you Steve, thank you Apple! Can’t wait, can’t wait to see the next thing…
It’s funny watching mac fans turn into the PC apologists of the 21st Century. Lol
“Even when the 3G is not working, the new iPhone is still a good deal considering it has all the functionality of the first-gen iPhone at half the price.”
Pathetic that this justifcation needs to be made in the first place.
@ drbyers,
Then you must be rolling on the floor, laughing at the Microsoft fans that turned to be Vista Apologists.
Right?
after the disastrous experience I had with two Windows Mobile smartphones, iPhone 2.0.2 problems and all is like nirvana
MacDailyNews Take: We didn’t feel “foolish.” We just enjoyed our superior technology – and our $100 store credits;
———————
Speak for yourself. I felt foolish.. The original iPhone is the last brand new Apple product I will ever buy on day one again.
… Paid by M$ or with Balmer’s own $!
Dude-
All this bad press is just the competitor’s and the Wall St. firms that have tons of $$$ invested in RIM, MS, Nokia & Verizon trying to spread fear, uncertainity & doubt because there’s lots of money at stake. I’m talking billions! When this kind of money is at stake, you can bet that competitors will be looking to turn a spec into Mt. Everest.
Before this election cycle, I never really noticed the right-wing propaganda that is subtilely sponsored by AP news. But some days it is so thick that I wonder why some supposedly progressive news outlets continue to air their tripe (I’m talking to you AM 1090!).
Even though Apple is a large corporation, the other corporations that manufacture other cell phones have much more control of the corporate media. They put out these hit pieces to appeal to the gossip-gene in people and steer them away from genuinely descent products.
I truly despise what passes for journalism in the US today. The profession has degraded so badly that none of them can be completely trusted. And the fact that they think were all too stupid to figure them out only erodes their credibility further. This is why I stopped watching news on tv on all channels.