Apple came out with a complete refresh of every one of their iPod devices yesterday. New shuffle colors, new Nanos (called "the fatboy") that play video, new "iPod Classic" upto 160 gigs, and a iPhone minus the Phone device that Apple calls the "iPod Touch".
I love the lineup. If I didn't have the iPhone, I'd go for a "fatboy". Wait, that didn't sound right... The iPod Classic 160 gig for $349. Everything you own in the palm of your hand... very nice...
An asterisk to Job's Press Conference, oh, yeah, Apple's reducing the price of their prized iPhones $200. Instead of being $599, they're now $399. Thanks for coming everybody. Have a nice day!
Wwwaaaaaaaaaa?!?!?
I've gotten a dozen e-mails on this. What do you think, Jeff? How could Jobs do this to the faithful? The phone just came out two months ago, and already it's being reduced 33%? This is outrageous. I'll never trust Apple again!
Personally, I love the fact that Apple's working the biz model. New technology requires new ideas. Yeah, sure the iPhone was the #1 selling Smartphone in the month of July. But it wasn't going to change the world. Not at $599 anyway. So drop the price!
Do I feel bad that Apple "conned me", a faithful Apple Evangelist, out of $200? Nah. That's life. Early DVD players cost $600. Today, $29.95. Plasmas were $10,000 initially. Today they're almost a tenth of that price. Welcome to business people. You never want to buy technology until you absolutely have to, because as soon as you do, something better will be released! Or what you have will become cheaper.
Props to Steve Jobs. In an open letter to the iPhone faithful, he announced that every current iPhone owner will get $100 in store credit as a way of apologizing. Keeping in mind that $100 in store credit is really like $30 in cost of goods sold to him, and really, what can you buy for under $100 at the Apple Store... it's a nice thought. Thanks Steve. Don't think it's necessary, but when hearing the hundreds of thousands of iPhone users crying in one accord... I guess even the King of Technology Jobs has to throw some chicken feed to silence the cries... Thanks Steve. Really.
BTW, several credit card companies (American Express included) have technology waivers on their credit card purchases allowing rebates on "overpriced technology". Check with your credit card company and see if you can get the money rebated to you.
Not everybody agrees with me. See Wired's "Four Mistakes Apple Made with the iPhone Price Drop."
Or enjoy "Joy of Tech's" four reasons... they're a little more humorous.
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