So the new iPhone officially released today (despite people getting theirs early in the mail). With the iOS 4 on it and a new design, people have camped out and much more for their new shiny phone. While the product is great and all (iPod Touch/iPhone is really nice), I have one problem with Steve Jobs and Apple:
You release your products WAY too quickly.
Now granted that their typical user of their products is usually seen as some dim-witted media person or a self-absorbed snob pretending to write a novel at the local Starbucks, that doesn't have to be who they market their products for.
A quick story:
- In 2006, I got a 30 GB iPod Video, at that time a high-tier product. Less than a year after, the iPod Touch and iPhone are released. Needless to say, I was angry. So earlier this year, my father, who had gotten a iPhone 3GS in July (top of the line then) gave me his old 2nd Generation iPod Touch (from 2008). When the new iPhone and iOS 4 were announced, I saw that 2nd Gen iPod Touch was supported. I was excited to see that the improvements (custom BG, multitasking) could be felt on my iPod. I later saw the lag and awful rate that 3G, which was released around the same time, had after updating. Filled with rage at how in less than 2 years a product goes from top of the line from unsupported, I now refuse to update my iPod Touch (I don't use my Windows partition much, so that's no problem).
I don't see how Apple can even survive with a plan like this. In a 2 year span an amazing piece of equipment becomes obsolete, not supported in upgrades. I feel sorry for 1st Gen users of iPod Touch/iPhone, since they can't even get an update. 3 years and the device is worthless.
2nd problem: Your computers are COMPLETELY overpriced
Earlier this year, with my trusty 3-year old laptop now on its last legs, I went to Best Buy to shop around for a new computer. I took a peek at the prices of Mac laptops, and saw how expensive they were compared to equal PC laptops. In fact, I just checked again and the 17in. MacBook Pro is $2299, whereas the Dell Studio Laptop sells for $939. Both have 4GB RAM. Both have a 17in. screen. Both have an Intel i5 processor. The Dell has a better graphics card, and has an HDMI output. Will people honestly pay $1300 more for a brand name? Was the Mac vs PC ad campaign that influential? People think that a Mac means that they're free from viruses. It doesn't mean that at all. Those people forget what the point of a virus is. It's targeted at the MAINSTREAM computer (PC/Windows), thus why Macs have less viruses directed at them. I'll give you a top of the line anti-virus for $150(ESET NOD32 for about 5 years, though AVG is free and pretty effective) and a copy of Office for about $200. Hell, I'll even give you Photoshop CS4 and it's still less than a Mac! Are people really this gullible?!
To end this post, I challenge everyone reading to know the facts. Don't be a person influenced by the propaganda machine that is Apple. Would you honestly pay $1300 more on a laptop, just because it has some fancy logo and has a reskinned BSD Linux for an operating system?
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