Throw in...

Throw in another $50 of ITMS credit and I'm sure they'd all be tickled pink!

copy editor needed here

"Apple's Steve Jobs today said he would offer previous iPhone customers a $100 store toward purchase of any product"

$100 store credit, do you mean?

"Customers, he said, could expect a $100 credit sometime next."

Next when? Week? Month? Year?

sheesh.

"Hard-line stance"?

Tch. p****.

unexpected...

...and unnecessary, but i'll take it :-)

oh yeah...

...once again, kudos to the awesome copywriting and editing here.

4Gb or 8Gb only?

Does everyone get the $100 or just 8Gb owners?

thanks!!!

This is a very agreeable resolution to this matter.

As I always stated, I love my iPhone and had no problem paying $600 for it. But to see such a quick & dramatic price drop w/out acknowledgment to early adopters would only alienate any such future adoption on new Apple products.

Well done, Apple!

ripoff the early adopters

I expected this would happen. But why PO all those customers in the first place and just announce it at the show. Anyone remember the first laserprinter that dropped thousands on dollars between Friday and Monday?

3 cheers for complainers.

A big round of applause for all those customers who made a complaint about the price cut. This idea no one should complain is un-American and only the Apple fanatics would ever suggest it's the consumer's fault for buying early. If we all acted as if Jobs walked on water we'd have no consumer rights at all. Jobs wants us to accept that prices will go down quickly. I agree but we should still carry on the fight to get Apple to behave at least as good as Samsung or RIM. 1) 30 day trial period not 14 2) 399 USD full price with 2 year contract 299 as is common practice 3) And something new: built in 90 day price protection, something that Apple would make money off as more people will buy new products.

Thanks for your efforts!

Well, I was happy to take my lumps, but I must say that I commend those who complained up a storm on my behalf... I wish I had joined you, instead of being so cynical about the prospects of any refund.

@henjin

I agree with your stance about the customers who complained. Clearly Apple heard it loud and clear.

But I want you to tell me how Apple should "act" like Samsung or RIM. I have owned a couple of very expensive Samsungs, whose initial price was about double what they were towards the end of their life cycle.

The Moto RAZR, previously the biggest cellphone launch ever until the iPhone, started at $500. Today? You get it for about $79.99 or even FREE in some cases.

So again, henjin, this has everything to do with Apple recognizing the declining cost of technology and especially the fact it's quite common in the cellphone industry to do the price drops over time.

It is in fact a cost of early adoption, and while I was a bit miffed (I bought mine on June 30th) at the price drop, I can tell you I took it in stride.

And as an aside, this phone has saved me so much money since that day in June I bought it (admittedly my first smart phone) in time lost and ability to respond to emails instantly on the road, I would gladly do it all over again.

This was a great move by Apple to issue the refund.

I have never seen this done by Samsung or anyone else, just because they are upset. Apple does business differently in this regard.

Never Happy

People are actually complaining! You bought the phone so you agreed to the price, better yet, the way I read this is that everyone is getting this credit, not just those that purchased in the last month or something. Crazy.

Zune price cut

Where is my $25 voucher after the $50 price cut? I want to buy Solitair 2008 Enterprise Edition from the MS Online Shop!

Pikers.

Imagine those who paid full price for WebObjects! Was $50,000, now just $699!

Unexpected

I admit to feeling a bit disappointed when I heard the price was coming down so fast, but I had to check myself. Why, I asked myself, did this upset me. I upped the 599 and felt good doing it. I've enjoyed the h*** out of this phone (amazing if you think about enjoying a phone) and I think the price was fair at the time.... Now more people can enjoy this fantastic product and maybe, just maybe encourage AT&T to improve their lousy network. Who's ready to start writing them letters!!!!!!?????

Thanks for the $100 Steve, it's more than I expected and isn't that what Apple's all about?

Cyboc

re: ripoff

I expected this would happen. But why PO all those customers in the first place and just announce it at the show. Anyone remember the first laserprinter that dropped thousands on dollars between Friday and Monday?

Because this is apple, they're trying to make money, and thought they could get away with it. And as I posted elsewhere, the only reason Apple would do this was if the cost of the bad PR was greater than the cost of the rebate. The whining got to be too much, so then they decided to smooth things over (basically buying off the early adopters to stop the complaining and try to reverse the bad PR).

Maybe you all recall iMovie 3, which Apple was going to charge $30 for. But word of it got out a couple of weeks before MWSF, the uproar was immense, and they just released it for free (but there was still evidence that it was going to be $$$).

The next year iLife came out, and all those 'free' apps now cost money.

Zune price cut

Where is my $25 voucher after the $50 price cut? I want to buy Solitair 2008 Enterprise Edition from the MS Online Shop!

bwah?

I understand why the caved on this one, but they really shouldn't. If people were willing to pay the higher price then, it was worth it then. It's about supply and demand. Got to love the anti-capitalism crowd out there. Are you possibky commies, or just whiners?

im a socialist

capitalism doesnt work.

re: im a socialist

If you were in a true socialistic society... you would not be in this forum... nor would you have a computer.... you would be standing in line for bread and toilet paper or lying in a hospital waiting room dying from the "flu" you got 8 weeks ago!

re: bwah

Supply and demand has nothing to do with maintaining a relationship with your customers. If you want to pull stunts like this that's fine. But you have to accept you will piss customers off. Supply and demand are just one simple aspect of the complex world of retail.

Re: i'm a socialst

If you were in a true socialistic society... you would not be in this forum... nor would you have a computer.... you would be standing in line for bread and toilet paper or lying in a hospital waiting room dying from the "flu" you got 8 weeks ago!

Sure, but at least the trains would run on time. Oh, wait, that's fascist. Never mind.

Re: bwah

Supply and demand has nothing to do with maintaining a relationship with your customers. If you want to pull stunts like this that's fine. But you have to accept you will piss customers off. Supply and demand are just one simple aspect of the complex world of retail.

No, the biggest problem is that, for some reason, people expect 'better' from Apple. If MS did this, no one would care (and everyone would say "typical MS"). But Apple-folks are so used to Apple charging the same price on products for ungodly periods of time. So then when Apple changes it up, people get all huffy because its not what Apple normally does. They want everyone paying the same price they did, so they can feel that superiority of having it first (see, now people who waited feel superior, and it makes the early adopters look foolish).

I remember the same uprising several years ago with the Powerbook G4s. I believe Apple updated them with something like superdrives a couple of months after updating them with just CD/DVD drives, and people were all upset.

extraordinary

["Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these."]

I take that totally at face value. If I already owned an iPhone I couldn't ask for better (except for a cheaper plan-- one of few remaining roadblocks, along with video iChat, GPS, Edge 3.0, unlockability, easy RAM expansion and maybe a replaceable battery I can pick up anywhere-- that's it, I promise.) I think the company wants to make dough and feel good about it. They're listening and vox populi got the message across.

No, I don't believe he read *every* message, that was an excellent giggle. But you know he sampled a bunch. I'm impressed with Apple for the response.

reality check

Very many early adopters of iPhone on various Mac forums today genuinely believe that Steve Jobs's open letter to customers of today was a consequence of their vocal protest. This is in fact very naive.

The letter begun appearing online sometime in the early afternoon (EDT); in Cupertino, that was late morning. Do you honestly believe that Apple management, and Steve Jobs, dropped EVERYTHING, went into discussions, analysis of sales projections, financials, and eventually decided to offer this $100 store credit, and had the letter drafted and released by 11:00AM, only for some very short-term damage control??? Do you think that it was impossible to predict that usually very loyal and very vocal Apple fans (who created an uproar when iMovie 08 came out) wouldn't create a collosal stink??

The entire event was orchestrated very, very carefully. It was planned for maximum publicity and that it achieved remarkably well. Apple was all over the news yesterday. Then, to the chagrin of all competitors, Apple was in the news, AGAIN, today. While old showbiz saying says 'there is no bad press, as long as they spell your name right', Apple's press of the past two days was indeed very, very good.

Wonderfully executed. Nice job, Apple!

Re: testudo

"(see, now people who waited feel superior, and it makes the early adopters look foolish). "

Agreed, this is where the anger comes from. They did not lose $200, they lost being cool.

Now

I want $300 back for the price reduction of the G4 iBook a month after I got my brand new G3 iBook in 2003. lol

key to the decision

is this sentence:

"If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you'll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon."

The last thing Apple wants to do is give people an incentive to hold off on buying the latest great gizmo from Apple - such as, oh, the latest generation of iPods - because in 2 or 3 months there will probably be a drastic price cut.

Smart move, Steve. (although I also suspect they anticipated the backlash as well)

Thanks

All you whiners did was s**** everybody else over. In the future Apple will never lower the price quickly even if its costs go way down.

Thanks for nothing

Ok you whiny kids, you cost my company $100 million in store credit. Next time maybe Apple will do the "right thing" (in your twisted logic) and keep prices nice and high. Every time Apple announces a price hike, I hope people cheer to be consistent.

Re: reality check

The letter begun appearing online sometime in the early afternoon (EDT); in Cupertino, that was late morning. Do you honestly believe that Apple management, and Steve Jobs, dropped EVERYTHING, went into discussions, analysis of sales projections, financials, and eventually decided to offer this $100 store credit, and had the letter drafted and released by 11:00AM, only for some very short-term damage control??? Do you think that it was impossible to predict that usually very loyal and very vocal Apple fans (who created an uproar when iMovie 08 came out) wouldn't create a collosal stink??

they didn't need to buckle down early this morning. The complaints on the price started immediately after the update, which would be starting around 2pm EDT, or 11am PDT. You don't think they could've heard all the vitrol then, and decided on this overnight?

The entire event was orchestrated very, very carefully. It was planned for maximum publicity and that it achieved remarkably well. Apple was all over the news yesterday. Then, to the chagrin of all competitors, Apple was in the news, AGAIN, today. While old showbiz saying says 'there is no bad press, as long as they spell your name right', Apple's press of the past two days was indeed very, very good.



Sorry, but there is a thing called bad press. What would be better, everyone seeing Apple as this great benefactor, offering up remuneration for the price drop right up front (where all people would be praising apple, and earning nothing but good PR), or having your company called every nasty name in the book, having your users feeling cheated, and making those on the fence about Apple and any of its products go "Man, I thought Apple cared about its customers", then come out with a "We're going to them right and give them $100" the next day.

It doesn't matter if Apple planned all of this. It matters what it looks like, and it makes Apple look like they knuckled under the pressure and is just trying to whitewash a bad situation.

Do you think all the people who felt cheated and betrayed now magically are going "Wow, the next time Apple releases a new product, I'm going to get it right away, because if they cut the price in two months, I'll get half my money back, although I'll have to use it to buy more Apple stuff at the apple store.

How is this much different then apple settling some class action suit by offering coupons but 'not admitting wrongdoing'?

Apology accepted!

I already stated that I'm OK with spending the $600. And I already said that why I complained (and I suppose why many others did) is that the quick $200 price drop felt like an insult.

I'm very happy to read that Apple via Jobs has apologized, which is what I asked for. And they will offer $100 store credit, which is very gracious of them.

As for the "apple owes us nothing" iPhone owners, enjoy the upcoming $100 credit with clear conscience. Sometimes "a rising tide" really does "lift all boats".

whine to win

Complaining about unexpected price drop may be profitable, after all.

henjin, do you really prefer 90 or more days price protection all Apple goods or do you prefer early price drops? I myself prefer the latter. Because, well, the less money I'm going to spend on two months old top notch gadget, the better. And, you do understand that "299 with two year contract" means another price drop, right? Some poor "faithful early adopter" might have a heart attack...

shorsighted

All you whiners did was s**** everybody else over. In the future Apple will never lower the price quickly even if its costs go way down.

exactly what I was thinking,

there's me patiently waiting for MacPro systems (which really are overpriced) coming down to some reasonable price soon, well I guess that isn't likely to happen.

But then lets face it, everything Apple does now is determined by their flighty iPod fans. anything to keep your new cool friends happy, huh Steve?

Lest we forget this not only gets some good PR for Apple, but it gets them more sales, because now people get wonderful $100 coupons at the Apple store. Not cash back. So in order to get your money, you have to buy more stuff at the applestore.

alright...

...who didn't close their damn italics tag?

Well....

I didn't at all expect the people in line to get this. I actualy think that is wrong but the 2nd ipod I bought 19 days ago I must say I was pissed about.

ooops

That would be iphone not ipod.

Squeaky wheels...

...do get the attention. I'm glad you people got something back. I would have used my buyer protection on my credit card, but I guess whining works to some degree. Just don't try this c*** in Cuba or you'll disappear one night. Now if I can get you people to start griping about the outrageous price of MacPros, maybe we can see some serious price reductions that actually matter.

funny

Not much of a victory for the whiners. Apple still gets your money since you can't spend that $100 anywhere but with Apple.

I still have no sympathy for the complainers. If you can afford to spend $600 on a damn phone, $200 should not be an issue for you. You wanted the phone so you could be the cool kids on the block, and this is the price you pay for your greed and impatience.

Has anyone gotten it yet?

Has anyone gotten this store credit yet?

I wanted to get a new iPod nano with the credit, but the last time I called the Apple Store details had not been released and, hence, I wasn't able to access the credit yet. And I can't find any details yet on Apple's website.

Thanks.