WAY back in September of 2007, I blogged about the iPhone early adopters who were miffed over it's sudden drop in price not long after its introduction. Ever the cynic, I got a chuckle out of it and singled out Jeremy, a self-described "savvy consumer," who posted a comment on Apple's discussion forum.Apparently, someone who claims to be that same Jeremy (I have no reason to doubt it, I just can't verify it) found my post and replied to it the other day. How he found it I'm not sure. I can only guess that he googled his name.
To be fair, I've copied the entire comment below (bolds added). I only have three things to say in response.
- I don't think I'm an "ever-so-cool blogger". Smart ass, yes. Cool, no.
- I still manage to survive without an iPhone.
- The worse part of this entire episode is that when I googled Jeremy's name, my blog didn't show up until the THIRD page. Now THAT makes me feel screwed.
Here's Jeremy's comment:
Apple isn't the typical gadget company who intros a product and then drops the price. It was a total shock to see them do so, enough that Steve Jobs had to release a statement and give everyone some cash back. Apple has not before, or since, done the same thing with a product. I didn't buy the iPhone to be 'the first on my block' - and this is my problem with people like you. You assume everyone else is a sheep while you, the ever-so-cool blogger are fighting the herd by going your own way.
I've been a fan of Apple since 1986 when I used my 1st Mac. The iPhone was YEARS in the making (and waiting) for people who knew Apple could do 'the phone' in a way no one else could. As device convergence grew in demand, the desire grew for Apple to do what they do best... INNOVATE. The iPhone was one of those things that you always hope for, but realize might not ever happen. Sort of like hoping your favorite sporting team will win a championship... you often wait YEARS for the chance to be part of that. Or they finally get there and blow it (as a guy living in Ohio, I can
attest to that.). A couple times. In a row.
LOL - I love the title of your "article". iScrewed. Too funny. In addition to being an early adopter and getting to play with a phone that is WAY ahead of it's time 2 years ago, I also got a letter from the CEO apologizing for the sudden drop in price and an Apple Gift Card to make up for it. I'm waiting to hear what other company on the
planet would have done the same for their early adopters.
The only one who ended up getting screwed were people like you who made fun of everyone else while cheating yourself out of what is now the standard for handheld communication. - Jeremy
1 comment:
LOL - it was definitely me who made the comment, it was also me who googled my name and found this blog multiple pages back.
"I still managed to survive without an iPhone"
I have no doubt - I don't remember ever claiming you couldn't... or that you should consider getting one... or that there was no way to continue in life without an iPhone.
40 MILLION iPhones later, I think it's safe to say I wasn't the only one who thought the iPhone changed the game and was worth buying, even at higher prices. Yesterday was a good example as the 3GS was released... initial estimates are 500,000 phones in a single day - half of them sold at unsubsidized pricing between $400-$600 dollars.
Another thing to consider about these handsets... I upgraded to the 3GS yesterday, and had my wife upgrade too (from the 3G). I spent $700 ($299 subsidized for mine + $399 unsubsidized for hers) on the 3GS. PRICEY.
Until you realize I promptly turned around and sold the older iPhone 3G's on eBay for $347 + $372. I took in $719 selling older iPhone 3G's and spent $700 buying brand new iPhone 3GS's.
I did the same when the time came to switch from the 1st Gen iPhone (the one you enjoyed making fun of me for) to the 2nd Gen iPhone 3G. For whatever reason, the 1st Gen iPhone fetched an obscene amount of money on eBay last year. Literally about $500/ea.
All-in-all, I have MADE more than I've spent on iPhones... all the while having the latest & greatest that Apple puts out. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.
Another indicator that the price wasn't a huge factor for something that revolutionized the mobile phone industry... the lack of comments on these posts! Literally there are 2 people on the planet who have read this conversation. You. Me.
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