I take exception to "whining". I'll tell you why I'm unhappy. Because to drop prices so quickly tells me they're admitting they should never have charged $600 in the first place, but NOT before collecting that from a significant number of people. If it had been closer to Christmas like they claim they were trying for, maybe people wouldn't have been so unhappy. That's why they have to save face with the store credits. It's like they've admitted they overcharged in the first place. If they didn't feel they were overcharging, they would have stood by those prices for a lot longer.
Also does that mean you won't be redeemimg your store credit?
I hear ya...Apple reamed the public for every cent. Now that the iPhones are not selling as fast, they lop off 1/3 the price?
Why not offer is at $399 to start?
I know, I know, pricing is an art, blah blah blah. I've been through all the classes and such on this topic. Problem is that Apple beleived the iPhone was really the JPhone, and probably let the pricing get away from them.
And from Job's original keynote:
"So what should we price it at? Well, what do these things normally cost? An iPod, the most popular iPod, $199 for 4 gig nano. What’s a smart phone cost? Well, they say you get the phone and some of the Internet with it, although that’s questionable. But they cost somewhere around $299. You can get them for $199. Palm just introduced one at $399 yesterday, so they generally average about $299 with a two-year contract. Now, these phones sort of do music but nobody uses them for music because they’re not very good and so they end up buying an iPod to go with the phone. We know, we sell the iPod. And so people spend $499 on this combination"
All trying to explain away the inflated price.
And his recent actions, first, an a big "eff you" to customers, and then giving then $100 credits (for more overpriced stuff):
(from article
http://www.bakersfield.com/119/story/229757.html)
"But Jobs added that "the technology road is bumpy," and there will always be people who pay top dollar for the latest electronics but get angry later when the price drops.
"This is life in the technology lane," Jobs said.
Immediately after the cuts were announced Wednesday, Jobs' tone was less conciliatory. He tartly rebuffed criticism about whether some of Apple's most die-hard fans would be miffed by the company's latest actions.
IPhone owners who bought their device that morning, he said an interview with USA Today, "should go back to where they bought it and talk to them. If they bought it a month ago, well, that's what happens in technology."
Jobs then apparently had a change of heart. The company is making the right decision by lowering the iPhone price, he said in his letter, but needs to "do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers."
"(W)e need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price," he said. "Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these."
Seems Steve needs to learn that "customers" ride that "bumpy road", and if you are a crappy driver, they don't appreciate it.
I'm sorry, but there have been NO phones/pdas/gadget products where the price was cut 1/3 after 60 days.
Customer will learn - they will wait 60 days to see if the price drops.
If it's $399 now, how about in Dec? Maybe it will go down another $50, $100. Depends on how many Apple sells betwen now and then.
Apple has put themselves in a tough spot. And now, if going forward, people will expect credits.
Jobs is treating early iPhone buyers like he did the Apple ][ fans....he suckered them along, then put out the Mac, and completely disenfranchised them. Just look at history to see the furture...