Steve Jobs is a genius
Thinking about yesterday's debut of the 3G iPhone, it occurred to me that Steve Jobs is a freakin' genius. Not even a year ago, Apple released the original iPhone with a price tag of $599 for the 8 GB model. Barely two months later, the price was slashed to $399. Now, Apple has unveiled a new & improved iPhone -- with a price tag of $199 for the 8 GB model. That's half the most recent price (as Apple's ads are happily trumpeting), and one-third of the original price.
Why does that make Jobs a genius, you ask? Think about it: if the price had been $199 all along ($299 for the higher-end model), would anybody have considered that cheap? Reasonable, certainly; surprisingly low for such a cool phone, probably. But people wouldn't have been falling all over themselves saying, "WOW! What an amazingly great price!" to anywhere near the extent they're doing now. By jacking up the cost in the first place, Apple made its eventual price point seem incredible, rather than merely good. Heh. Steve Jobs has us eating out of his freakin' hands.
Speaking of Steve Jobs and eating, there is rampant talk on the Internets -- even unto Drudge! -- about Jobs's physical appearance at yesterday's WWDC keynote. Some have described Jobs as looking "sickly skinny" or even "dangerously thin." As one blog notes, many concerned Apple fans are "wondering if the pancreatic cancer has come back. Steve was diagnosed back in 2003 but that info was not released to the public until 2004 when he had surgery."
As I learned yesterday when I saw Drudge's headline and tried Googling around to figure out what he was talking about, this is not the first time a Jobs keynote has caused frenzied Internet speculation about his health. A similar phenomenon occurred in 2006, to the point where Apple had to release a statement assuring everyone that Jobs was a-okay.
Since the CEO's health seems to be of such concern to his adoring minions, perhaps somebody could use the new iPhone Software Development Kit to create an application that monitors and broadcasts his vital signs in real time. ;)
P.S. Meanwhile, at least one blogger is wondering whether Steve Jobs is Gimli.
Is Steve Jobs a genius, or were the people who rushed out to buy a $600 iPhone stupid? While I do think Jobs is brilliant, I think many Apple sycophants got burned this time around due to their "irrational exuberance."
As for Jobs's health, my understanding is he has been using alternative medicine for his treatment of the pancreatic cancer. While there may be some benefits to nutritional supplements, etc, I think most of this alternative stuff is pure bullshit. Wouldn't be surprised if Jobs's rare, but supposedly treatable, form of pancreatic cancer has spread due to lack of proper treatment.
Posted by: Angrier and Angrier | Jun 10, 2008 10:10:26 AM
The price isn't cheaper. They cut the price of the phone itself from 400 to 200. But AT&T is increasing the cost of the required data plan from 20 to 30. So over the 24 months of the required contract, the new iPhone has an actual cost of $40 more than the old one.
Which isn't to say it isn't worth it--I mean, it's a move from EDGE to 3G, so it's not unreasonable for users to pay slightly more for that privilege. That being said, to call the new iPhone "half the price" of the old one is disingenuous on the part of Apple, considering that the data plan is mandatory.
Oh, and if the blogs/AT&T interviews are correct, the new data plan does not include any text messages now, which will further increase the out-of-pocket expense.
Posted by: Anon | Jun 10, 2008 10:44:04 AM
Anon is right. The basic voice plan is $40 and the data plan is $30 and that doesn't include SMS.
Still...$199 for a device like the iPhone is nothing compared to the cost of something like the BlackBerry Curve which is around $500.
Posted by: Marty West | Jun 10, 2008 11:00:07 AM
Marty is correct. I do not mean to say it's not a good value or not worth it. There's a good chance I'll be getting two, one for both my wife and I. I just wanted to comment on the way Apple is marketing it.
Posted by: Anon Again | Jun 10, 2008 11:05:34 AM
I think the correct statement is that "Apple fans" are morons. I like some Apple products and think they are highly innovative, but most of their innovation has been in marketing. Some how they've convinced you people that the release of an updated version of an already existing product is a cultural event on par with the John Lennon and George Harrison coming back from the dead to record one last album with the Beatles.
Posted by: JT | Jun 10, 2008 11:27:33 AM
JT - I agree. I love my MacBook and various Apple accessories but at the same time I would NEVER let myself become overwhelmed with this weird fanaticism that many people have with Apple products.
Call me crazy but I don't get it. Apple products are great and superior to most of their competition but in the long run it's still just a computer.
Posted by: Marty West | Jun 10, 2008 11:53:47 AM
People who rushed out to get them paid for having them for a year before the people who didn't. I don't think that makes them morons (I waited until the 16G came out - and until my old phone was really dead).
People value style and user interface tweaks differently, and what you are willing to pay for those things is a matter of individual taste... and whether it makes a significant dent in your disposable income. There are users of the iPhone and the MacBook Air who use them to signal their disposable income, which is probably another thing that makes us Apple fans annoying to those who view us as buying Apple products primarily for that reason.
Posted by: Jim Hu | Jun 10, 2008 12:15:52 PM
Sounds like I bought mine about the same time as Jim Hu along a similar calculation. I debated whether to try to come up with an interim solution to my phone needs so I could wait for the 3G iPhone, but I'm glad I didn't -- the combo of EDGE service and WiFi works great for me, and seeing the increased price of the data plan (and exclusion of SMS), I'm starting to think I got a pretty good deal...
Posted by: Anonymous Hoosier | Jun 10, 2008 1:53:50 PM
Yeah, everyone who is a fan of something must be a moron, good call JT. Question, whats your favorite sports team? If you have one, you must be a moron. Whats your favorite T.V. show? If you have one you must be a moron. Whats your favorite color? If you have one you must be a moron.
How about: Yeah some people take things too far, but thats true of just about ANY group. And even if people are a fan of something, so what? Does it really hurt you?
I've never understood the vitriol people like you have for people who are fans of a given product/company/thing, be it Star Wars, Playstation, Apple, Ford, Chevy, etc.
Posted by: David K. | Jun 10, 2008 2:00:14 PM
We just missed each other again, David. Maybe next time.
Posted by: Logic | Jun 10, 2008 2:06:24 PM
*yawn* whats your point "Logic"?
Posted by: David K. | Jun 10, 2008 2:38:33 PM
More to the point "logic" and JT, and anyone else:
What is wrong with being a fan of something?
I think the problem in regards to Apple is you equate fan with zealot, because Apple fans are pretty passionate about their products. And admittedly there are some people who think Apple can do no wrong (clearly they have forgotten the pre-Steve Jobs era), but many of the passionate Apple fans I know are the MOST critical of Apple and the most demanding.
There is a vocal minority in any fanbase that are the morons who think is perfect, but if you take even a half second to look into any one of those groups you'll usually find just that, they are a minority.
So again, what is wrong with being a fan of something?
Posted by: David K. | Jun 10, 2008 2:44:38 PM
David K-
You need to differentiate between "a fan" and "a fanatic." A fan buys tickets to a Green Bay Packers game. The fan wears the number 4 jersey, does some tailgating before the game, has some beers and has a generally good time supporting "his team."
A fanatic strips down to a g-string, paints himself green, runs around Lambeau in 15-degree weather screaming profanity at a five-year-old wearing the plastic Bears helmet. Once he is thrown out of the stadium, the cops catch him dry-humping the former parking spot of Brett Favre while he screams, "Aaron Rogers will never come between US!!!"
The people JT is describing fit the second example.
Posted by: Angrier and Angrier | Jun 10, 2008 3:52:52 PM
A and A, that may be true, but he attributed his description to ALL Apple Fans.
Posted by: David K. | Jun 10, 2008 4:10:38 PM
Question: Is the new iPhone available for purchase without signing up for AT&T? Forget about the internet, phone, and presumably the GPS capabilities, just compare the iPhone to the iPod Touch and the iPhone is a steal by comparison.
Posted by: Andrew | Jun 10, 2008 5:02:44 PM
Okay that was easy. I was correct in suspecting that the iPhone is cheaper because AT&T is subsidizing the cost of the phone, and you have to sign up. Lame.
Posted by: Andrew | Jun 10, 2008 5:05:50 PM
In other cell phone related news I just re-upped my T-Mobile contract for 2 years. I got a free HTC Excalibur and couldn't really say no to that.
Posted by: Marty West | Jun 10, 2008 9:35:54 PM
Not so lame when it means my Gen 1 iPhone is now actually worth MORE than i paid for it on ebay because it can still be unlocked. Of course that only works since i was already with ATT. What will be interesting is if there will be a market for the phones sold in other countries that aren't locked in, I believe France has a law against it and they were already selling some unlocked phones there. Of course there are hurdles to go through too when buying anything from the EU in terms of tariffs, etc.
Posted by: David K. | Jun 10, 2008 9:40:55 PM