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8800GT - Response from Steve Jobs

I think the OP's letter is well written and well intentioned. Without people standing up for fairness we would all be exploited. It often takes strongly-worded letters to convey a point, and SJ is no stranger to using strong words.

Anyway, kudos for the letter and I sincerely hope Apple makes the Mac Pros upgradeable, at least with respect to graphics cards. I'm also under the impression that Mac Pro motherboards have on-board RAID, but that Apple is conveniently disabling it in favor of an expensive add-on card. To be fair, the add-on card may provide a most robust RAID solution, but on-board RAID is good enough for a lot of us.

As someone who's just ordered the new Mac Pro, I definitely want Apple (and third parties) to provide compatible peripherals for years to come.
 
"Work the problem" is a common management catch phrase. It's been a while since I studied English, but I think what you received is grammatically more correct than "...worked on." (No matter who wrote it.)
 
I've emailed him a few times with a issues that couldn't be resolved through normal channels.

For example, the AppleCare Self-Service Part Web site for iPod shuffle didn't work for two weeks because of a database error when you tried to order an iPod shuffle dock/USB cable.

Another time, my .Mac sync account became corrupt on Apple's servers after a .Mac system update. I argued for weeks with .Mac Web support that the problem was on their end (as you can't call anyone with .Mac support). They kept sending me the same auto-reply response.

Needless to say, both issues were addressed the next day after my e-mail.

With the .Mac issue, I received an apology e-mail from the actual engineer that fixed my account.
 
Snowshiro said:
Below is my email to Steve. I should point out that I'm not particularly proud of it - it was written in a pique of frustration shortly after the announcement and during some particularly bitter words being uttered by many people in the official Apple support forums. I tried to make it strong and highly critical without using abusive language to really hit home how a lot of Mac Pro owners were feeling at the time.

To those people who still express doubts about the validity of the email, there's not much I can say or do to convince you. I thought about posting a screenshot of Gmail, but you're still going to question it. Just know this: I'm a graphic designer. I don't have the knowledge to fake an email header of the complexity of the one I posted earlier. Especially in such a short space of time. As for the proofreading comments ("...worked") that's what happens when people are busy and send emails in a hurry. I'm sure we've all done the same.

Anyway - the email I sent:

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I have no doubt that this email will never get to you, however I am
writing in the vain hope that your assistant will bring this matter to
your attention.

Recently the new range of Mac Pros was announced by Apple, and fine
machines they are too. However, there are a significant number of
existing Mac Pro owners who have been patiently waiting for a long
long time now for an upgrade path for the graphics card (currently the
top of the line is a Radeon 1900XT which is well over a year out of
date - eons in graphics card terms).

I'm sure you can imagine how pleased we were when it was announced
that the new Mac Pros will have the option of an Nvidia 8800GT card,
and this was offered as an upgrade in the Apple Store. However, now
it has come to our attention that these cards will not work in older
Mac Pros (and by "old" I mean a machine purchased last week). The
fundamental reason for buying a Mac Pro aside from its power is that
it is the ONLY Apple machine that is expandable and upgradeable. Yet,
your company has decided to remove that option. I can assure you that
this has already had an impact on your sales. A brief look around the
'net has indicated that orders are being switched to PC workstations
because you have destroyed the confidence of potential Mac Pro buyers
by taking away the main reason we buy them.

Let me be very clear. There is utter disgust, disappointment and
contempt being expressed by the Mac Pro community for Apple right now.
Go into the Support>Discussions area on the Apple website and you
will see that the community is up-in-arms about the way we have been
treated. You have a serious revolt on your hands. Let me remind you
that we are your best customers. We spend many thousands of dollars
on our Mac Pro workstations, and yet we feel like your company cares
more about someone who spends a couple of hundred bucks on an iPod.

Mac Pro owners are the hardcore of your customer base -your power
users. We are the ones who have supported your company through the
leaner times, when the OS wasn't quite what it should have been, or
sales weren't so good. We use your machines in a professional
capacity and we make large orders for expensive equipment and
software. Well, no more. We won't be treated like second class
customers, at the back of the queue behind kids buying iPhones.

Do the right thing. We deserve better.

Sincerely,
Click to expand...

Strong Words ...!!
 
eRondeau said:
"Work the problem" is a common management catch phrase. It's been a while since I studied English, but I think what you received is grammatically more correct than "...worked on." (No matter who wrote it.)
Click to expand...

Eh? You mean that 'worked on' breaks that rule up with which we should not put. ;)

We've moved on from the prescriptive grammar days of the 1950s when people thought English should somehow be governed by Latin grammar despite the fact they didn't wander around wearing togas.
 
macgruder said:
Eh? You mean that 'worked on' breaks that rule up with which we should not put. ;)

We've moved on from the prescriptive grammar days of the 1950s when people thought English should somehow be governed by Latin grammar despite the fact they didn't wander around wearing togas.
Click to expand...

Maybe you have, but SJ is quite a bit older than most of us here. Most people use the grammar they were taught at school, and SJ was at school in the 50's.

Aside from that, I think the OP's letter was quite fair and balanced, making a strong point without descending into abuse. Nicely done. As for the terseness of the response, it sounds like the response of someone with a lot of replies to get through, whether it was Jobs or not:)
 
Snowshiro said:
Anyway - the email I sent:

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I have no doubt that this email will never get to you, however I am
writing in the vain hope that your assistant will bring this matter to
your attention.

Recently the new range of Mac Pros was announced by Apple, and fine
machines they are too. However, there are a significant number of
existing Mac Pro owners who have been patiently waiting for a long
long time now for an upgrade path for the graphics card (currently the
top of the line is a Radeon 1900XT which is well over a year out of
date - eons in graphics card terms).

I'm sure you can imagine how pleased we were when it was announced
that the new Mac Pros will have the option of an Nvidia 8800GT card,
and this was offered as an upgrade in the Apple Store. However, now
it has come to our attention that these cards will not work in older
Mac Pros (and by "old" I mean a machine purchased last week). The
fundamental reason for buying a Mac Pro aside from its power is that
it is the ONLY Apple machine that is expandable and upgradeable. Yet,
your company has decided to remove that option. I can assure you that
this has already had an impact on your sales. A brief look around the
'net has indicated that orders are being switched to PC workstations
because you have destroyed the confidence of potential Mac Pro buyers
by taking away the main reason we buy them.

Let me be very clear. There is utter disgust, disappointment and
contempt being expressed by the Mac Pro community for Apple right now.
Go into the Support>Discussions area on the Apple website and you
will see that the community is up-in-arms about the way we have been
treated. You have a serious revolt on your hands. Let me remind you
that we are your best customers. We spend many thousands of dollars
on our Mac Pro workstations, and yet we feel like your company cares
more about someone who spends a couple of hundred bucks on an iPod.

Mac Pro owners are the hardcore of your customer base -your power
users. We are the ones who have supported your company through the
leaner times, when the OS wasn't quite what it should have been, or
sales weren't so good. We use your machines in a professional
capacity and we make large orders for expensive equipment and
software. Well, no more. We won't be treated like second class
customers, at the back of the queue behind kids buying iPhones.

Do the right thing. We deserve better.

Sincerely,
Click to expand...

Excellent letter! Polite, but without mincing words. It's also good that Steve gave a reassuring reply, but (& please don't take this wrong)... the sheer contrast between the 2 emails has given me the best laugh I've had all day! :D
 
I am not too surprised he offered a reply. I should imagine he gets very few emails from the general public because most of us would think he'd never see them or wouldn't bother reply. After all, he's not Royalty or President of the US.
 
Alican said:
I am not too surprised he offered a reply. I should imagine he gets very few emails from the general public because most of us would think he'd never see them or wouldn't bother reply. After all, he's not Royalty or President of the US.
Click to expand...
I would think that he gets a ton of emails from the general public, but the way that "he" responded in this is very surprising for anybody in his position.
 
A friend of mine got an email back from him about his iSub which was very brief, something like 'we're working on it - steve'.

I also emailed sjobs@apple.com about my old MacBook Pro when I didn't get anywhere with the normal support lines.

Needless to say it was all fine after this...
 
I wrote an email to sjobs@apple.com in June of this year expressing my concern about issues with multiple Macbooks that I had had. I left my phone number at the end of the email. The next day I got a phone call from one of steve's assistants. They were very helpful and did as much as they could, but unfortunately I had to go away and was in a situation where I couldn't send my laptop away for repair as they suggested I should. If I ever have another large issue, I won't hesitate to email steve. From what I have heard, it will make things happen for you.
 
Actually, I believe he was born in 1955. Which means he probably went to kindergarten at the age of what... 4-5 at the end of the decade? So I strongly doubt you could say he got the bulk of his education in the 50's. :D Though the likes of Balmer et al. would probably disagree. ;)

Anyway, I'm still in two minds about whether or not Steve would actually answer customer's mails directly himself. On the one hand I'd like to believe that he would. And his answer here sounds rather Jobs like.
On the other hand, the man must be so incredibly busy with running Apple, Pixar and being on the board of directors at Disney that I can't imagine he would have time to bother with customer support and so instead tells his subordinates to sign for him.
I guess we'll never truly know.


Graphis said:
Maybe you have, but SJ is quite a bit older than most of us here. Most people use the grammar they were taught at school, and SJ was at school in the 50's.
Click to expand...
 
gotta love it

I've read several cases where people have gotten responses to emails directed to Jobbs. Fact is, what other CEO/president would respond to user's emails? Whether his response is gentle as a baby's ass or colder than a witch's tit, at least we get responses.
 
naktak said:
I've read several cases where people have gotten responses to emails directed to Jobbs. Fact is, what other CEO/president would respond to user's emails? Whether his response is gentle as a baby's ass or colder than a witch's tit, at least we get responses.
Click to expand...

True. I kind of like the "cold" response. It's more real. Everything is sugar coated these days.
 
the new mac pro's are too young to argue if the video card will become available for the older models. Personally, my idea is that it will happen. Apple has the skills, the manufacturer needs sales figures or some nerd will write some code to hack eveything together ...
 
naktak said:
I've read several cases where people have gotten responses to emails directed to Jobbs. Fact is, what other CEO/president would respond to user's emails? Whether his response is gentle as a baby's ass or colder than a witch's tit, at least we get responses.
Click to expand...

I got a response from him when my Mac Pro was DOA back in Sept. of '06. I couldn't get a decent tech on the phone. They kept telling me to reboot and hold the power button down, when the machine simple would not turn on. I was so pissed after shelling out that kind of cash and getting a dead computer with only overseas call centers available in tech support. I emailed him and got a response directly from him and a call the next day from an assistant. I then had a rep from corporate executive relations deal directly with me for the remainder of my ordeal. He threw in some free RAM and a copy of Aperture for my troubles.

The president of Volkswagen of America emailed me all the time when I had a lemon Jetta back in 2002. I sent him messages and snail mail every time I had a problem. After a year and a half he retired so I emailed the new president of the company and told him I would continue to send him messages every time I had a problem, so he better get used to it. The next day I got a call and they bought back the Jetta for $2000 over what I owed on the loan. I have an Acura now and will never own another VW. Actually I will probably never own anything other than an Acura. I don't think I'll ever need to email their president.
 
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