bait and switch/not the first time?

[fallt]

Ordinary people...

Dear All,

Again, most people seem to miss the point which was stressed by Steve Wozniak recently (remember him?) - the iTools were never free. And, by extension, no one is whinging about wanting 'something for nothing'. The iTools were marketed as 'one more reason to spend a little (or a lot) more and buy a Macintosh'. They were marketed as being 'part of the deal'.

I know +many+ people that switched and bought a Mac because of the internet 'ease of use' factor. The fact that the iTools simplified email, etc. by integrating it into the system software made the Macintosh platform look appealing.

Now these people, not all business people who can afford to write off a subscription to .Mac as a deductible expense, are left in the lurch. These are ordinary people who are rightly upset that the email address they've used for friends and for list subscriptions is now useless unless they pay to upgrade. The comment that these people are looking for something on welfare is, frankly, insulting.

You'll notice that I own my own domain name and email address so I'm not griping because I feel bitter at something I've lost. I'm standing up and speaking on behalf of all those parents and grandparents - the everyday people that Apple likes to think of in their homely PR - the people who "don't know much about computers", but who trusted Apple when they bought an iMac that they'd have a .mac.com email address as part of the deal. The ordinary people who feel let down.

Apple has handled this badly, and for what? A few cents.

Best,

Christopher

 

[solvs]

Re: Well, you know...

Originally posted by sneed
Once the drama is over, it'll be interesting to see how many people stick with the service, and what the long term effects will be. It's hard to say now, really. Apple claims to have a lot of new products coming, so maybe it'll all be swept up in the wash. Who knows? Frankly, I'd like to see that. Not because I think this'll kill the company othewise, but that if the new products are cool enough to soothe the angry masses, I'll be the first one in my local apple store, cash or credit card in hand.

solvs: Not to appear inconsistant, but I feel your pain on the server software. I paid for OSX Server version 1.2v3. A lot to pay for a few coasters. Ah well, what are you gonna do?

I'm happy to see so many people agree with me. I got lucky, I waited. I wanted to see what Apple came out with after Macworld to consider whether the xServe was worth it, or if I should just get a new Tower (still waiting). I don't think I'll buy the server version at all now. But I'd be p*ssed if I was an early adopter. Like I said, see if anybody buys a new Mac after 10.3 is announced, but before it's released.

 

[sneed]

Re: Ordinary people...

Originally posted by fallt
The comment that these people are looking for something on welfare is, frankly, insulting.

The post that I was responding to suggested, to me at any rate, a solution similar to welfare, so I used the term to make the point.

Welfare is a social good that I happen to support, so far as the government is involved, and so far as the recipients are in genuine need. My point was that you'd have to have a lot of cheek crying poverty over $100 a year, when you could afford a mac in the first place. There are people out there for whom any kind of computer is completely out of reach.

For the pennies... I would say that the service is worth pennies to the people who use it, and that's basically how it breaks down, so why shouldn't they spend it?

For Apple... It isn't as simple as people seem to think it is, and we are not talking about pennies. If they have to eat the cost of the service, than other efforts will suffer. It isn't good for the stockholders, it isn't good for the employees, and ultimately, it isn't good for us as users.

And as for Woz... well, I hear he's never been quite right since the crash.

 

[sneed]

Re: Re: Well, you know...

Originally posted by solvs


I'm happy to see so many people agree with me. I got lucky, I waited. I wanted to see what Apple came out with after Macworld to consider whether the xServe was worth it, or if I should just get a new Tower (still waiting). I don't think I'll buy the server version at all now. But I'd be p*ssed if I was an early adopter. Like I said, see if anybody buys a new Mac after 10.3 is announced, but before it's released.

Yeah, I was pissed, but it stayed relevant long enough for me to make a pile with it, so I didn't stay pissed.