Steve Jobs: Free iPhones for Apple Employees

[Random Ping]

I think I've heard him say this at every keynote, and every time he's interviewed about Mac hardware. Don't think this actually means there is any fantastic hardware "in the pipeline".

Although this talk was primarily targeted at internal Apple employees.

There is always better hardware in the pipeline (its not like they have shutdown their design and engineering teams), so that is obvious. The question is: Will the new hardware be significantly better than a typical incremental bump?

 

[superstring]

This is a good thing for everyone (not just the employees). With everyone at the company using them, there will be all sorts of bugs sorted out much faster than could otherwise happen because they are the ones responsible for making it. And imagine all of the suggestions they will get internally now (which probably have a higher chance of getting implemented). This will greatly help any future software updates as well as jump start iPhone2 features and software.

 

[RodThePlod]

A good tactic. Probably a lot of Apple employees will evangelize even more emphatically once they have one in their hands. I can see this benefiting the company in a lot of ways, and it doesn't cost an outrageous amount of money -- what, $10,000, if that? But it looks really good.

Hey... Mr. Jobs!!! I'm good at evangelizing!!! Really, I am!



Rod.

 

[Random Ping]

There is one OS group that does Mac OS X for the Mac and the iPhone, as well as "some iPods we're working on." -- arstechnica

I think this is the most interesting note. It does sound like there will be an iPhone without "the phone".

 

[Rojo]

This is a good thing for everyone (not just the employees). With everyone at the company using them, there will be all sorts of bugs sorted out much faster than could otherwise happen because they are the ones responsible for making it. And imagine all of the suggestions they will get internally now (which probably have a higher chance of getting implemented). This will greatly help any future software updates as well as jump start iPhone2 features and software.

Good point.
I'm finally starting to feel ok with not being able to afford the iPhone right now, and just saving up for Version Two

 

[xBerserker]

There is one OS group that does Mac OS X for the Mac and the iPhone, as well as "some iPods we're working on." -- arstechnica

I think this is the most interesting note. It does sound like there will be an iPhone without "the phone".

Ya, I agree I would be very tempted to get a iPhone minus the phone feature

 

[ChrisA]

Dog Food

The units cost Apple at least $250.00 a piece and Apple has more than 70,000 employees.

But on average Apple already spends over $100,000 on each employee per year for salary, taxes and overhead. So what's the incremental cost of a one-time $500 gift? It's an extra 0.5% not much.

And Apple gets something back from this that is worth way more than the cost of a phone. Reasoning is like this: If you make everyone in the dog food factory eat dog food for lunch, pretty soon they start making some darn good tasting dog food.

 

[PBz]

Imagine if you were a Cingular employee today.

 

[jackc]

Sucks if you just missed the cutoff.

 

[gaelan]

over the next year?

so new macs in the pipeline coming over the next year. anyone care to speculate?

the language indicates to me that it might be closer to the new year before any iMac or Mini updates.

 

[Bubbajim]

There is one point that is being missed here.

Every employee is getting this phone (17k+). That employee is now a walking billboard for the iPhone. This is the best move by Apple yet!

It's like a plague, infect one with the iphone bug, let him/her wonder into town and see how many people get the bug too.

Steve will need to get an expansion room in the vault for all the money they'll rake in on this!

Can't wait till the end of July !

 

[Yankees 4 Life]

Imagine if you were a Cingular employee today.

plus.. apple employees get a higher pay... haha

 

[4God]

Awesome, but you haven't been there for a year, so you still don't get an iPhone

First off, I was kidding (hence the smiley face) and I read that to mean that the one year thing is for part-timers. I could be wrong though.

 

[Eduardo1971]

Wonder when the first of these unused phone's start showing up on Ebay.

 

[Kwill]

I wonder who pays the monthy fee

So that proves it. The iPhone is for enterprise.

 

[gotohamish]

But they still have to pay those outrageous data rates! And for phone service! For two years! They could buy a macbook for that!

But it looks really silly next to your ear, and the vibrate function is just worrying.

 

[ruc2827]

plus.. apple employees get a higher pay... haha
__________________
"That thing is the most expensive phone out there! $599 for a phone?? It wont even sell enough to break even!!"- Steve Ballimer

Seriously, if you are going to misquote Steve Ballmer, at least spell his name right. He never said it would not break even, in fact the actual quote was "$500, that's the most expensive phone in the world! [...] Now, it may sell very well"

 

[athanacius]

Slow and steady .. now..

I wonder who will have a bigger opening Ratatouille or the iPhone....

Let the race begin.

Rats!!

 

[celavato]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/app...-os-x-and-off-the-charts-macs-in-the-pipeline

I'm surprised the press and especially MacRumors hasn't picked on this before. Apple didn't create the iPod's operating system. Read The Perfect Thing for more details. Apple did build the iPhone's OS and now it seems we may have confirmation that iPods too will run some variant of OS X. Very good news.

 

[generationxwing]

But they still have to pay those outrageous data rates! And for phone service! For two years! They could buy a macbook for that!

Are you high? The iPhone rate plan is nothing short of amazing, especially when you compare them to what Canadian mobile providers are offering. What you get for $60 with an iPhone would cost at least $150 a month, minimum. That many minutes? Unlimited data? Rollover minutes (which none of our providers have bothered to introduce)? I would pay that in a heartbeat because that is a steal. An absolute steal.

 

[yzp]

There is one OS group that does Mac OS X for the Mac and the iPhone, as well as "some iPods we're working on."

I guess this means apple is gonna release WiFi iPods? in which therew will be safari, mail, iCal?

 

[marksman]

They just fire each person the day before they are supposed to get their iPhone and then rehire them, if they want to come back.

 

[yzp]

They just fire each person the day before they are supposed to get their iPhone and then rehire them, if they want to come back.

hahaha it would be a Charles M. Burns' move

 

[Conner36]

Told Yall So

 

[erockerboy]

unimpressed

Yes, we've heard that kind of rhetoric many times before, and people have been pretty much disappointed and unimpressed when new products have arrived.

Yep, disappointed and unimpressed.... you sooooo called it there, sport.

Like when the Mac first came out, with arguably the most iconic product launch ever in the computer industry.... totally unimpressive.

And when each stunning iMac design came out (you know, the ones that won all those industrial design awards).... TOTALLY unimpressive.

And when the iPod came out, and the octocore MacPro, and the MacBook, and oh yeah, that humdrum little phone thing of theirs...... people are TOTALLY disappointed and unimpressed. I mean, nobody is even MENTIONING the iPhone in the press lately. Let's face it, there's no buzz whatsoever.