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elgrecomac

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 15, 2008
1,163
162
San Diego
This is not a rant about the BS of yesterday's launch but, rather, the idea that Apple decided to force millions of people to walk into a store to buy a mobile phone that is an internet enabling device. Seems like an an oxymoron to me. To force, repeat FORCE, people to queue up to buy a $200 device is so counter intuitive that it is laughable. Where is the 'insanely great' idea there? Where is the 'elegance' there? Now if the boys from Redmond did this, we'd all expect it. No surprises there. But the swagger-filled team from Cupertino could have and should have done this right.

I can buy a MBP laptop, the best in the world, over the internet from Apple.
I can buy the best desktop computer in the workd over the internet from Apple. But those iphones, well, you just have to wait outside in the line and sweat in the heat and hope they have your type in stock when you finally enter the door.

Laughable. :eek:
 

TimV

macrumors member
May 15, 2005
34
0
Agreed. We should be able to order these things online and activate them at home via the internet or iTunes. The only thing I can think of is that they want to maintain the hype with their big long lines.
 

grayvader

macrumors newbie
Jul 12, 2008
3
0
Correct. It's all about the marketing.
Press about lines of fanboys (nothing negative implied there) waiting hours for the next great gadget is priceless.
 

findnemo

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2006
168
3
You're right about standing in the heat. The sun was blistering hot today in Virginia.

I'd be pissed if the device wasn't worth it......but it is. I'm so impressed by the new model and the app store is just the cherry on top.

Worth every penny.......and sweat.
 

thor79

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2008
448
0
Chicago, IL
You can order iPhone online. Just go to http://www.o2.co.uk. What are you moaning about?


hmm..let's see...perhaps the fact that AT&T isn't doing the same...nor Apple.

I agree with the OP...it's pretty pathetic that they are forcing us into a brick and mortar store when it will be a device that will ease internet access on the go for millions of people.
 

Michael CM1

macrumors 603
Feb 4, 2008
5,681
276
I guarantee you that AT&T is the one requiring this. Why do I know this? Well, about a decade ago, I couldn't visit an actual BellSouth office to activate a phone line for my apartment. No, I had to call them...to activate phone service.

AT&T does a lot of boneheaded things just like every other service provider we have in this country. Anybody ever tried to cancel AOL service? The fact is we don't exactly have great "competition" over wireless here. We have 3 or 4 ginormous companies that all mimic each other. So the best thing they have to preach to us about who is better is some doofus carrying a phone around and asking someone "can you hear me now?"

This isn't Apple. This is AT&T. We have all had ideas about how to do online ordering without jeopardizing their subsidy. They're just too lazy since, well, where else ya gonna buy it in the US?
 

wronski

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2005
346
0
I guarantee you that AT&T is the one requiring this. Why do I know this? Well, about a decade ago, I couldn't visit an actual BellSouth office to activate a phone line for my apartment. No, I had to call them...to activate phone service.

AT&T does a lot of boneheaded things just like every other service provider we have in this country. Anybody ever tried to cancel AOL service? The fact is we don't exactly have great "competition" over wireless here. We have 3 or 4 ginormous companies that all mimic each other. So the best thing they have to preach to us about who is better is some doofus carrying a phone around and asking someone "can you hear me now?"

This isn't Apple. This is AT&T. We have all had ideas about how to do online ordering without jeopardizing their subsidy. They're just too lazy since, well, where else ya gonna buy it in the US?

Negligible because even if that were the case Apple should have done something about it. Not like they don't have influence. It's obviously in Apple's best interest to keep these phones with AT&T and by making everyone sign contracts in store they pretty much guarantee just that.
 

thor79

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2008
448
0
Chicago, IL
I guarantee you that AT&T is the one requiring this. Why do I know this? Well, about a decade ago, I couldn't visit an actual BellSouth office to activate a phone line for my apartment. No, I had to call them...to activate phone service.

AT&T does a lot of boneheaded things just like every other service provider we have in this country. Anybody ever tried to cancel AOL service? The fact is we don't exactly have great "competition" over wireless here. We have 3 or 4 ginormous companies that all mimic each other. So the best thing they have to preach to us about who is better is some doofus carrying a phone around and asking someone "can you hear me now?"

This isn't Apple. This is AT&T. We have all had ideas about how to do online ordering without jeopardizing their subsidy. They're just too lazy since, well, where else ya gonna buy it in the US?

Why would AT&T require activation in store if no more than 2 months ago they were selling iPhones without activation and sending people home with sealed boxes? It doesn't make sense. The established procedure was allowing at home activation. Apple came out and said they were going to require in store activation...now AT&T is bound by that...clearly it is Apple that changed established procedure. How can you not see this?

Oh I know...Apple fanboy right? Apple can do no wrong, correct?

Apple is doing plenty wrong in this launch.
Launching too much stuff all at the same time.
Not going with online ordering.
Hoarding iPhones at Apple stores, focusing customers when AT&T stores run out.
Requiring in store activations.
No preordering (to establish what level demand there is).
 

Michael CM1

macrumors 603
Feb 4, 2008
5,681
276
Why would AT&T require activation in store if no more than 2 months ago they were selling iPhones without activation and sending people home with sealed boxes? It doesn't make sense. The established procedure was allowing at home activation. Apple came out and said they were going to require in store activation...now AT&T is bound by that...clearly it is Apple that changed established procedure. How can you not see this?

Oh I know...Apple fanboy right? Apple can do no wrong, correct?

Apple is doing plenty wrong in this launch.
Launching too much stuff all at the same time.
Not going with online ordering.
Hoarding iPhones at Apple stores, focusing customers when AT&T stores run out.
Requiring in store activations.
No preordering (to establish what level demand there is).

1) Fanboy? You must not have seen me livid after the announcement at how Apple shouldn't have allowed AT&T to pull this crap, like the same crappy data plan that everybody else has. I have also complained plenty about the lack of DRM-free stuff on the iTunes store when Amazon has it, sometimes for less.

2) I also said last night that Apple is launching too much at once. 2.0 firmware, App Store, iPhone 3G, MobileMe. They should've come out with the firmware and AppStore a month ago and then the iPhone, then MobileMe. I doubt we'll see a massive rollout like that again.

3) AT&T got $400 no matter what until yesterday. Now, they're paying a huge chunk to Apple based on the plans paying them back over time. That's why they're protecting it. As I said, they can obviously do it better. But considering other countries seem to be doing better and Apple's 5-year contract with AT&T, the big media conglomerate probably won out on that debate. You can't save them all, Hasselhoff.

As far as all the other stuff, nobody had to wait in line like a troll to get something they could've waited a week for. There were no predictions of long-term shortages. It's all the nuts waiting in line for hours and then acting disappointed when PhoneSaber didn't actually cut through butter.
 

dach2k3

macrumors member
Jul 11, 2008
85
0
it's obviously an ATT issue. when att works out an exclusivity deal w/ apple they are expecting a big bump in subscribers. When apple sells 6 million iphones but somehow only 3 million make their way to ATT, that's a big problem for them. This is a way to ensure that you have to sign up at ATT. They aren't going to sell you a subsidzed phone and then let you use it on TMobile which a large large percentage of people were doing.
 

MojoWill

macrumors 6502
Jun 13, 2008
325
0
no ones forcing you to anything i you can't work up the energy to drag yourself away from your house to go shopping then just don't buy one?
 

nickspohn

macrumors 68040
Jun 9, 2007
3,592
0
It's sad because usually when other people make fun of someone for waiting in line, most of the time they are jealous because they want it, but can't have it. Whether it be carrier availability, pricing, or so on.

Seriously, if people want to wait in line, what is it to you?
 

elgrecomac

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 15, 2008
1,163
162
San Diego
It's sad because usually when other people make fun of someone for waiting in line, most of the time they are jealous because they want it, but can't have it. Whether it be carrier availability, pricing, or so on.

Seriously, if people want to wait in line, what is it to you?

To Mojo and Nick,

My point is that it is an oxymoron to sell an internet device and it is not available to procure via the internet. Just plain stupid. Heck, I can buy a CAR via the internet these days but the sacred iphone, no way, Jose.

Using Steve Jobs' favorite word...Where is the 'elegance' in that?

O...BTW, I am buying 3 for my company once the Bovine Scat calms down in a couple of weeks. I CAN afford them....my issue is simplicity, elegance and doing it better than the next guy....Apple's mantra....which they seemed to have forgotten. Lets hope this is a one-off occurrence.
 
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