So the Macalope is at it again, only this time he is left with little more than a pathetic insult and fact twisting. Actually that is all he had the first time also but why quibble with little things like facts…he doesn’t. Thanks to John who emailed me the post.
First, his diatribe:
Now. Where is his pathetic insult? Here:
“Then he threw out the other rotator cuff patting himself on the other shoulder just after the keynote and jacktastically put quotes around “suckers” as if it were something that Jobs actually called people who bought the original iPhone. Quotation marks, Todd. They mean something. You might want to brush up on their proper ironic usage.”
Now if we go to the post I wrote and actually read it (apparently the Mac did not) we see the second sentence in says….”By the way…Jobs did not actually say it”………
The he says this “Sadly, Todd’s brilliant analysis would hold a little more weight were the iPhone 3G not actually more expensive than the original iPhone”
Ok. Now stop laughing and let’s look, really, stop laughing. 1st iPhone came out and was priced for purchasers at $499. New iPhone comes out and I can buy it at $199. In Macland this is more expensive…
Here is where he plays with facts. The phone IS $300 cheaper. But depending on your data usage plan with AT&T, you may end up spending about the same or $100 or so more AFTER TWO YEARS. If you are not a heavy text user, the phone and its plan are CHEAPER. Also Mac, what about the 1/4 to 1/3 of iPhones purchased that are eventually unlocked? Aren’t they stunningly cheaper, or are we just ignoring them because they do not fit our argument?
Wasn’t the very reason Apple said they lowered the price was to “spur sales”?
Why are Apple (AAPL) folks reduced to playing with the truth? The phone is cheaper…period.
When I wrote the first post I was waiting for a sniveling reply…..got it…
To be honest, I expected a little better, not much ,but a little.
What this all boils down to is people who spent enormous time and effort justifying the $499 price when the phone came out to those of us who laughed and said it would not go mainstream without a huge price cut. Now that we have been proven right by none other than Steve Jobs and Apple, they have nothing left but to resort to questionable recitations of statements and fact.
I was asked by a commenter after the last posts on the subject “to leave Apple fans alone”. I replied that I could care less about the phone or the company but do so enjoy getting their blood pumping. The vitriol and threats that spew from them over a phone and a computer is hysterical. It also happens to be even more fun that we were dead on regarding the price……
Anyone own an Apple TV?
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12 replies on “Macalope: Keep Trying Pal….”
I’d say it’s impossible “to leave Apple fans alone” when doing a critical analysis. They will only accept the positive aspects, but never the negative aspects, of the analysis. (Hmmm… human behavior… information bias…)
Just curious… I noticed your disclosure says “none”. Did you buy back the call options?
enoch,
actually that was an error on my part…
but, they are worthless so no, i will not be buying them back
I replied that I could care less about the phone or the company but do so enjoy getting their blood pumping.
Somebody has to do it, and you’re not alone in finding it hysterical. They are like cult followers in a bad B-movie, the ones that jump off the cliff with their leader, not the ones who suddenly awaken to reality when the leader is revealed to be a doofus.
So, Todd…
You are doing Apple’s marketing dirty work by announcing that the new iPhone is cheaper. The people who tell you that Apple’s lower price is misleading are “Apple Fans” who refuse to see anything negative, only positive.
I see one of two possibilities here:
1. [genius] You are an exceptionally gifted tech blogger using this post to test us all to see if we see the irony.
2. [dork] You have no freaking idea what you’re talking about when you discuss the iPhone and insult “Apple fans.”
I hate to say this Todd because I enjoy reading your blogposts. But this time the Macaolpe-nerd have some valid arguments. I don’t like the outright crazy Mac-fans either, but they are in the minority.
This post was a big mistake on your part. You didn’t win this time, sorry…..
2g iPhone = $399
3g iPhone = $199
2g data plan = $20/mo
3g data plan = $30/mo
You don’t have to be a rabid Apple fan to see that the total cost of the required two-year contract at the higher 3g plan more than offsets any upfront savings.
Discount rates and opportunity costs are ignored for this argument.
Rip Ragged has this one right. Here’s the flow:
1. Todd says, “The new iPhone is cheaper than the old iPhone!”
2. Apple fans reply, “No, Apple’s ad is misleading. The new iPhone is actually more expensive. Boo, Apple.”
3. Todd and zombie-like followers have knee-jerk spasm: “Those cultish Apple fans refuse to say anything negative about Apple!”
Beautiful! It’s all the comedy with none of the cover charge!
Seriously, Todd… Please do everyone a favor and stick to talking about… whatever it is that you know something about, because whatever that is, it’s certainly not Apple or the iPhone. Or if that’s too much to ask, at least do your homework before spouting off. Heck, we’d even settle for your promise to take some basic remedial arithmetic classes.
The Macalope is just doing math for you, something you seem incapable of. The upfront cost of the new iPhone is less than the old one. The total cost over a 2 year contract–the cheapest one, which is REQUIRED–plus the upfront iPhone cost is MORE for the 3G iPhone than the old one.
That’s not an opinion, it’s just math. You should try it sometime. Or, I guess the Macalope and keep doing it for you.
Finally, since it is just math, that’s not pro or con on Apple. You can make conclusions from the data, but the data just exist, independent of what you or anyone else thinks of them.
“The phone IS $300 cheaper.”
It’s $200 cheaper, if we’re looking at prices that are reasonable to compare.
“But depending on your data usage plan with AT&T, you may end up spending about the same or $100 or so more AFTER TWO YEARS.”
are you trying to write poorly, in order to obfuscate the fact that his point is simple and clear?
“If you are not a heavy text user, the phone and its plan are CHEAPER.”
Do the math. if you match the old plan’s tiny 200 text plan, it’s an extra $15 a month over what it was before, in a 2 year agreement, that’s $360 total. much more than the up front savings. even if you have NO text messaging (where 200 used to be included) it’s still $240 more expensive plan on a $200 up-front discount.
what about that is cheaper? oh, i guess you’re arbitrarily trying to compare prices to the release-date costs and not the real-world recent cost. what’s the point?
“what about the 1/4 to 1/3 of iPhones purchased that are eventually unlocked? Aren’t they stunningly cheaper, or are we just ignoring them because they do not fit our argument?”
How does unlocking them make them cheaper? because you don’t have to have ANY service on them? even if that were the case, YOU HAVE TO PAY A CANCELLATION FEE, which makes them almost exactly the same price as they were before.
you’re either impressively moronic, or an infuriatingly effective troll. (my money is on the latter, because i can’t believe anyone could actually be this stupid.)
and don’t give me your flame-baiting “Apple users are crazy” nonsense: yours is an assault on LOGIC, not apple.
i can’t believe i keep getting baited by you trolls.
guh.
It’s simple math Jeff. Stop crying.