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Why does everything announced by Apple have to be surrounded with so much hype? I’m talking about the iPhone which went on sale few minutes ago. Nope, I’m not live-blogging from the line outside the store. Although the reviews have been quite flattering for the phone, the exorbitant cost and compatibility with only AT&T-Cingular plans are big disadvantages.
I find it extremely surprising that the regular mainstream media has hopped on the hype bandwagon when in fact, any previous Apple releases have been geek-dominated. Of course, geeks are a lucrative market - blind loyalty, tons of money, and tendency to spread the word virally - now through blogs. But I was surprised to see our local newspaper and morning talk shows sprout niceties about this product. Meredith Viera blew a iPhone stunt on live TV and blurted out that she knew Steve Jobs was counting on them. So I guess in exchange for handing out few desperately-sought iPhones around the TV station, Apple is getting tons of publicity in return. Note that Apple isn’t entertaining any celebrities who wishes to lay their hands on the product unless they are willing to flaunt it in public. So why even pit Paris Hilton against the iPhone in the battle of the hype? Just hand her an iPhone to flaunt on the Larry King Show and everywhere she goes. I’m sure, her fans will make a beeline to the nearest Apple store because whatever Paris does, they should do too, right? Bah!
But strictly in a business sense, hasn’t Apple just fine tuned their strategy by reducing supply of its products and ramping up the marketing campaigns naturally leading to high prices it can demand from its consumers? The premium for the ‘cool factor’ is pretty high for any Apple product. But I am sure no one is thinking of the cost when they are lining up to buy an iPhone. I often wonder how people who can spend days lining up outside the store can afford to buy it in the first place unless they are standing in for someone else.
by Patrix | on Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 5:38 pm | 
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June 29th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
As much as I find Apple products aesthetically pleasing, I find the mad Apple followers a tad disturbing. These guys would buy almost any Apple product, be it iPod or iPoop.
The problem with this kind of a mad following is that it gives Jobs all the more reason to ramp up prices with the knowledge that people will buy their stuff.
In a way it’s like drug dealing.
Oh! How I wish for the days where Apple were relatively low profile in the market! Trust me, a market dominated by Microsoft is infinitely better than a market cornered by Apple. (Behind all that outward beauty, there seems to be an evil streak about them. Which worries me.)
June 29th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Apple has always believed in exclusivity. I think you’re being a bit off when you say that only their biz strategy (limiting supplies) is to blame. The biggest reason why they can demand a premium is for their oooomph like design.
For example, take the iMac..I’ve worked on both the 20″ and the 24″ iMac…Trust me, if I could afford it, I’d plop down the money in a minute. No other comp / LCD display comes anywhere close to their crisp display..and the entire thing is just a screen..no CPU and stuff…
They focus on design and usability and charge a premium for that..and I see nothing wrong with it. If great design were so easy, Nokia and Moto could have done it way back…
Yes, the hype is a bit over the top..but hey, one look at the iphone photos and videos, and its easy to get seduced..
The only turn offs for me:
1) AT& T sucks
2) The iphone battery is limited to 400-500 charges and then you have send the phone back to apple to replace the battery. Thats lame..
ohh and I wish i had the money :-)
June 30th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Piker, I agree about the hype and blind following. As many critics have pointed out, it is iPhone 1.0 and would have plenty of bugs and be quite expensive. But then who can stop a geek obsessed with the cool factor.
Pranav, I think you mentioned the problem that is exactly causing lot of concern - Apple teaming up with AT&T. The two companies operate on complete different ideologies and are in direct contrast with each other. There are already problems with AT&T unable to deliver phone activation. I would have preferred if they had sold an unlocked phone unless Apple itself is trying to be a telecom carrier.
July 1st, 2007 at 11:39 am
I just converted from Windows to Mac myself, but i hate to be in that apple fanboy groups. The apple fanboys are idiots in my opinion to take in anything that apple throws on them.
That said, they have a lot of design asthetics - and i hate to admit it, after 2 weeks on my MAC and OS X, its dificult for me to go back to Windows. I didnt think I would ever say that.
July 1st, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Supremus, ah-ha! you seemed to have crossed over to the dark side :) But yeah, I admire Apple for its design and usability but definitely stay away from its ‘fanboy’ attitude.