Brian Bolter's Blog

Apple makes the most amazing, intuitive, user friendly, media-rich, lifestyle changing products in the electronic world. So I've got to ask. What in the world is wrong with their iPhone 3G rollout? Last I checked ... America was on the brink of a recession. Luxury goods are just that ... a luxury these days. And yet nearly a week since unveiling the iPhone 2.0 ... throngs of spurned faithful are STILL checking the website overnight to see if their Apple store got a shipment ... STILL arriving before the store opens ... STILL killing five valuable hours to get waited on ... and STILL jumping through the shifting hoops (one per customer ... what's that?!) ... to give their money to the company. 

Supply problem? I realize Apple sold 1 million iPhones over the debut weekend and it took several weeks to do the same with the original iPhone. But c'mon. Your own advertising says ... Twice as fast - Half the price. Hello? 

Creating demand? If that's the case ... Apple is also creating iRage among its loyal customers. If they are seriously manipulating the supply chain to string customers along ... I refer back to my opening salvo. Recession anyone? Short attention span anyone? Blackberry Bold anyone? (Oh yeah ... in theory that comes out next month and at this pace ... you'll have a better shot at getting one of those!)

Arrogance ... poor management/decision making? This encompasses all of the above. And I'm inclined to think there's something to it. Apple is the best. I get the feeling they know it. And that stature seems to have clouded the actual implementation of the iPhone 3G. Brainstorming in the creative lab to develop the coolest cell out there is one thing. But when you threw open the doors to show the world ... crashed servers. Impossible delivery into the customers hands. Those are just two examples. More?

No MMS texting? What fairly savvy cell user doesn't send picture text messages these days? (Attaching a pic to an email is no substitute. Try opening an attachment on a smart phones these days. Brutal/impossible) 

No zoom/flash camera? Heard of the Razr? The most basic, popular cell phone in the world. And even that has a zoom and flash.

No video? Let me get this straight. Apple placed a seriously fast, prominent YouTube application on its iPhone home screen ... but you can't shoot video and upload it from the phone? For real?

And those are just complaints from someone who doesn't even HAVE an iPhone. Yet. Yep ... yet. This miserably frustrated, Apple loyal, tech fascinated wannabe iPhone owner is taking the abuse described above ... and still in love. Check that ... infatuated. Like Megan Fox ... the iPhone is the hottest, sexiest. most intriguing and clearly untouchable object of desire going right now. And I want it. Bad. But with this caveat Apple. Keep me waiting much longer ... I'll chalk it up to 'wasn't meant to be' ... and buy the Blackberry Bold the DAY it comes out. Not that that will show you anything. Or AT&T for that matter. But it's a matter of principle now. And lest we forget ... you're a luxury. In a quasi-recession. I don't need an iPhone. I want one. And like all tech gadgets ... the vcr ... tivo ... digi-cams ... a hotter, sexier, more intriguing version is just around the corner. Sorry Megan.