an open letter
- Author: Jamie
- Filed under: geek things, me me me
Jul 10,2008
Dear Steve,
I know most people call you Mr. Jobs or something along those lines, as you co-founded only the best company ever, Apple, but I like to think I can call you Steve. Being a loyal Apple customer, I was so psyched about getting the iPhone. An iPhone for $200?! Seriously, it’s pretty much all I have been talking about since the keynote last month. I was ready to throw my Blackberry Pearl out of my moving SUV on I-94 and throw myself on my knees at the shiny, pretty Apple store on Friday in front of some freaked out sales associate and beg that they had one left for me after I got out of work.
You have deceived me though. I guess if you want to get technical, I was trying to deceive you by jailbreaking my new iPhone and run it with my Tmobile SIM card and Blackberry plan instead of paying up the ass by canceling my current plan, moving over to AT&T and then paying their ridiculous amounts for iPhone plans, but those are just details.
Minor details.
I’ve been thwarted and my plan ruined.
This whole activation in store shit really messed me up. Yeah, I guess AT&T is picking up some of the cost which is why it’s going to be so cheap now but c’mon, man, I thought we were friends.
No, now I am stuck with this stupid, busted ass Blackberry Pearl. I’ve had this phone for almost 2 years. This is OLD technology! I’m suppose to be on time of my game here and you, Mr. Jobs, along with AT&T are making it hard for me. Why not open service plans up other companies? You would make so much more money. Isn’t that what this is all about? Money?
So today, I gave up and gave in.
I called up Tmobile and am having them send me a replacement Pearl (that cost me $120! $80 more and I could be living the Apple life to the fullest!). One with a moving trackball and working menu key because I won’t be partaking in the iPhone excitement tomorrow with all the other cool kids.
I bet the iPhone’s menu key always works. You don’t even need a trackball because it’s touch screen. I won’t even get a little taste of that.
Nope, not Jamie.
Maybe I’ll be able to find one on craigslist or ebay or maybe some kind soul who is upgrading will sell me their old one. You know, the older generation iPhone.
For now though, Steve, I think we need to take some time apart. I can’t deny I’m hurt by this.
I hope you understand.
Sincerely,
Jamie of Oh! How Lovely!
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33 Responses for "an open letter"
Ha. Yes - you are SOOOO right. I’ve oft wondered why they don’t open it up. Apple would do much better if AT&T weren’t the only service for the Iphone. And isn’t that illegal? A monopoly or something?
I couldn’t afford an iphone (but, I’d love one, don’t get me wrong) - but STILL. I want to see fairness! And justice!
i feel the same way about including all of the service plans. does Jobs not see the enormous amount of money that would be had if this were an option?
which makes me a tad bitter and very happy to stay away from the iPhone until this happens. just because i use Verizon doesn’t make me any less of a person.
I hope Steve reads this and opens up iPhone usage to other providers.
If it helps sooth your broken heart a little… please know that boyfriend’s first generation i-phone has the worst battery I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t even last an entire day. And that’s with normal usage… nothing excessive. It makes me want to cuddle with my dumb Verizon flip-phone for a little while longer.
ahem as jamie’s best friend and lover in the entire world…
mr jobs, would you give me a macbook battery that works?
kthxbai
If it helps, there are some things I hate about my iphone.
1. I cant recv pic messages
2. I cant forward txt messages
3. I cant send txt msgs to more than 1 person at a time
4. I can only view youtube videos
5. sometimes it locks up.
other than that I love it though.
I do not own such technology because I’m not smart enough to operate it.
Sad, but true.
Okay, well, I’m smart enough, but I don’t have the patience to deal with things when they go wrong or break.
I get very, very, upset and shit gets broken.
Is it okay to say shit here?
Anyway, I try to stay as low tech as possible.
Pens and paper NEVER break.
It doesn’t seem fair that they’re forcing their consumers to activate in-store. I get why they’re doing it, but I don’t think they should be allowed to do it. Buck up, though, I’m sure the iPhone isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be… right? Right? Oh lords I want one so bad!
for matt, a couple of comments up - my friend’s iphone receives pic messages and he can send a single text to several people - there’s something wrong with your phone. perhaps you missed an update?
jamie - i want an iphone too, but my t-mobile plan doesn’t run out til next february, so i’m stuck waiting til then! boo!
Yeah… Apple may be the greatest company in the history of the world, but they’re also super tricky. And when people start tricking them, they up the ante. While I happen to love my first-ish generation (long story) iPhone, Tydasia, I have five million friends who are die-hard Blackberry-ers. Don’t worry… your time for iPhone heaven will come. And when it does, life will be so sweet you won’t know what to do with yourself.
I dont own such technology, just a plain ol’ motorola cell phone.
I dont own anything Apple either come to think of it.
I hope you can eventually get your iPhone though!
I hope during this break Steve does some good thinking and comes up with a better plan. Otherwise, it’s time to move on.
Didn’t it only take like, a week last year for some high schooler to figure out how to crack the phone for other companies? Just wait…. some other high schooler will be doing that this time, too. You’ll get one. As for now, good luck with your replacement blackberry pearl. I didn’t realize the phone was two years old! I thought they just came out this year, which is why I was contemplating between a Pearl and a Palm Centro (the Centro won me over).
Hubby and I really want the iPhone but we can’t justify the ridiculously expensive plan to go with it!
technically you’ll be able to buy the phone without a contract for $500 in a few weeks. But I was planning on doing the same thing… still calculating my plan but the iPhone will be mine! muahahaha.
Steve! What’s the deal? I would buy the iphone in a heartbeat if you would just open up service to TMobile. Who cares if you’ve got an “exclusive” agreement with AT&T. Enough time has passed, I don’t think they’ll mind if you stray a bit. It’s only fair!
I’m very sad too because I’m stuck on Verizon at the moment, which doesn’t have the international chips in the phone so unless I become a sudden phone genius and can crack open the phone and illegally put in Verizon’s little signal version, I’m SOL. My previous phone just died so I had to get a new upgrade… I ended up getting a Voyager. Sure it’s got a touch screen, but still, it’s no iPhone. I feel your pain.
Can I just say? I am having THE hardest time trying to figure out which phone to get next. Sprint’s coming out w/the Instinct… and I *think* I might get it but I’m still not sure it’s worth it?
Aw, sorry you couldn’t get your phone!
At least now you’ll have a working Pearl to occupy you while you try to figure out a new way to get the iPhone!
My BF has been wanting that phone for a while now (first he wanted the Blackberry, we just couldn’t afford it) and even though we could afford to get the iPhone now, I just can’t afford the cost of their plans! Sprint has always been good to me and I’ve been able to get discounts out the a$$ so switching to AT&T (who constant solicit my apartment complex) doesn’t seem like a great idea.
Still, the iPhone looks so awesome, I’VE even considered buying it. Just to look at.
I would have totally gotten you the iPhone and then put my sim card back into my palm if I lived in chicago :-(
I read on article on Yahoo (I think) that calculated out the 2-year cost of an iPhone with the cheaper price but the more expensive plan, and ultimately the new iPhone winds up costing you MORE. And that’s before you factor in the costs of canceling your other plan, if you have to do that. So yeah, it certainly does suck. But it sounds like you made the right decision, cost-wise.
i imagine that, in time, iphones will be available through other providers as well. i guess we just need to be patient. i bet, by then, they’ll come out with newer ones, better technology, for less money.
oh how they play us.
Wow, you want an iPhone, i want a Blackberry Pearl. Unfortunately, Im stuck with a Samsung phone, that is not a smart phone, just a regualr cell phone becuase i have to have the “free” phone that comes with my family’s plan. I cant wait till I can afford luxuries such as my own cell phone plan with a phone I ctually have to buy.
My fiance is getting ready to fight people for that sucker as it’s just being released in Canada for the first time tomorrow!
Plus most of our data plans for moderate use run upwards of $90 a month - for the iPhone they’re dropping the cost down to $30. There will be riots.
Aren’t there people who can unlock those things? I swear, it’s possible. It might involve meeting some seedy person in a back alley and paying $50 but…
Or seriously, try eBay. I’ve bought unlocked phones on there.
That sucks :( I love how they disguise the in-store activation as a service to you, since activating the phone is so…hard…
Boo. I really don’t understand why they won’t open up to other phone companies. They are really limiting their customer base. I would love an iPhone, but I also love my Verizon service. Stupid Apple.
I totally agree with you. Apple could make tons more money if they just allowed their phone to be used elsewhere! I have AT&T, but I can’t afford an iPhone or any other smart phone out there. I just live with my regular old cell phone and my iPod touch.
so here’s the deal.
after much research, and all that crap i went through trying to get rid of my blackberry, then ending up with a new one..
i called at&t.
apples phone plan is much more expensive than using blackberry service. at&t’s rate plans.. suck. you would pay almost $30 more a month to use the iphone.
and.
the battery is internal. meaning, if the battery dies, you can’t just go out and replace it, you have to send it into apple to fix it. let’s hope it dies when it is still under warranty!
after having my touch screen for the few days i had it, EW. annoying. I’m glad to get a blackberry curve..
the reason why verizon passed up apple was because apple wanted it’s techs to work on the phones and not the carrier themselves, which is a lot of hassle for everyone. theres a lot more involved but apple wanted more control than most carriers are wanting to give up.
Your last comment pointed out one of the things I’ve never liked about Apple (beyond the annoying punk in their Apple vs. PC ads; I’d rather have a beer with the PC guy): when they say proprietary, they mean it. You want to replace anything, right down to the silly battery, you’ve got to go right back to Apple to do it. And pay whatever they ask.
That said, as a geek, I’m often asked if I prefer Apple or PC. My answer: “Well, I can get both of them to crash, so…”
I guess I’m oldfashioned because my razor works just fine for me. I don’t feel like I need all those gadgets.. I just don’t know what I’d use it for.
I’m sorry that you didn’t get your phone though. But hey..maybe they’ll realize their fault and be sending you a nice free iPhone in the mail when they read this post. Hey, a girl can always dream. :)
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