The polish is off Apple

[dixiehack]

Everyone's favorite anti-Microsoft alternative can do the stupid corporate thing quite nicely, thank you.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1211622.ece

More than any other product, it was the iPod that gave Apple a powerful share of the market and had the competition running scared. By 2005, sales of the various Mac computers trailed those of the music player, which accounted for 46 per cent of Apple's total revenue. But problems have beset even the celebrated iPod. After transferring manufacturing from the US to China, the company's reputation for quality suffered. Cracks started to appear - literally - and the online community was there to broadcast the bad news to the world.

Last September, a batch of newly launched iPod Nanos were prone to cracked, scratched or failing screens, sometimes within hours of purchase. In response, an aggrieved Nano owner named Matthew Peterson set up a website to collate complaints and force Apple to address the issue. It received 30 e-mails per hour, eventually prompting the firm to offer replacements to angry and disillusioned customers.

Then, just two weeks after the launch of the Intel-powered MacBook in May, some users of the signature white units began to report a premature and permanent yellowing of the casing. After spending upwards of £749 on a laptop, one of whose major attractions was its styling, customers were not happy - especially since the AppleCare warranty excludes cosmetic issues, as those calling the company were reminded.

Again, aggrieved users gathered together online. Within days, the thread discussing this on Apple's support forums had grown to over 1,000 posts and was promptly locked, preventing new replies. Debate then moved to websites such as stainedbook.info and appledefects.com, where sufferers pondered how to force the firm to acknowledge the issue. Two weeks later, callers to technical support found that the company was now replacing the casing, though the official line remains that Apple is aware of and is looking into the issue.

It's not only journalists who get this brush-off. Customers, too, fall victim to the standard reply - including nine-year-old Shea O'Gorman. As part of a letter-writing lesson in her US primary school, Shea wrote to Apple suggesting improvements for her beloved iPod Nano, such as support for song lyrics. This earned a terse response from Mark Aaker, senior counsel of Apple's law department, stating that Apple does not accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send them in. The company later apologised for the affair, and its policy for dealing with children was changed. But the negative publicity had done its image few favours.

 

[Point of Order]

Everyone's favorite anti-Microsoft alternative can do the stupid corporate thing quite nicely, thank you.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1211622.ece

More than any other product, it was the iPod that gave Apple a powerful share of the market and had the competition running scared. By 2005, sales of the various Mac computers trailed those of the music player, which accounted for 46 per cent of Apple's total revenue. But problems have beset even the celebrated iPod. After transferring manufacturing from the US to China, the company's reputation for quality suffered. Cracks started to appear - literally - and the online community was there to broadcast the bad news to the world.

Last September, a batch of newly launched iPod Nanos were prone to cracked, scratched or failing screens, sometimes within hours of purchase. In response, an aggrieved Nano owner named Matthew Peterson set up a website to collate complaints and force Apple to address the issue. It received 30 e-mails per hour, eventually prompting the firm to offer replacements to angry and disillusioned customers.

Then, just two weeks after the launch of the Intel-powered MacBook in May, some users of the signature white units began to report a premature and permanent yellowing of the casing. After spending upwards of £749 on a laptop, one of whose major attractions was its styling, customers were not happy - especially since the AppleCare warranty excludes cosmetic issues, as those calling the company were reminded.

Again, aggrieved users gathered together online. Within days, the thread discussing this on Apple's support forums had grown to over 1,000 posts and was promptly locked, preventing new replies. Debate then moved to websites such as stainedbook.info and appledefects.com, where sufferers pondered how to force the firm to acknowledge the issue. Two weeks later, callers to technical support found that the company was now replacing the casing, though the official line remains that Apple is aware of and is looking into the issue.

It's not only journalists who get this brush-off. Customers, too, fall victim to the standard reply - including nine-year-old Shea O'Gorman. As part of a letter-writing lesson in her US primary school, Shea wrote to Apple suggesting improvements for her beloved iPod Nano, such as support for song lyrics. This earned a terse response from Mark Aaker, senior counsel of Apple's law department, stating that Apple does not accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send them in. The company later apologised for the affair, and its policy for dealing with children was changed. But the negative publicity had done its image few favours.

Yep, another company tries to cash in quickly on its well-earned reputation, costing it long-term endurance. I loved both iBooks I had, but premature hardware issues, coupled with paltry customer service (standard in the industry) caused me to switch to a Dell.

 

[Hammer Pants]

Had this ibook for about a year now without one major issue (/fingerscrossed).

 

[Bubba Fett]

I'm reading this on a lovely new MacBook that I got two weeks ago. So far, it's still white.

Frankly, as long as it still operates perfectly, I don't give a **** what it looks like.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

If I buy a Macbook, I think I'd prefer the black one.

But given that the base Macbook doesn't have high-end video hardware, I'd probably gravitate toward the Pro versionone.

oneBecause I'd need it to run X Plane.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Having a manufacturing defect isn't a "stupid corporate thing."

Having to restate earnings and announcing that all its financial communications for the past four years should not be relied upon ... now that is a "stupid corporate thing."

http://tinyurl.com/ldhph

LOS ANGELES, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. said on Thursday it would likely need to restate earnings and will delay filing its quarterly report because of additional irregularities it found in its accounting of stock options and its shares fell 6.6 percent.

Apple first announced on June 29 that it was conducting an internal probe into irregularities related to stock option grants, hired an independent counsel to conduct its own investigation of the irregularities and notified the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Apple, maker of the iPod digital music player and Macintosh computer, is now among the most high-profile companies caught up in a stock options scandal that has swept through the technology industry. The SEC has more than 80 investigations underway to determine if companies manipulated the prices of stock options given to executives.

Cupertino, California-based Apple will likely need to restate results to record noncash charges for compensation expense relating to past stock option grants. Apple said it had not determined the amount of the charges, resulting tax and accounting impacts, or which periods may require restating.

Apple also said in a SEC regulatory filing Thursday that all financial communications issued since Sept. 29, 2002, should not be relied upon. The irregularities are related to the issuance of stock option grants made between 1997 and 2001.