[ThinkandDrive]

I know I've said it in here before. The way Apple is treating their users is ridiculous. I love their products. I don't think there's anything out there that compares to them. But that doesn't give them the right to this anti-consumerist behavior.

This is why I've printed out some labels which say "This is my last Apple product." and put one on the back of my iPhone. I also plan to put one on my Powerbook and other iPod. I'm leaving it up to my wife to decide whether to put it on her iPod and iBook.

i would register a domain and put up a free template or sell stickers via Cafe Press, but I don't have the time or the resources to legally buy the rights to the apple core image I'm using. Maybe when I have some time to breathe.

Until then, if you are like minded, you can download this template if you so desire. It's set up for use with the Avery label #6572, which sticks to the iPhone pretty well and should be very durable.

This has worked for other companies in the past who were displaying values which ran contrary to their consumer base. Reference the "This is my last Nalgene bottle" link here.

If Apple wakes up and take s a look at what they're doing to their consumers, maybe they will realize that they have lost the way and need to "Thinking Different" again.

[Happy Noodle Boy]

I'm not following you here. What exactly did Apple do to you?

[ThinkandDrive]

It's not me personally. It's the way they are handling their business recently.

Apple had an opportunity to revolutionize the mobile phone industry by releasing the iPhone unlocked and allowing users to use it as they wanted. They've even locked down on stupid-simple functions like ringtones. $0.99 for a 30 second clip of a song which I already own? No thank you. Requiring me to use AT&T, which has inferior service in my area? No thank you. It's my legal right to unlock the iPhone. I shouldn't be treated as a criminal by Apple Store staff because I choose to exercise that right.

They've also been treating their developers in a similar fashion. Developers who PAY money to be included in early releases of their operating systems were kept from the release candidate of Leopard until the day of release. This puts their applications at risk of not working when people upgrade and doesn't allow them to ensure a seamless experience for Apple's customers. What good is an operating system if you don't allow the people who write the software access to it to shore up their code to run on it?

The whole "no cash, two per person" limit is ridiculous. How can they boast that it's the hottest selling phone available if they put an artificial clamp on the sales?

Personally, if I weren't dependent on my Powerbook, I would wipe it and drop it off with my iPods at the closest apple Store and tell them thanks, but no thanks. My next laptop will be a SONY and my new media player, if any, will be a Zune. Well. . . maybe not the Zune. *shudders*

[mkurasz]

word...

[redcard]

I don't really see the problem. You bought an iphone, youre obviously happy with it.

Do you need to buy another 2 with cash?

It's your legal right to unlock. It's also Apple's legal right not to honour your warranty.

Anyone that screws their phone by using unauthorised methods should be prepared to accept responsibility for their actions. If my phone screws up then i'll buy a new one, or i'll buy a Nokia or something.

In the age of Digg and Consumerist, there's too many people wanting to play the anti-corperation hero.

[s2k]

I like the iphone

and i have at&t

Great service in NJ

CHeers!

[ThinkandDrive]

Oh, I'm perfectly happy to go without my warranty because I modded the phone. Not a problem. What I object to is the potential, and I've seen some blog posts about this, that apple employees are going as far as to yell at people who bring in modded phones for things like cases and other accessories. That's just kind of ridiculous.

It's also ridiculous to have required such a fascist (there, I said it) tactic as locking in the first place. Here we have Apple who is expounding on the evil that is DRM because people should own what they buy and be free to use it how they will and, by the way, you didn't buy that MP3 from us, so you need to REPURCHASE a 30 second sample ofi t for 99 cents if you want to use it as a ringtone.

It just smacks of two-facedness.

And to s2k, more power to you if you're happy.

Now, I'm not calling for an outright boycot of apple or anything like that. I'm simply being vocal about my personal choices because this is how we communicate them to these companies. If the mods wish to remove this for fear of brining down another Applehammer, that's their decision.

[vampyros_wrath]

this is messed on apples side. I think that this will be the great cacophany of hacking/modding overall. It is not illeagal to modify the firmware on the iPhone (or should I say ifone?) in any way, even to unlock, so long as the modified firmware is not distributed.

[aziatiklover]

I love my iphone but dislike att

[taylorcold]

I think the folks who run this have been pretty cool about it. Lets face it, the 250,000 who have decided not to activate represents money lost to Apple. As a public company, they have the responsibility to protect their brand and to fight people who may(in Apple's opinion) be harming the brand. The iPhone unlocks are harmfull to Apple's bottom line. Pure and simple. They took their action and the guys here took theirs. The ModmyiPhone crew appears much more mature than the Apple's.

Its just a continuation of Apple's cat and mouse game. Apple had to protect its brand. Stockholders demand it. They are answerable to us, not you. Now, if you were able to pull off a successful boycot, we stockholders would have to listen but the fact is, Apple is running on all cylinders and that my friends is all that counts.

That said, going after these great folks was a bit silly but sometimes it is necessary to put on a show for people who dont know better.

[redcard]

Who thinks ThinkandDrive should make the ultimate protest and smash his iphone, then post pictures of it? I'd take him seriously then!

[ThinkandDrive]

Haha no. That would serve no purpose.

I've always paid my money for it. I never said I didn't thoroughly enjoy the iPhone.

[SupahDave]

Who wants to take a bet that the day the iphone v.2 comes out, ThinkandDrive will be one of the first people in line down at his local Apple Store?!?

[Kruejl]

Blah...useless thread.

[vampyros_wrath]

Originally Posted by SupahDave

Who wants to take a bet that the day the iphone v.2 comes out, ThinkandDrive will be one of the first people in line down at his local Apple Store?!?

That is messed up, man. What did ThinkandDrive ever, EVER, do to you, he has a valid point, apple has good products, but too many way overzealous fans, and they are becoming a company I do not want to be associated with. Just try to be a bit nicer .