Engadget Note to iPhone Customers and Apple
The furore over the 1.1.1 update and locking out of third party apps is not showing any signs of quieting down yet. Today, Engadget has done a ‘note’ to both iPhone customers and Apple – very similar to their recent ‘intervention letter’ to Palm.
Here’s a little bit of what they’ve said to Apple:
You can’t put your Lego model in a kid’s hand and throw a fit out when they make something better than you did. … Sure, you can try to see this one through, but from where we sit in the middle, an inordinate number of first adoptors, smartphone user that switched to the iPhone, people that comprise your core customer base are starting to see you as villainous and money grubbing.
So why not let Steve give another a press-stopping mea culpa, giving your customers what they want (hey, maybe even throw in an SDK while you’re at it?). Make developing for the iPhone as free and open as it is for every other smartphone around, and you still get to come out on top as the company that listens to its customers above all.
Good advice in that last line I think.
It’s an interesting read and another controversial subject that doesn’t look like it’s going to go away in a hurry for Apple. Check it out at:
Engadget’s Note to iPhone Customers and Apple
Let us know what you think on Apple’s locking out of apps, and how and whether you want 3rd party programs on your iPhone.
This is the line that meant to the most to me:
“At a certain point you’re expected to do the right thing for the people keeping you in business, and we think that’s happening right now. Even if it is contractual obligation with the carriers that Apple must stop iPhone unlocking at all costs, isn’t the buying public at least worthy of an explanation? Enough with the silent treatment, Apple.”
Apple needs to seriously work on PR. As it sits right now – iPhone2 will sit on the shelf waiting for me to buy it until I hear from Apple what the real story is. They’re more than happy to pitch out amazing products, but when you want to hear some news it’s like a huge black hole.