Talk Shop Fridays: Apple Pulls a Fast One

After Wednesday’s drastic iPhone price reduction, it came as no surprise when the phone’s early adopters collectively responded with a succinctly stated “WTF.” After all, the iPhone’s success — and subsequent price reduction — was partially in thanks to the loyal Apple consumers that jumped on board barely two months ago, making the premature and dramatic price change feel suspiciously similar to a punch to the babymaker. In typical Apple fashion, Mr. Steve Jobs quickly responded to the clamor with the promise of $100 Mac Store credits to all initial buyers of the iPhone. This efficient reaction somewhat quelled the disdain, but still left an important question lingering: What the hell was that about? It seems ridiculous to think Apple could have expected anything less than an uproar; sure, we’re all well-meaning people who want to share the magic of an affordable touchscreen, but quite honestly, the way the price reduction was initially introduced (i.e., no acknowledgment of potential offense) went against basic human instinct. And ethics. And the thing is, we know how smart the crew at Apple is, so we just don’t get it. Thank heaven we also know how smart the crew that reads JS is, because we need you to help us make sense of this mess. Extra points if you have an iPhone; extra extra points if your theory turns out to be correct. Also, if you just need to vent, feel free — this is a safe space.