5 ms·

It's just a phone, but several hundred dollars spent on a faulty product is guaranteed to annoy people. I understand that a calmer attitude overall is a good th

It's just a phone, but several hundred dollars spent on a faulty product is guaranteed to annoy people. I understand that a calmer attitude overall is a good thing, but Jobs' continual dismissal of real issues comes off as rude and uncaring. From a 3rd party, I'd say it's good advice, although I would also advise them to return the phone if it isn't working for them. However, coming from Jobs, it just seems rude, considering it's his company that caused the issue.

cmelbye 16y ago
He's not dismissing the issue at all. I'm sure he's spent most of his days since the launch overseeing the response to the issue(s). I think he's more referring to people starting class action lawsuits days after getting the product and people spending all day furiously blogging, emailing him about it, etc. It's Apple, the product's flaws will eventually be fixed because their image is necessary for their success.
- confuzatron 16y ago
  Actually, I think he's trying to wind up an irate guy who has got to him a little. The original email exchange is... heated. (http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/01/exclusive-conversation-with-steve-jobs-on-the-iphone-4-antenna-problems/ http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/01/exclusive-conversa...)
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  > It's Apple, the product's flaws will eventually be fixed because their image is necessary for their success. That, unfortunately, is their image. They release flawed products, that eventually get fixed. The flaws are dismissed as not necessary, useless, or a waste. Eventually the features might get added, or the flaw fixed. All too often, I hear from Apple fans to wait until after the 1st generation. So that's their image. While I think a lawsuit is pretty silly this early on (thought not unwarranted if they knew about the problem before launch), a solid release would do their image better then always fixing flaws.
Indyan 16y ago
The guy was pretty rude.I am not saying that he was unnecessarily rude. He has every right to be pissed off. But, it's a fact that he was rude. It would have been really easy for Steve to ignore his message or to shoot back. Jobs' calmness actually earned my respect. I think he handled that guy perfectly. Jobs told him that Apple was working on the issue. Yet, he wasn't satisfied. So, Jobs just advised the guy to relax a bit.
- btmorex 16y ago
  Have you ever been in an argument with a spouse/significant other and told them to "calm down"? Did saying that ever make them calm down? Telling someone to "calm down" is pretty much guaranteed to make them even more upset/frustrated. I don't know if Jobs said that on purpose to annoy that guy, but the outcome wasn't exactly surprising.
  - phreanix 16y ago
    I don't think you can compare an argument with a significant other to this. I have no doubt that Jobs was being perfectly transparent when he said that and meant exactly what he wrote. However, you're right that it's not exactly the best way to diffuse the situation, so he did say: "You may be working from bad data. Not your fault. Stay tuned. We are working on it." reasonable, yes? "
joezydeco 16y ago
I'm guessing it's more than "several hundred dollars" if the guy signed a two-year contact. He's stuck with this phone for two years.
- jrockway 16y ago
  Or $325. If you can afford an iPhone but not the ETF, you shouldn't have bought the iPhone. I'm surprised Apple isn't taking the Nexus One approach. Buy the phone with the radio that you want, and use it on any network. No ETF, no subsidy, just a phone.
  - AlexBlom 16y ago
    I can afford that. But I retain my right to be pissed if it does not work as advertised. I may as well throw my money on the streets. There should not be an ETF if the product has a major flaw (it is the iPHONE, so the phone part not working is pretty important imo).
arithmetic 16y ago
I agree. $200 is a lot of money for some people. It doesn't matter who you are - as long as you are selling something, you need to respect the fact that your customer was willing to spend time and money in purchasing and using your product. You need to respect the fact that they paid for your product. Orthogonal to that, I would be angry if I bought a phone and it didn't let me make phone calls consistently.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- panacea 16y ago
  "$200 is a lot of money for some people." In the UK, an 'unsubsidized' i4 starts at $630. Even if you only use it as an expensive iPod Touch HD with an unused 3G antenna, the phone costs more than $200 to own, any way you want to look at it. Orthogonal to that, I think this whole antenna kurfuffle is ludicrous hysteria.

cmelbye 16y ago

He's not dismissing the issue at all. I'm sure he's spent most of his days since the launch overseeing the response to the issue(s). I think he's more referring to people starting class action lawsuits days after getting the product and people spending all day furiously blogging, emailing him about it, etc. It's Apple, the product's flaws will eventually be fixed because their image is necessary for their success.

confuzatron 16y ago
Actually, I think he's trying to wind up an irate guy who has got to him a little. The original email exchange is... heated. (http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/01/exclusive-conversation-with-steve-jobs-on-the-iphone-4-antenna-problems/ http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/01/exclusive-conversa...)
jasonlotito 16y ago
> It's Apple, the product's flaws will eventually be fixed because their image is necessary for their success. That, unfortunately, is their image. They release flawed products, that eventually get fixed. The flaws are dismissed as not necessary, useless, or a waste. Eventually the features might get added, or the flaw fixed. All too often, I hear from Apple fans to wait until after the 1st generation. So that's their image. While I think a lawsuit is pretty silly this early on (thought not unwarranted if they knew about the problem before launch), a solid release would do their image better then always fixing flaws.

Indyan 16y ago

The guy was pretty rude.I am not saying that he was unnecessarily rude. He has every right to be pissed off. But, it's a fact that he was rude. It would have been really easy for Steve to ignore his message or to shoot back. Jobs' calmness actually earned my respect. I think he handled that guy perfectly. Jobs told him that Apple was working on the issue. Yet, he wasn't satisfied. So, Jobs just advised the guy to relax a bit.

btmorex 16y ago
Have you ever been in an argument with a spouse/significant other and told them to "calm down"? Did saying that ever make them calm down? Telling someone to "calm down" is pretty much guaranteed to make them even more upset/frustrated. I don't know if Jobs said that on purpose to annoy that guy, but the outcome wasn't exactly surprising.
- phreanix 16y ago
  I don't think you can compare an argument with a significant other to this. I have no doubt that Jobs was being perfectly transparent when he said that and meant exactly what he wrote. However, you're right that it's not exactly the best way to diffuse the situation, so he did say: "You may be working from bad data. Not your fault. Stay tuned. We are working on it." reasonable, yes? "

joezydeco 16y ago

I'm guessing it's more than "several hundred dollars" if the guy signed a two-year contact. He's stuck with this phone for two years.

jrockway 16y ago
Or $325. If you can afford an iPhone but not the ETF, you shouldn't have bought the iPhone. I'm surprised Apple isn't taking the Nexus One approach. Buy the phone with the radio that you want, and use it on any network. No ETF, no subsidy, just a phone.
- AlexBlom 16y ago
  I can afford that. But I retain my right to be pissed if it does not work as advertised. I may as well throw my money on the streets. There should not be an ETF if the product has a major flaw (it is the iPHONE, so the phone part not working is pretty important imo).

arithmetic 16y ago

I agree. $200 is a lot of money for some people. It doesn't matter who you are - as long as you are selling something, you need to respect the fact that your customer was willing to spend time and money in purchasing and using your product. You need to respect the fact that they paid for your product. Orthogonal to that, I would be angry if I bought a phone and it didn't let me make phone calls consistently.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
panacea 16y ago
"$200 is a lot of money for some people." In the UK, an 'unsubsidized' i4 starts at $630. Even if you only use it as an expensive iPod Touch HD with an unused 3G antenna, the phone costs more than $200 to own, any way you want to look at it. Orthogonal to that, I think this whole antenna kurfuffle is ludicrous hysteria.