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Lot of nitpicks and to be expected framing/number fudging by Steve, but straight up misquoting the Samsung rep was very odd. That had been widely corrected, so

Lot of nitpicks and to be expected framing/number fudging by Steve, but straight up misquoting the Samsung rep was very odd. That had been widely corrected, so either Apple did not research their presentation (unlikely) or just knowingly lied (yuck).

Judson 16y ago
There is something kind of funny about a quote going from "quite small" to "quite smooth" (referencing sales numbers - as in "the numbers have been quite smooth"). It reminds me of a kid cursing in front of his mother and then twisting the sounds to create another word after he realized it, if that makes any sense.
- Kylekramer 16y ago
  ESL was the real culprit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_w0mcDayI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_w0mcDayI
  - tnorthcutt 16y ago
    How did anyone get "small" from that? Sounded pretty clear to me. I'm a native English speaker, and do not speak or understand any other languages.
    - Kylekramer 16y ago
      I can sort of see it. Smooth is a bit of a strange word choice. And in context she was trying to say sales were OK but not blockbuster, so small was primed in the listener's head. Especially in a blink and you'll miss it sale call. Of course, reporters should have double checked the recording, but that is understandably difficult to do in the current fast paced tech news landscape.
    - jongraehl 16y ago
      If you already expect "smooth", it is in fact impossible to hear "small" in that recording. But that doesn't mean it's impossible in general.
    - jhen095 16y ago
      Perhaps a case of selective hearing or hearing what was expected/wanted?
spooneybarger 16y ago
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
- NathanKP 16y ago
  Hanlon's razor is something I live my life by.
- coderdude 16y ago
  How much stupidity do you think is involved when billions of dollars are on the line?
  - stcredzero 16y ago
    Well, there are 435 US Congressional representatives.
  - krakensden 16y ago
    On a long enough timeline, everyone is an imbecile.
  - kmfrk 16y ago
    I'm sure Microsoft has the answer to that question. Or at least the experience.
    - coderdude 16y ago
      A cheap jab at Microsoft with no citations that doesn't even follow the conversation, in an Apple thread no less. I'm shocked.
      - kmfrk 16y ago
        I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm a Windows user. If you can't recall any egregious Microsoft failures, you're the fanboy trapped in a distortion field. Microsoft may have a lot of things going for them, but they are ginormous klutzes. Do you seriously think that there isn't stupidity involved in any billion-dollar projects and companies?
Herring 16y ago
Apple's misquote was probably more truthful than the actual quote.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
brudgers 16y ago
>"just knowingly lied" In their response to Gillis's lawsuit regarding failure of the iPhone 3G to perform as advertised - in part Apple's defense was: "Plaintiff's claims, and those of the purported class, are barred by the fact that the alleged deceptive statements were such that no reasonable person in Plaintiff's position could have reasonably relied on or misunderstood Apple's statements as claims of fact," http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/files/apples_answer_in_gillis.pdf http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/files/apples_ans...
- inklesspen 16y ago
  Yeah, the important part is in the header just before that response. "Puffing." This refers to "puffery", a common advertising/marketing term. For example, the owner of a hamburger restaurant is permitted to claim he serves "the best hamburgers in the world" without actually producing an empirical study backing it up, because that claim is puffery, and nobody would reasonably take it literally. I don't know which claim of Apple they are saying is puffery, but they do produce a lot of it ("magical" iPad, anyone?)
jsz0 16y ago
The other option is they knew the quote was wrong but the substance was accurate. The Galaxy Tab hasn't really taken off has it?

Judson 16y ago

There is something kind of funny about a quote going from "quite small" to "quite smooth" (referencing sales numbers - as in "the numbers have been quite smooth"). It reminds me of a kid cursing in front of his mother and then twisting the sounds to create another word after he realized it, if that makes any sense.

Kylekramer 16y ago
ESL was the real culprit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_w0mcDayI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_w0mcDayI
- tnorthcutt 16y ago
  How did anyone get "small" from that? Sounded pretty clear to me. I'm a native English speaker, and do not speak or understand any other languages.
  - Kylekramer 16y ago
    I can sort of see it. Smooth is a bit of a strange word choice. And in context she was trying to say sales were OK but not blockbuster, so small was primed in the listener's head. Especially in a blink and you'll miss it sale call. Of course, reporters should have double checked the recording, but that is understandably difficult to do in the current fast paced tech news landscape.
  - jongraehl 16y ago
    If you already expect "smooth", it is in fact impossible to hear "small" in that recording. But that doesn't mean it's impossible in general.
  - jhen095 16y ago
    Perhaps a case of selective hearing or hearing what was expected/wanted?

spooneybarger 16y ago

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity

NathanKP 16y ago
Hanlon's razor is something I live my life by.
coderdude 16y ago
How much stupidity do you think is involved when billions of dollars are on the line?
- stcredzero 16y ago
  Well, there are 435 US Congressional representatives.
- krakensden 16y ago
  On a long enough timeline, everyone is an imbecile.
- kmfrk 16y ago
  I'm sure Microsoft has the answer to that question. Or at least the experience.
  - coderdude 16y ago
    A cheap jab at Microsoft with no citations that doesn't even follow the conversation, in an Apple thread no less. I'm shocked.
    - kmfrk 16y ago
      I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm a Windows user. If you can't recall any egregious Microsoft failures, you're the fanboy trapped in a distortion field. Microsoft may have a lot of things going for them, but they are ginormous klutzes. Do you seriously think that there isn't stupidity involved in any billion-dollar projects and companies?

Herring 16y ago

Apple's misquote was probably more truthful than the actual quote.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

brudgers 16y ago

>"just knowingly lied" In their response to Gillis's lawsuit regarding failure of the iPhone 3G to perform as advertised - in part Apple's defense was: "Plaintiff's claims, and those of the purported class, are barred by the fact that the alleged deceptive statements were such that no reasonable person in Plaintiff's position could have reasonably relied on or misunderstood Apple's statements as claims of fact," http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/files/apples_answer_in_gillis.pdf http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/files/apples_ans...

inklesspen 16y ago
Yeah, the important part is in the header just before that response. "Puffing." This refers to "puffery", a common advertising/marketing term. For example, the owner of a hamburger restaurant is permitted to claim he serves "the best hamburgers in the world" without actually producing an empirical study backing it up, because that claim is puffery, and nobody would reasonably take it literally. I don't know which claim of Apple they are saying is puffery, but they do produce a lot of it ("magical" iPad, anyone?)

jsz0 16y ago

The other option is they knew the quote was wrong but the substance was accurate. The Galaxy Tab hasn't really taken off has it?