This is exactly the thing I was talking about.
Four days ago Apple sent me an invitation to a "shopping event" at their online store. When you read the fine print at the bottom, it says that the sale starts at 12:01am on November 23rd. But not really. Because I went to the store at 12:01am and all I got was a sign saying that the store was closed because it was busy being updated.
But that turned out to be a lie too. It's now 12:45, and the store is still down...
Normally, the Apple Whore Apologist in me would just assume that they were having some temporary problems updating their store and needed a little extra time to sort it out. No big deal.
But the recent mean-spirited ads and attitude taken by Apple which make fun of Windows' many failings while claiming that Apple is perfect because everything "just works" has me thinking different.
Now I'm thinking that Apple is being run by a bunch of douchebags, because of things exactly like this. They are not perfect... sometimes their shit does not work... and sometimes they have embarrassing moments where they show failings of their own. Like right now as I sit here waiting.
And if a long-time Apple Whore who worships Steve Jobs, loves Macs with a passion, and buys everything Apple makes (like me) is starting to get pissed off because of their smack-talk backfiring... what must the general public think of Apple when stuff like this happens?
Apple needs an attitude adjustment very, very quickly. Because continuing in this direction cannot end well.
UPDATE: And finally, at 12:55am, the store is back up. But the "sales event" where Apple invites you to "save big" is pretty pathetic. Save 7% on an iMac? Save 5% on an iPod nano? Save 9% on an iPod Classic? Whoop-de-frickin'-do. In my mind "BIG savings" is 20% minimum, and even that's lame for a Black Friday event where other retailers are going crazy with massive cuts of 25% to 50% (or even higher) with their sales. Apple does offer bigger discounts on 3rd party items... but no better than the everyday discount price you'd get from places like Buy.com or Amazon (the one exception being a whopping $202 savings on a Xacti digital camcorder... why, I have no idea... a mistake, I'd guess).
Worth the 55-minute wait? Hardly. I'm a sad Apple Whore right now.
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Go on writing stuff like this and you’ll lose your top spot on my list of certified Apple apologists
The thing is that you don’t have to drop your prices when your items are on the top of so many wish lists anyway. Other companies HAVE to to compete.
I think a lot of your *first-time* whores have next-day regrets; it’s uncommon for the pros.
It might be time for some string cheese.
I never thought you would say some of those things about Apple! I am sure they will make it up to you 😉
I’ve had this problem before with other retailers–the day of a “big sale” the server crashes from the overload of traffic. But I would expect more from a tech company like Apple!
Neither one of us uses a Mac (me=Windows, him=Linux) but we find the ads hilarious. Cuz Windows does suck and the bits written for the Windows character are way too true to ignore.
I have no idea if Mac is the bestest OS in the whole world and those commercials do not make me think it is. I’m pretty sure that hardly any non Mac user would run right out to buy one based on the ads but those ads crack me up. There’s way too much truth to them for them not to be.
I also don’t think Mac has gone too far with them…yet.
Good points and reminds me of the quote: “He who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” How do we ping Mr. Jobs to your post?
I agree, that Apple mystique is fading alittle bit as of lately.
Dancing on the table is only for the ones who truly can. (in regards of their commercials and living up to their promises)
Those discounts are pretty pathetic. They’re just enough to cover the sales tax for the most part.
Still…I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything from apple on sale. Maybe $5 off something that’s at least $150 at Walmart. So I guess a little sale is better than none.
The world has stopped making sense…
My brother has decided to never purchase a Mac simply because he thinks the ads are snotty and I think he said self righteous. sadly, I agree with the snotty and self righteous but, although I have not made any such decision. Yet.
I was disappointed with their “discounts”.
I was going to buy a nano for my husband, but their discount was whopping $11.
Although, The Mr. is starting to get pissed off with Apple’s marketing too. He loves the products…but Apple, as a company (especially Steve Jobs), is working his nerves.
I shall remain silent on my own opinions of Apple. 😉
what must the general public think of Apple when stuff like this happens?
As a long time Windows hore, who just recently switched and gave up almost every Windows computer and replaced them with something with *Mac* in the name… sigh, I wished Leopard (and Mac) really had that WOWWW effect on me. But I’ve seen it almost all… on Vista.
Sure, Mac OS X has some awesome stuff (Spaces rocks my world – TM is a waste of resources, I backup daily anyway), but so has MS.
I’m happy about my switch, but there’s no ‘Ad effect’ here. It works… and I need many reboots… more than I needed on Vista. Right now… there’s no way I’ll replace the last Windows box, my Win2k3 server, for Leopard Server.
Good thing you weren’t all dressed up in your hat and gloves and standing outside in front of some store….waiting, waiting, waiting……not pretty.
D’ya know, I’ve never understood why the Apple store has to “go down” every time they add something to it. You would think it would be dynamic, that they just have to add a product to the database and maybe set a flag to make it prominent on the store front.
But every-time they stick the post-it note up I imagine some poor fool in cupertino feverishly having to manually edit a load of HTML files.
I gave up on Apple at 12:15am. I didn’t win any of those “fantastic deals” at Amazon either.
*fine print: available to 250 randomly selected voters
Yeah right. I was right there at 12:01am checking to see if I got the chance to buy a wii for $79. I didn’t. 🙁
Yeah, I too was pretty unimpressed with their idea of a “SALE” and even more so because I peeled my sore self out of bed just to check it out. I hope the folks at Apple hear your call for repentance.