Not the Apple of My (i)

I am definitely a gadget person, and I admit that part of the thrill is being one of the first kids on the block (or the office) to get the newest techie toy. After all, I do have a reputation to maintain -- people expect me to know about & get the latest item and let them know if it's worth it (and then give lessons on how to operate it).

On the other hand, I'm also a bit on the cheap side, so I sometimes hesitate to spend big bucks just to be one of the first to have the latest gadget, especially if I think a price drop is on the horizon. It's a balancing act. But most of the time, even if I do splurge, my oldie, but goodie will have a new home. I have friends & family that wait for my tech hand-me-downs (cameras, cell phones, palms, computers, etc.), knowing that my old model is still worth having.

Because of the cost, my iPhone was one of those items that I put on the "wait list," until I ran into problems with the Laptop Connect plan, see The New AT&T, same as the Old AT&T. It gave me just the excuse I needed to switch my plan and get an iPhone.

And so I did. See iGeek. And, I must say that I do love the phone, despite some definite glitches and quirks.

Part of the reason I decided to go for it was the fact that Apple isn't known for dropping prices, so I figured that the iPhone wouldn't be coming down in price any time soon. Wrong again.

Today's NYTimes announces Apple's decision to drop the cost of the iPhone, Apple Cuts iPhone Price Ahead of Holidays:

Apple unexpectedly cut the price of its iPhone Wednesday, claiming that it was seeking to broaden the market for the popular but expensive phone for the Christmas season.

* * * *

Steven P. Jobs, the chief executive, said in an interview after the announcement that Apple would have been able to hit its publicly declared target of a million iPhones sold in the United States by the end of this month, even without a price cut.

“We’re a high-volume manufacturer, and we’re pretty good at getting costs down,” Mr. Jobs said. “It’s very clear we have a breakthrough product on our hands, but it’s also clear that many can afford it, some can’t. We’d like to make it affordable to even more folks going into this holiday season.”

This news doesn't make me too happy, especially since I effectively function as an unpaid product "tester" of sorts, working through the glitches. Not that I've complained much about it -- until now. I've had my issues with the iPhone, but I've been patiently waiting for various upgrades and fixes to come through. After all, if you're an early adopter, you've got to expect that there are going to be bugs that come with it.

But when you find out that everyone else then gets it for less -- a lot less -- ouch!!

So what are my gripes about the phone so far? I've have problems syncing with my Outlook calendar, which is by far the biggest issue. I rely on my calendar for scheduling work/home/everything -- so having it synced between home and office is a major necessity. I haven't had much success on either computer, so I have to keep my Palm with me as a back-up, which defeats the purpose, I'd say. My other major gripe is the fact that I can't sync music, photos and videos between home and work computers, which is unfortunate, since I have different selections on each computer.

Other quirks/issues: no voice dialing, bluetooth limitations (bluetooth only works with headphones, not data transfer), no ringtones and no games. I'd add that it's not really the best device for the business user, but that's not as big an issue for me, since when I need to work, I'd rather the usability of a laptop anyway.

Those, of course, were the list I compiled until I read that I got ripped off on the price. That now moves to the top of the list.

UPDATE: I guess moans & groans like mine were what prompted Apple to give iPhone users a $100 rebate, see Steve Jobs gives all iPhone owners $100 back. Steve Jobs has posted an Open Letter at Apple, see Everything iPhone. Smart man, smart move. Even though its only $100 and it's a credit at Apple stores or on-line, it goes a long way towards making me feel better about the product.

Tags: iPhone, Apple, AT&T