Is the honeymoon finally over for Apple?

Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:31PM EDT

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Hey, it's been a good, long run. The stock is way up. The customers love the company. Every product (well, almost) is a smash hit. Apple has long been able to do no wrong.

But the times they are a changin'. Apple is now finding itself beseiged, on a nearly daily basis, with bad press and one case of customer outrage after another. In the last few days, the initially-loved iPhone 3G has been the subject of numerous complaints (and now lawsuits) about its service quality and had a huge security flaw revealed that lets anyone who picks up an iPhone bypass the password prompt. MobileMe is now a full-on disaster. You've got the Psystar countersuit. And in Britain, the company had a TV commercial banned for being misleading (since you can't run Flash or Java on an iPhone).

Most recently, Apple even faced a small customer backlash when it banned an independent comic strip from the iPhone App store because it felt the animations were too violent. (You are welcome, however, to buy a copy of the ultra-gory Saw or Saw II from the iTunes Store.) Even mega-fan Michael Arrington has called the company to the carpet for what he has deemed an "unacceptable" rate of failure of a variety of Apple products.

Why, even the news media can't be pleased any more: In an obvious "accident," Bloomberg reported that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had died.

What's going on here? Growing pains, for starters. As any company grows, its attention to detail and its level of customer service almost always falters to some degree. It can't help that Apple is so distracted: The company has suddenly gotten its hands in so many industries and so many countries with its iPhone 3G launch that it's clearly struggling to keep up with the intricacies of a worldwide telco presence. But maybe there's more to it: Customers really seem to be tiring of Apple's strongarm, radio-silence tactics, and what was once seen as a maverick alternative to the establishment is rapidly becoming a mainstream monster itself. The same guys who used to chime in with "buy a Mac" in message boards are now the ones who say "buy Linux." (Don't let me down, fellas!)

Other theories are welcome, of course. In light of all the chaos and wringing of hands, I find it difficult to explain Apple's glowing report in the latest version of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which gave Apple its greatest gain ever in overall satisfaction and puts it 10 points ahead of its nearest rival in the computer industry. Is it a love-hate relationship or what? One explanation: People just really hate Windows Vista that much.

 

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  • 6 Posted by alexgannis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    People who hate window vista know nothing about Computers so that is why they choose Apple Computers.

  • 7 Posted by btedrogers on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    some people don't want to have to spend the time getting to know computers, they just want theirs to do the things they want to do, not everyone aspires to be a technophile, Macs fit that segment of users, I use my Macs for business and they work just fine for all that I need to accomplish, as far as the honeymoon being over, not as long as there are those type of users that just want a computer to do home movies, photos, surf the net etc. computers that work properly and hassle free, you PCer's have yours and we have ours, deal with it, some people are windows some are mac some are linux, it's like chevy vs ford, always has been, always will be a never ending, never winning debate, and a complete waste of time arguing the points

  • 8 Posted by camaross427 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    One explanation: People just really hate Windows Vista that much ____________________________________________ I just upgraded to windows vista a month ago for dx10 and i must say i like it so much better than xp right now, but i also have a up to date custom built gaming pc, people with lesser pc's may find it to be a bit system taxing, with a good pc though it looks better is easier to navigate through dx10 games and actually runs faster in my opinion.

  • 9 Posted by bob_raffo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    I take exception to the Apple fanatics who will defend Apple even in the face of obvious technical and quality control issues. Microsoft takesits lumps when it delivers product before it is ready. The answer is - buy what works for you - and be prepared to live with the fact that technology is imperfect because it is created by people.

  • 10 Posted by redhotspeakers on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just got the 2nd generation iPhone. It's too new to me to actually critcize the phone, but I can say for a fact that AT&T service sucks compared to Verizon. It constantly drops calls and shows no bars. Inside my house, Verizon was fine. AT&T constantly says no service. AT&T is the worst cell phone service I used out of 360, Alltel & Verizon. I'm still proud of Steve Jobs and Apple. I think they do things very well. I just wish they hadn't sold their soul to AT&T.

  • 11 Posted by the_pseudonym89 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    wow what a bad news for Apple fans.I was thinking on buying an IPhone but after i heard about the news maybe it would be no IPhone for me.We have to admit that we are not always on the top and that happen to Apple.The best way is,not to giving up but keep on moving.I hope that Apple can get through this hard time for the sake of their own company.

  • 12 Posted by n2dabloo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    So they've got bad phones. I'd still never give Microsoft another penny after my experience with Vista. I'll still be buying a new Mac Laptop soon. Meanwhile, I'll continue to use and enjoy my very stable Ubuntu O.S. :)

  • 13 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    btedrogers - I couldnt agree with your statement more. I certainly do on the occasion defend Microsoft products- but only when an apple user claims their product is the "gold standard" of computing. That statement does not ring home with me -sorry. MACs are good machines nonetheless- better then Windows? I dunno. Thankfully its not my call.

  • 14 Posted by jdwallace90 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Apple is all grown up now and the media wants to stir things up. Sure there are some problems but go into an Apple store it's pack with people and they are buying.

  • 15 Posted by i_amspuck on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    If they claim their products are gonna knock our socks off, and in the end they don't, well of course they'll be criticized. It's certainly not the first big company to get this kind of attention. Get your act together and work on the feedback you're given. Maybe grab some fresh young ppl to bring in a new point of view on things. Surely this will only make the process of development more water-tight.

  • 16 Posted by lkhahn on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    AHHHH More Apple bashing.... I own it all, and it all works just fine.. You are some sad writers, to have nothing better to write about. Try IE8. Try Vista..

  • 17 Posted by tennesseegirl3193 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sounds like the IPhone isn't all it's cracked up to be! I won't get one and I am a phone junkie!

  • 18 Posted by free2express_myself on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    Who writes this crap! Seriously I can think of something wrong with every electronic I buy. Who are these writers that all they have to ----- about is "Apple" I'd take apple over a piece of crap PC any day of the freaking year! These blogger Divas need to get a life and something real to talk about.

  • 19 Posted by alexgannis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    So they've got bad phones. I'd still never give Microsoft another penny after my experience with Vista. I'll still be buying a new Mac Laptop soon. Meanwhile, I'll continue to use and enjoy my very stable Ubuntu O.S. :) This statement prove my point; n2dabloo knows nothing about computer except getting a free ride.

  • 20 Posted by soundbox2112 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    To say I'm disappointed with Mac is an understatement. Almost two years and Two iMacs later...I still can't use it for what I'd bought it for. Right now it's an elaborate internet device and I can do a few fun things, woohoo. pfft. Customer service doesn't mean ga-ga when a product doesn't work. Being proprietary has begun to come back to bite Apple in the butt, soon to their core....processors, and made interaction with the worlds other device makers near to impossible and down right unfriendly. The exclusive club, for the sake of maintaining quality, approach has begun to exclude their own customers. Next time I'll save time and MONEY by having someone build me a PC for less $$ with equal or bigger possibilities and capabilities.

  • 21 Posted by muscogeekid on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Chris, my perception is that this is a very loud minority, although they likely have legitimate issues that Apple needs to address. But overall, Apple products are very good and reliable. It appears that the very edge of their product line is suffering from a lack of experience. Let's just hope that Jobs is listening to his customers.

  • 22 Posted by jleedw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am 100% behind the comment that people really just hate Vista that much! It is the worst OS Windows has made yet.

  • 23 Posted by kevinbrown.rm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Apple who? Linux is much easier to use (loads of retirees using it in the local community centers), isn't tied to a monopolistic power hungry fiend, and it's a global OS unline Apple which is purely US centric. Nice article yesterday in the WSJ about why music companies and bands are thumbing their noses at evil Apple.

  • 24 Posted by pennyuk1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    Apple makes my eyes taste like yummy.

  • 25 Posted by pennyuk1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    The Apple iphone 3G is by far the best phone on the market. The chances are that a very small percentage of people are going to have problems with any electronic item that is released..... with the amount of people getting an iphone the number of people is going to be higher but i doubt the percentage is. anyone that won't get an iphone based on this article is a moron. i was going to use the word ----- but i didn't... not because i thought it to be too stronger word, but there could be kids reading this.

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