[Nodnarb]

Ok, I've heard of everyone sending emails to sjobs@apple.com, but I never really thought it worked.

About 30 min ago, I typed up a letter to Apple about the iPhone rebate situation (before Steve Jobs posted the open letter) and I sent it to support@apple.com, sjobs@apple, sjobs@mac, and pretty much anything I could think of to make sure it got to someone.

Right after I sent it, I saw the open letter. In the time it took for me to read it, I got an email back from "Steve Jobs" (sjobs@apple.com) simply containing a link to the open letter. This was within 5 minutes, tops.

What the hell??? Was that from steve jobs? Or was a support staff just quick enough to get it? Or do they have some kind of automatic email set up to just reply with the link now when someone sends and email with "iPhone" in the subject? But that doesn't really make any sense. Did Steve Jobs just email me???

[design219]

He also gives back rubs. But you have to go to him.

[Chuckit]

Assuming Steve makes his secretaries change all their names to "Steve Jobs," then yes, I'm sure that was Steve Jobs.

[Nodnarb]

Fine well either way, still impressive getting an email back in like 3 minutes.

[turtle777]

I'm sure it was him personally.

No computer in the world could filter your email by keywoards and automatically send a response

-t

[Mastrap]

You complained (spammed multiple addresses) about the price drop?

Did Apple force you in some way to spend the cash on the iPhone when you bought it? Did you now make, out of your own free will, the decision that the iPhone was worth the price Apple was asking for it? And now magically that's not the case anymore?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh, but as far as I am concerned if you bought one at the original price you should just suck it up and write it off to experience.

[PaperNotes]

I doubt it is Jobs' email address because it has been posted so many times on the net it must have attracted every ever evolving spam bots.

In all seriousness I was told that they have a smart filtering services connected to several supposed Jobs email accounts. If emails contain the keyword "mac pro" then they are forwarded to a smart folder for tech staff that deal with Mac Pros. If an email has a $ sign, likewise it appears in the sales dept. smart folder. They have tech staff go through assigned smart folders, going through the spam until they find genuine or important emails that are then forwarded to the right department.

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

You complained (spammed multiple addresses) about the price drop?

Did Apple force you in some way to spend the cash on the iPhone when you bought it? Did you now make, out of your own free will, the decision that the iPhone was worth the price Apple was asking for it? And now magically that's not the case anymore?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh, but as far as I am concerned if you bought one at the original price you should just suck it up and write it off to experience.

Not this argument again. You're wrong. Tons of people think you're wrong. Jobs himself thinks you're wrong, hence the $100 rebate. Go jump in a lake.

[cjrivera]

Apple - To all iPhone customers

Looks like he answered your email....

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

No computer in the world could filter your email by keywoards and automatically send a response

-t

Very easy to write an app that does that if one wanted to.

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

I doubt it is Jobs' email address because it has been posted so many times on the net it must have attracted every ever evolving spam bots.

In all seriousness I was told that they have a smart filtering services connected to several supposed Jobs email accounts. If emails contain the keyword "mac pro" then they are forwarded to a smart folder for tech staff that deal with Mac Pros. If an email has a $ sign, likewise it appears in the sales dept. smart folder. They have tech staff go through assigned smart folders, going through the spam until they find genuine or important emails that are then forwarded to the right department.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I was 99.9% sure that it wasn't him, but since it did happen within like 2 minutes of the letter being posted, it did seem somewhat plausible that he was "at his computer checking the email" like he said he read in the letter. Even though he doesn't have time to do all of that...

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by cjrivera 

Apple - To all iPhone customers

Looks like he answered your email....

Yeah, that's what I meant about the "open letter" in my OP. That happened just as the same time I emailed.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Not this argument again. You're wrong. Tons of people think you're wrong. Jobs himself thinks you're wrong, hence the $100 rebate. Go jump in a lake.

Damn hippies, all of them.

AGAIN: there is a cost associated with being an early adopter. Only Apple gives in to whinning fanbois. Ah well...

-t

[wfolley]

I was one of the first in line to buy the iPhone and have since convinced many others to buy the phone. The price drop without a rebate to original buyers hurts Apple's most loyal customers. 200 dollars is not a minor price point correction. It's more like a bait and switch. Don't ask me to suck it up. I'm pissed.

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Yeah, that's what I figured. I was 99.9% sure that it wasn't him, but since it did happen within like 2 minutes of the letter being posted, it did seem somewhat plausible that he was "at his computer checking the email" like he said he read in the letter. Even though he doesn't have time to do all of that...

I doubt he read "hundreds of emails". iPhone and complains smart folders were forwarded all emails with "iphone" in it and that needed a response. The "f*ck you" smart folder must have been pretty full too

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

Very easy to write an app that does that if one wanted to.

AAAAAARRRRRGH

O'RLY ?

-t

[SpaceMonkey]

You should demand to see his e-penis for final verification.

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

AAAAAARRRRRGH

-t

You COULD have ended your previous post with </sarcasm>

[wfolley]

I just read Jobs letter. 100 dollar store credit? Why not 200 dollars credit card credit. I already wasted 80 bucks on the iLife downgrade.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by wfolley 

I was one of the first in line to buy the iPhone and have since convinced many others to buy the phone. The price drop without a rebate to original buyers hurts Apple's most loyal customers. 200 dollars is not a minor price point correction. It's more like a bait and switch. Don't ask me to suck it up. I'm pissed.

If you don't want to be an early adopter, guess what, you don't have to be. You could be one of the people buying it now at the greatly reduced price and be quietly comfortable with your purchase. No one made you buy it right after it came on the market so quit your whining and grow up before somebody puts you over their knee and gives you a spanking for being so whiney.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

You COULD have ended your previous post with </sarcasm>

This was not telling enough ---> <------- ???

-t

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Yeah, that's what I figured. I was 99.9% sure that it wasn't him, but since it did happen within like 2 minutes of the letter being posted, it did seem somewhat plausible that he was "at his computer checking the email" like he said he read in the letter. Even though he doesn't have time to do all of that...

That is his e-mail address, but it's very unlikely that he personally responded. It's an address used to send bulk communication out that he approves of.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Ok, I've heard of everyone sending emails to sjobs@apple.com, but I never really thought it worked.

About 30 min ago, I typed up a letter to Apple about the iPhone rebate situation (before Steve Jobs posted the open letter) and I sent it to support@apple.com, sjobs@apple, sjobs@mac, and pretty much anything I could think of to make sure it got to someone.

Right after I sent it, I saw the open letter. In the time it took for me to read it, I got an email back from "Steve Jobs" (sjobs@apple.com) simply containing a link to the open letter. This was within 5 minutes, tops.

What the hell??? Was that from steve jobs? Or was a support staff just quick enough to get it? Or do they have some kind of automatic email set up to just reply with the link now when someone sends and email with "iPhone" in the subject? But that doesn't really make any sense. Did Steve Jobs just email me???

Steve's a minimalist at heart, and the boss, so his email address would either be steve@apple.com or sj@apple.com. Therefore, it totally wasn't him.

Case closed.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by wfolley 

I was one of the first in line to buy the iPhone and have since convinced many others to buy the phone. The price drop without a rebate to original buyers hurts Apple's most loyal customers. 200 dollars is not a minor price point correction. It's more like a bait and switch. Don't ask me to suck it up. I'm pissed.

What you did on June 29th was purchase an item that you believed had a value of $599. That was your decision. Unfortunately for you, the decision was made to lower the price, several months later. Anyone who makes the choice to wait in line for a new item, especially one that's heavy in new technology, should have realized that they may wind up paying more for being an early adopter. You've had your phone for two months, and, all of a sudden, it isn't worth what you decided it was worth waiting in line for then?

[design219]

Being on the bleeding edge of technology can be, well, bloody.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by wfolley 

I was one of the first in line to buy the iPhone and have since convinced many others to buy the phone. The price drop without a rebate to original buyers hurts Apple's most loyal customers. 200 dollars is not a minor price point correction. It's more like a bait and switch. Don't ask me to suck it up. I'm pissed.

It's nothing at all like a bait and switch. You were told the price up front, no gimmickry, and you agreed to pay it. A bait and switch would imply that you didn't get what you came for. You got exactly what you asked for at exactly the price it was advertised. I understand that it's frustrating, but that really is life. I've had an iMac go down in value more than that in a matter of weeks. I bought that iMac late in its lifecycle — early adopters are even more likely to see this kind of thing.

Yes, somebody got a better price later on — so what? You can always get something better for less money if you wait. If the price for the iPhone was unfair at the time, you shouldn't have agreed to it. If it was fair, then Apple didn't do anything wrong.

[subego]

Originally Posted by OldManMac 

...should have realized that they may wind up paying more for being an early adopter. You've had your phone for two months, and, all of a sudden, it isn't worth what you decided it was worth waiting in line for then?

You should send an email to Apple. Seeing as how they just dropped 20 million dollars to fix this, I'm sure they're going to me mightily pissed they didn't have the benefit of your counsel.

You could have saved them baskets of green. Did you ever think of doing this advice thing professionally?

[Jawbone54]

Accept the gesture of goodwill, people. Good grief.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Right after I sent it, I saw the open letter. In the time it took for me to read it, I got an email back from "Steve Jobs" (sjobs@apple.com) simply containing a link to the open letter. This was within 5 minutes, tops.

What the hell??? Was that from steve jobs? Or was a support staff just quick enough to get it? Or do they have some kind of automatic email set up to just reply with the link now when someone sends and email with "iPhone" in the subject?

IF message content contains "iPhone" AND message content contains "rebate" THEN reply with message "blah blah blah".

You can even do this kind of thing with just the default email client on your Mac.

[Peter]

totally was him - I've had numerous discussions with him via email, and also had phone calls with senior Apple UK dudes, after my email being forwarded to them from Jobs.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by subego 

You should send an email to Apple. Seeing as how they just dropped 20 million dollars to fix this, I'm sure they're going to me mightily pissed they didn't have the benefit of your counsel.

You could have saved them baskets of green. Did you ever think of doing this advice thing professionally?

Yes, I have thought about it.

The facts are still that early adopters pay more for leading tech gadgets, and the prices drop fairly quickly, as more people join the crowd. That's not going to change, period. This also doesn't change the fact that people thought this phone was worth $599 when they first bought it. Life isn't fair sometimes. Besides, Apple has agreed to give store credit to the early adopters.

Macworld: News: Study: iPhone price drop attracts college students

It seems as if some people do realize that the price of being an early adopter is a little higher, and aren't upset about the price drop. For the rest, you may have some whine with your cheese.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by subego 

You should send an email to Apple. Seeing as how they just dropped 20 million dollars to fix this, I'm sure they're going to me mightily pissed they didn't have the benefit of your counsel.

You could have saved them baskets of green. Did you ever think of doing this advice thing professionally?

Do you also believe you have a moral right to have full-page magazine ads directed at you? It's called a marketing expense.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Ok, I've heard of everyone sending emails to sjobs@apple.com, but I never really thought it worked.

About 30 min ago, I typed up a letter to Apple about the iPhone rebate situation (before Steve Jobs posted the open letter) and I sent it to support@apple.com, sjobs@apple, sjobs@mac, and pretty much anything I could think of to make sure it got to someone.

Right after I sent it, I saw the open letter. In the time it took for me to read it, I got an email back from "Steve Jobs" (sjobs@apple.com) simply containing a link to the open letter. This was within 5 minutes, tops.

What the hell??? Was that from steve jobs? Or was a support staff just quick enough to get it? Or do they have some kind of automatic email set up to just reply with the link now when someone sends and email with "iPhone" in the subject? But that doesn't really make any sense. Did Steve Jobs just email me???

Yes. He did.

[subego]

Originally Posted by OldManMac 

Besides, Apple has agreed to give store credit to the early adopters.

That's my point. If this was just "technology as usual" (which is your claim) Apple wouldn't feel the need to drop $20 million in store credit.

Are you claiming that giving every single person who bought one some store credit is also "technology as usual"?

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

To you also believe you have a moral right to have full-page magazine ads directed at you? It's called a marketing expense.

You lost me.

Are you sure I'm arguing what you think I'm arguing? Who brought up morals?

[scottiB]

Originally Posted by subego 

You lost me.

Are you sure I'm arguing what you think I'm arguing? Who brought up morals?

I believe he means that the store credits will be a marketing expense on the books--just as advertising is. So, if you (or whoever) feels he/she has a moral right to some recompense, do you also feel that you have a right to having a personalized to having a personalized ad as well.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

You complained (spammed multiple addresses) about the price drop?

Did Apple force you in some way to spend the cash on the iPhone when you bought it? Did you now make, out of your own free will, the decision that the iPhone was worth the price Apple was asking for it? And now magically that's not the case anymore?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh, but as far as I am concerned if you bought one at the original price you should just suck it up and write it off to experience.

QFT.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by subego 

That's my point. If this was just "technology as usual" (which is your claim) Apple wouldn't feel the need to drop $20 million in store credit.

Are you claiming that giving every single person who bought one some store credit is also "technology as usual"?

Do you have reading comprehension problems? I didn't say anything about "technology as usual." I said that people who purchase leading edge technology always pay a higher price to be early adopters, and they, being early adopters, are aware that they're going to pay more, because to them it's worth it to be the first kid on the block with the new whatchmacallit. That's a fact, and no amount of arguing with me is going to change that. As far as Apple giving early buyers a $100 gift card, that's something they that was nice of them to do, but they were under no obligation to do so, because those people who bought early made the decision that the iPhone they bought was worth what they paid for it at the time, and some of them have now decided to cry foul because they're looking for a freebie for something they bought based on a value that at the time was worth it. I don't know about you, but I don't buy products that I don't think are worth the price that I originally paid for them. If I think an item is too expensive for the value I perceive in it, I don't buy it, period, or I may keep an eye on the product pricing in the hopes that it comes down, and if it doesn't, then I have to make a decision as to whether or not that original price is still too high for the value I see, or if I want to change my value judgement and buy it. This isn't rocket science.

[scottiB]

Originally Posted by OldManMac 

Do you have reading comprehension problems? I didn't say anything about "technology as usual." I said that people who purchase leading edge technology always pay a higher price to be early adopters, and they, being early adopters, are aware that they're going to pay more, because to them it's worth it to be the first kid on the block with the new whatchmacallit. That's a fact, and no amount of arguing with me is going to change that. As far as Apple giving early buyers a $100 gift card, that's something they that was nice of them to do, but they were under no obligation to do so, because those people who bought early made the decision that the iPhone they bought was worth what they paid for it at the time, and some of them have now decided to cry foul because they're looking for a freebie for something they bought based on a value that at the time was worth it. I don't know about you, but I don't buy products that I don't think are worth the price that I originally paid for them. If I think an item is too expensive for the value I perceive in it, I don't buy it, period, or I may keep an eye on the product pricing in the hopes that it comes down, and if it doesn't, then I have to make a decision as to whether or not that original price is still too high for the value I see, or if I want to change my value judgement and buy it. This isn't rocket science.

QFT. (I just googled what QFT means and I had to use it)

[besson3c]

Maybe Phil Schiller emailed you back?

I'd bet that emailing him would be more effective, Steve Jobs must get crazy amounts of email.

[besson3c]

Moral of the story here: don't be an early adapter. You've waited for years without the latest gadget, you can wait a little more until the prices come down and the problems are sorted out.

[OldManMac]

No, the moral of the story is that, if you perceive the value in the price at introduction, because part of that value is you having bragging rights to be an early adopter, then buy it, but don't be surprised and feign shock when the price is reduced later, which in the case of technology often comes quickly. It was either worth $599 or it wasn't, and no one forces anyone to be the first.

As far as the e-mail address, it is legit, but it's extremely unlikely he looks at every one. What's more likely is that someone filters them and he gets the feedback and then a decision is made as to how to address the issue. I've gotten e-mail from him, when I worked at Apple.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by OldManMac 

No, the moral of the story is that, if you perceive the value in the price at introduction, because part of that value is you having bragging rights to be an early adopter, then buy it, but don't be surprised and feign shock when the price is reduced later, which in the case of technology often comes quickly. It was either worth $599 or it wasn't, and no one forces anyone to be the first.

As far as the e-mail address, it is legit, but it's extremely unlikely he looks at every one. What's more likely is that someone filters them and he gets the feedback and then a decision is made as to how to address the issue. I've gotten e-mail from him, when I worked at Apple.

What did you do at Apple?

[Atomic Rooster]

Did Steve Jobs email me back?

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

What did you do at Apple?

I was one of the Apple Solutions Consultants, working out of a CompUSA, increasing their Mac sales.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by OldManMac 

I was one of the Apple Solutions Consultants, working out of a CompUSA, increasing their Mac sales.

If you still have his email, you should print it out, frame it, and sell it to some Mac fanatic and make a fortune!


...then you could print out another copy and sell it to somebody else

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by subego 

You lost me.

Are you sure I'm arguing what you think I'm arguing? Who brought up morals?

It seemed like you were arguing that Apple had some sort of obligation to reimburse people who bought the iPhone before the price drop, and that the $100 store credit is proof of this. I was saying the fact that Apple decided to spend some money being nice and generating goodwill doesn't mean that Apple was obligated to do so or that the customers deserved it. It was just nice and good for the karma.

[Andrew Stephens]

Well I mailed sjobs@apple.com once and I got this back, I'm guessing it really was his jobsness

"Hi Andrew

Thanks for the mail, it arrived just as I was popping out to give Phil a quick spin in the new exec jet, but I thought I'd reply before we went as I may be some time and I don't want you to think you're being ignored

I totally agree with you $200 IS a big price drop. The problem is that these days I seem to have trouble thinking in units of less than a $1000 dollars, just one of those things that happens to billionaires I guess. Really I didn't expect it to be a big deal to all you lovely apple guys, but hey, you stuck by us when we were shipping those drossy old 603e Macs and that Newton crap so I guess we can do the right thing here. After all aren't we all just hippies at heart.

I've instructed the iphone guys to scrub around the back of my sofa at home and give whatever they find back to you as store credit. That we we both win, you get even more shiney Apple stuff and I only loose on the manufacturing costs.

Gotta dig that karma

Anyway must rush, Phils got his flying helmet on and he's fiddling with my ipod, which means he's bound to have deleted all my Beatles stuff.

remeber - stay hip, stay apple

Steve"



wow!!!!

[Doofy]

I actually got an unsolicited email off Steve once.

Dear Doofy,

I wish I was a hot female in my twenties so I could get some of that good ol' DoofyLovin'.

Regards,
Steve Jobs.

So there ya go, even with his billions and his influential position amongst Mac geeks, he's still not satisfied.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

Not this argument again. You're wrong. Tons of people think you're wrong. Jobs himself thinks you're wrong, hence the $100 rebate. Go jump in a lake.

YOU made a decision to spend x dollars and y product. Nobody, absolutely nobody, forced you to buy an iPhone at the specified price. It was YOUR decision, so take responsibility for it. But rather than looking at this as a learning experience you, and countless others, decided that whining would be the way forward.

Unfortunately Apple gave in.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by wfolley 

I was one of the first in line to buy the iPhone and have since convinced many others to buy the phone. The price drop without a rebate to original buyers hurts Apple's most loyal customers. 200 dollars is not a minor price point correction. It's more like a bait and switch. Don't ask me to suck it up. I'm pissed.

Let me give you the proper definition of bait and switch:

In retail sales, a bait and switch is a form of fraud in which the fraudster lures in customers by advertising a product or service at an unprofitably low price, then reveals to potential customers that the advertised good is not available but that a substitute is. The goal of the bait-and-switch is to convince some buyers to purchase the substitute good as a means of avoiding disappointment over not getting the bait, or as a way to recover sunk costs expended to try to obtain the bait. It suggests that the seller will not show the original product or product advertised but instead will demonstrate a more expensive product.

So, neither baiting, nor switching took place. People were told upfront what the price for the iPhone and the associated service would be, then received both the product and the service. Sounds fair to me.