iPhone: From Love Letters to Hate Mail in a Few Dumb Moves

A mere few weeks ago, customers wrote love songs and made videos about why they loved their iPhones. All was well in Apple-land. But that all went to hell in a hand-basket when Steve Jobs declared war on customers.

In case you haven't heard by now, a lot of Apple customers are none too happy with Jobs right now. First Apple drops the price of the iPhone by $200 just weeks after devoted geeks waited in line for days to pay $600 (go figure) and be the first to own the new iPhone, which only works with AT&T.

Now Apple's at war with hackers, who've already got a crack for the iPhone update issued a few days ago. So who wins? Probably Nokia.

They've already got posters all over town noting that there are no limits on Nokia phones. ( Not that their phones aren't outrageously expensive, but that's not the point. Screw "stylish radiance." Just give me a great phone at a great price.)

Apple's software update 1.1.1 added some new features, but it's much more notable for turning unlocked iPhones into expensive paperweights, rendering them useless. OK, you bought an iPhone you agreed to use AT&T, so I don't feel sorry for you.

But the update also removed any 3rd party applications you might have downloaded, including custom ringtones. This may be legal, and Apple did warn people, but that doesn't make it right, or decent, or smart. It's simply malicious.

Hackers have already figured out how to downgrade the phone to version 1.02 to restore the use of third party apps. HOWEVER, you still won't be able to use it as a PHONE. (Gizmodo has the video on how to unbrick the phone here Who needs this aggravation?

As Gizmodo notes - Apple's outright refusal to work with partners, is believed by some, to be a big part of why Apple lost the Big OS War back in the 70s and 80s. So why make the same mistake twice?

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Copyright B.L. Ochman - All rights reserved.

A few corrections:

- It DOES have a camera, just no video. Not sure why they didn't include video.
- It DOES have bluetooth, but I think only Apple products work with it.

I don't have an iPhone yet, but I'd still like to get one.

My reasons?

I've got a three-year-old and a five-year-old. Can't afford it - and can't afford for them to break it.

Mickey - i want an iPod Touch, but my iPod works fine and I'm not about to replace it until there's a 30 gig model, at least.

and i just want a phone that makes calls, has text, photo and video. nothing else needed by this luddite.

I don't have an iPhone because of the cost. I also find cell phones hard to hear. It's much easier to create a good hearing environment when I'm using my landline.

Martha - i know what you mean about hearing better on a land line. Cell phone to cell phone seems particularly poor. But I don't have a land line anymore. I switched to a digital phone from the cable company. No difference in sound quality that i can discern.