Will AT&T burn you with the new iPhone? June 19, 2008
Posted by Bryan in : Apple, New Products, PDAs/Smartphones , 2 commentsAre you one of the loyal AT&T customers who will have to pay full price to upgrade to the new version of the iPhone?
The jaw-droppingly low, AT&T subsidized rate for the newest iteration of the iPhone was one of the biggest announcements of Job’s keynote speech at Apple’s WWDC. But don’t get caught up in the hype. $199 is a great price for an 8 gig iPhone, but a whole lot of people won’t be able to get it. Ironically, this group is the one you would expect AT&T would least like to ostracize - their loyal customers.
In a discussion with an AT&T representative yesterday we confirmed that the $199 (8gb) and $299 (16gb) prices are only for new customers or customers eligible to upgrade based on their time in contract. A large group of people who recently upgraded are going to be out of luck.
The first version of the iPhone was clearly a product for early adopters who were willing to pay a premium for the new, cool gadget. In terms of market targeting, this version *should* be the version for the mass adopters - and the price suggests they are ready to target that group. But the usefulness of such a price drop is lost when a majority of potential purchasers will have to pay full price. By making this offer unavailable to the current AT&T masses AT&T has effectively reduced it’s target base to the three people in the US who don’t already have a cell phone and the small percentage of people who are available to upgrade at release.
QuickTip: Fixing a Bluetooth® pairing problem in MacOS January 13, 2008
Posted by Bryan in : Apple, PDAs/Smartphones, QuickTips, Tips , add a commentIf you’re having problems pairing a Bluetooth® device (for example a phone or PDA) with your Mac here is a quick suggestion. Make sure that your computer’s name (listed under System Preferences –> Sharing) is less than 20 characters. Longer names can cause problems with the pairing process in some versions of MacOS.
Is it broken? Tips to try before you take it back, iPod Edition May 1, 2007
Posted by Liz in : Apple, DIY, Tips , add a comment
If you’re having problems with your iPod, here are some troubleshooting tips to try before taking your iPod back to the store. Some of these tips are available elsewhere, but since I see these problems at our tech support desk all the time, it’s worth reprinting.Â
1. Check to make sure the iPod is not on hold
I know this is a simple fix, but with laptops and mp3 players alike I have seen it many times, and it’s the first check. The hold switch is on top of the unit - make sure there is no red showing.
