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Who are these idiots?

Or this idiot I suppose.

He had to announce the iPhone, Apple had nothing else new to show at Macworld.

Mr. Elgan clearly did not pay attention during the keynote. Steve Jobs clearly said that cell phones must be certified by the FCC and noted that the certification process is public.

"Rather than have the FCC pre-announce the phone, we decided to" or words to that effect.

Remember that we all got a sneak peek at the Zune because of the FCC testing around its Wi-Fi capability.

Plus with the lack of announcements since MacWorld Apple weren't ready to show other stuff off. iLife 07 and iWork 07 seem to be held back to go out alongside the new version of OS X. Better to keep OS X and the new software hidden away until the Vista hype has blown over and people realise what a disappointment it is. The iPhone announcement also completely overshadowed Cebit and to an extent the Vista launch.

And as MDN pointed out the FCC would have leaked info. Apple also needs to work closely with networks around the world which is a lot easier if the device isn't secret.

Elgan's attempt to blow Jobs domination in presentations is prematurely flaccid.

I bet he wishes he hadn't written that by now. Magazine pieces are always so out of date when published.

"meaningless meandering poppycock"

A+ for the use of the English language.

Another important point: The advanced announcement gives many, many potential buyers time to let their contracts run out with their current service providers.

...blow Job's... - good one TowerTone.

MUPPET!

Okay lets get this right:

It's not...blow Jobs...
It's not...blow Job's...
So is it...blow Jobs'... or blow Jobs's?

MDN Magic Word is "size" as in "size" matters.

Thomas - you are absolutely right. This froze everybody's plans to renew their existing contracts. It would be interesting to hear from anyone in the mobile phone industry if they've noticed a drop-off in renwals.

Elgan is absolutely correct when he says Job should of not talked about iphone...His 6 reasons are stupid why?

1) Buyer expectations were already to high for phone made by Apple.
2) Wallstreet's expectations are designed to promote M$ and stifle Apple. So it does not matter, at all, what Waall Street expectations are. In the end Apple outperforms Wall Street highly expert opinions, like always, and Apple stockholders win.
3) Not true his competitors already have their philosophy of how a hand held smart phone should work. They will only change their form factors and interfaces if the non-vapoware version of the iphone significantly cuts into their sales when it is introduced. They will not react to the vapor ware iphone. They will see how ppl react to using the non-vaporware iphone. The features people like will creep into other maker's products in a non-patent infringing manner.
4) I have a Tivo with USB and Ethernet. I have yet to finish yawning over Apple TV. The people who buy Apple TV are a subset of the Cable/Satellite/Tivo savvy market. They were hyped enough at the original anouncement. And they have put their money were their mouth is already.
5) I think iPod sales are going to be affected when the phone is released. Not before...Then the 6G ipod will take care of that. Remember there are a lot parents out there that WILL give their kids a phoneless iPod for B-days and holidays but do not want open up the smart phone door. Also as long as non-phone ipods have large mobile data storage space at least I will be a two device person.
6)) Jobs ain't stupid. He either thought the Cisco talks were already wrecked, they were biding their time to make a cell version of the skyped out iPhone (which would ruin any legal position he would have in the future), or he already knew what they wanted and he was just playing hard ball.

Just my $0.02

Such a weak and ill-informed article!

For example, he says the amount of memory isn't adequate; but he doesn't mention that smart phones, the competition, have even less.
Oh no! To 'prove' this point he compares it to a 80 GB iPod!

How do these people get their jobs!

As Mac user said, Jobs had no choice. Jobs was very clear--It was announce or let the FCC leak it in a messy way.

Egan loses all credibility by not mentioning this key point that Jobs specifically noted.

Also as Thomas said, better to announce and freeze potential buyers from signing up new two year deals.

I know my renewal is this month, I'm waiting for June now. Otherwise I'd have been stuck in a 2 year deal with bleak prospects of breaking to get a newly announced iPhone.

Thanks for posting this article. It gave me the biggest laugh I've had in weeks.

Typical over the top over analyized story over meaningless verbage about something Mr. Elgen apparently doesn't understand himself.
The story was pointless and full of the usual FUD that goes with people who write like him.

Wow, Mr' Current events. This article is only, what, a month and a half old?

Nothing to see here, move along.

-c

1. Jobs raised buyer expectations too high.
As if expectations weren't high enough based on an imaginary product.
2. Jobs raised Wall Street expectations too high.
See 1
3. Jobs gave competitors a head start.
If they could catch up in a few months then they would have made something better in the first place. A company like apple who has a proven record of laucnhing great products took years to make this. Other companies who have churned out shit are gonna need longer, sure they've got a few months head start but all that means is that rather than being years behind they're now years minus a few months behind.
4. Jobs undermined Apple TV hype.
Maybe, but sales seem to be pretty good and they can still hype it up at launch which is before the iPhone. Anything less than what apple said about the iPhone would have pissed people off.
5. Jobs put iPod sales at risk.
Maybe, but sales are still strong if not growing. By this logic they could never launch an iPhone because ultimately some people will now buy one rather than a standalone iPod.
6. Jobs wrecked Cisco talks.
The same talks which are now settled?

Admittedly it's an old article but that just makes it more laughable to see how it's already proven to be wrong.

MDN must have a new moderator - say something not positive about MDN and they will censor you.

1. Jobs raised buyer expectations too high.
How's that? He showed us exactly what the product did. And there are still a few surprises in store. What exactly is it not going to live up to?

2. Jobs raised Wall Street expectations too high.
Wall Street has no concept (yet) of how much this company is worth, and how much it is about to grow. We traders call this a 'buying opportunity'. When they figure it out... hold on.

3. Jobs gave competitors a head start.
Bullshit. All the phone companies in the world can't make a phone that doesn't make you want to stick pencils in your eyes after using them for 120 minutes. The competition is years behind, and was caught napping. Idiots like Ballmer can find no fault other than price, and you watch how many people give a shit about that when the lines start forming.

4. Jobs undermined Apple TV hype.
There Is No Such Thing AS Bad Publicity.

5. Jobs put iPod sales at risk.
Yet people just keep right on buying them. Can you explain why?

6. Jobs wrecked Cisco talks.
Fuck Cisco. they can talk all they want, but Apple holds the cards. The whole Cisco thing has proved a red herring in the grand scheme of things anyway.

Elgan, you're a hack writer and a click-whore. And not even a very good one at that. Not even as good as Dvorak. No one cares about you analysis, or your opinion. At all.

I have fucking spoken.

-c

Sry, "10 minutes"

-c

I hope Elgan dies with brain cancer

Poppycock

No water holding capabilities here...

"So is it...blow Jobs'... or blow Jobs's?"

Either will do.

You push and pull your head through your ass X many times ...then and only then you become the analyst of Mike Elgans caliber.
Yeah, I know, that's harsh .......butt
There must be a multitude of considerations as Apple launches itself into telephony with a brand new device ....especially one
that can generate as many patents as described in the keynote ..the business contracts, relationships, the strategies, dealing
with international law, advertising, timing, awareness of competition. etcetera upon etcetera ......
but wait ....it's Mike Elgan ...I'm sure that head of his is prime for giving Apple the skinny on all this.

The Great Debate Of Our Time

maybe this will help

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/02/27/arkansas_house_to_argue_over_apostrophes/

If it not plural, it's not plural possesive.

Useless article. People will buy the iPhone no matter what price. Look at the iPod, still churning along.

Five months of free advertising and pent up demand, Steve really is a muppet.

MDN, aren't you repeating an old story from January? Slow news day? All these peoints were refuted in January! This is MARCH! Get a grip and get off your lazy butts and get some real Mac news.

Bozos,

S.

As you can see, Elgan is recycling his own story from January 22nd. You're right Steve!

http://www.newmediablogger.com/category/mobile/

In other real news, "NO PATCH TUESDAY THIS MONTH FROM MICROSOFT" made headlines around the world!

Mac User Since 84 hit the nail on the head.

Jobs said: INSTEAD OF LETTING THE FCC ANNOUNCE IT, WE DID, BECAUSE THERE HAS TO BE A 6 MONTH PUBLIC CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

I said PUBLIC.

So put all your whiny ideas to bed. If it were possible to announce and ship it, yeah, that would be ideal. But Jobs didn't want the FCC to muck up Apple's chance at showmanship. And what a show it was. Too bad Cingular isn't in this area, and, well, it sucks.

Has anyone considered that the IPhone will only be used by Cingular and so many people will need to switch plans to get this phone?

Many plans lock you in for a certain period of time so giving six months notice to the public will give people a chance to not do the latest free upgrade and renew their lock up period.

Since the announcement I have received 3 calls from Verizon to get a free upgrade. Before that I hadn't receive a single sales call in 5 years.

Is it really necessary to write "Elgan's article is meaningless meandering poppycock" as a supposedly serious journalistic reply? You just feed the perception of Mac "fanboi cult" with that tripe.

1. Jobs raised buyer expectations too high.

Uh, has this guy not been reading blogs, rumor sites, etc. for the past two years? Expectations were already sky-high.

2. Jobs raised Wall Street expectations too high.

Nope-Wall Street was already raising Apple's target prices to $100-$110

3. Jobs gave competitors a head start.

Wrong again. No one has even considered putting an entire desktop OS on a mobile phone. No way anyone could develop even half of the usability and features in 6 months, let alone the endless possibilities that Mac OS X offers for future enhancements.

4. Jobs undermined Apple TV hype.

People already knew much of what AppleTV was going to be. Plus, it wasn't shipping right away anyway.

5. Jobs put iPod sales at risk.

Nothing puts iPod sales at risk–especially not things called Zune. If people want an iPod, they go get one, they don't wait.

6. Jobs wrecked Cisco talks.

Uh, Apple got exactly what it wanted from Cisco.

Where do these so-called experts come from. Boy is this guy a dope. Apple is giving people a chance to hold off on renewing their contracts and swith carriers. If it wasn't for the crappy smart phone designs I would have renewed my 2 year contract with Veriizon for free or subsidized whatever, shiny crap phone that had to offer. Now, I just opened an account with Cingular and got a new shiny Razr V3 dor $25 and am ready to swith to the iPhone when it becomes available.

The other thing they don't seem to understand is the >200 patents that Apple has as well as the intergration of OS X with the rest of their applications and Mac hardware. These guys are stupid, they don't have a clue about marketing.

Buh-buh Verizon - you piece of sh-t.

I have to reiterate what another poster stated. This article was recycled. It originally ran in January. From this, I can only conclude that this twit is peddling the article to whatever place he can get it published. Typically, once you sell an article, the publisher owns the rights to it, so I am surprised to see it here again.

He was wrong in January and wrong now.

One other possibility: the reason why it popped up again is because some large competitor (software, cell phone manufacturer or competing cell carrier - you pick) wants this piece of FUD to be seen.

It's amazing what flotsam passes as legitimate journalism these days. It's bad enough having to put up with the crap by Jason O'Grady. And now this.

Mac User Since 1984

Mr. Elgan clearly did not pay attention during the keynote. Steve Jobs clearly said that cell phones must be certified by the FCC and noted that the certification process is public.

"Rather than have the FCC pre-announce the phone, we decided to" or words to that effect.

Exactly right.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but this is what drives me batty about these a$$hole analysts. They didn't read the specs? They didn't watch the Keynote? Who cares! Write like you have any idea whatsoever about what is happening and make claims that are stupid and wrong out of the gate. Sure , it's an insult to knowledgeable Apple supporters, but what does it say about their respect for their target demographic? Is it the intention of every pro-Microsoft/ anti-Apple pundit to prove that they are morons, or do they think so little of their audience that they will lay down ever thicker layers of total bull$hit on their readers and not imagine that some of their readers may know the truth? That they might actually check it out for themselves?

I know, I know, totally rhetorical.

How about the fact that CES moved to the same week as MacWorld and Sir Steve wanted to see what kind of damage he could do to CES....just a thought....and he did do damage to CES....I haven't checked, but what are the dates for next years CES????

What a dumbass. Go back to your Kindergarden.

Anybody who does not know about FCC certification procedure should not write such a crap...
By the way: I don't know how it works either, but before, I would at least try to get some info, e.g. here: http://www.fcc.gov/

I am just one more to say that most anal-ysts are monkeys.

It's a black MOCK turtleneck! Not a turtleneck! Good lord!

Strangely enough, this is exactly what was said of the intel announcement. Some commentators said jobs had never pre-announced stuff before and it was a mistake.

I think companies just have to make compelling products that fit in a niche.

Bottom line is, if people want the iPhone, they will buy it. Life's pretty simple that way.

@ Macgravy

I went to the 2005 CES, and it was a joke. There was NOTHING innovative there, except the 3D TV screen filters.

Other than that, it was the same stuff we see at Best Buy but bigger.

I had more fun playing the guitars at the Yamaha stand (if you're reading it, Mr. Watching the guitar, yes, I was the one who picked up and played the new acoustic exhibition prototype, hehehe!! I didn't know there were only 2 of those! I swear!) than watching at all the electonics.

Sure it was OK, but there was NOTHING mind blowing or innovative (and excuse me, a bigger TV or a smaller phone is NOT innovation!)

So, the CES doesn't need the iPhone to be less.

Of course, that's my oppinion and it can be mistaken.

"Better to keep OS X and the new software hidden away until the Vista hype has blown over and people realise what a disappointment it is"

True, OS X is going to be so disppointing that you are better not to have it compared to Vista.

Mike Elgan here (author of the column in question). Thanks to everyone for the comments.

Below you'll find my Jane-you-ignorant-slut counterpoints to the MacDailyNews counter-point points. But first, a note about Steve Jobs' FCC claim: Two months have passed since Jobs' announcement and still no FCC documents have been published on the iPhone. The FCC public-revelation-of-trade-secrets process takes two or three weeks from posting to shipping. Beating the FCC with news about the iPhone is a great reason to announce in May, but a terrible reason to announce in January.

*** 1. Buyer expectations are not too high. Everyone can see the iPhone features online. ***

A list of features does not a user experience make. There is so much we don't know about the iPhone. For example:

* How mad will people be when they discover that their expensive iPhone holds only one or two movies at a time?

* Will the scrolling, multi-touch and other UI features feel bogged down and "clunky"?

* Will the iPhone have peeling, scratching or fading issues like some other Apple products had?

* Will enough people be willing to leave their preferred carriers and switch to Cingular?

* Will users be happy going back to a slow data connection after getting used to 3G on their current device?

* Will the Cingular user experience wreck the iPhone user experience? Cingular sucks in some small towns -- like New York City.

* Is analyst Avi Greengart correct in saying that Apple faces "a backlash of sorts as people figure out how much this thing doesn't do"?

My point isn't that the iPhone might be bad. My point is that our certainty about the supremacy of the iPhone user experience is based on a single, masterful sales pitch. We don't know whether the actual user experience will thrill or disappoint.

The iPhone user experience will fall somewhere between the extremes of "horrible" and "wonderful." Here's the problem: Everyone's expectations are pegged at "wonderful." Anything less than wonderful will be disappointing. Such is the nature of expectations.


***2. If anything, Wall Street has so far greatly underestimated iPhone's impact ***

Again, based on nothing but a Steve Jobs keynote. If *anything* goes south on this thing -- too much inventory, not enough inventory, a late ship date, a killer competitor or disappointment in the user experience -- Wall Street will turn on Apple faster than a dachshund on crack.

Perspective: Apple has convinced Wall Street that its very first 1.0 offering in the handset market -- a very complex, challenging and, to Apple, unknown market-- will outsell all BlackBerry models combined, a very popular brand available worldwide on most carriers. Anything less will strongly disappoint Wall Street.


***3. Job's gave competitors no head start. He gave them heart attacks. Jobs has all of his patent apps submitted. Competitors would need years to catch up, not a few months.***

Do you think competitors are paralyzed, just sitting there clutching their chests? Everyone has been given the gift of five months more than necessary to aim their technology, marketing and product plans at the iPhone. In the long run, this won't matter much. But Apple could have caught the industry totally off guard for the 2007 holiday season. Now, every competitor is working hard every day to compete with Apple for Christmas sales.

Everyone has patents.

Apple may take years to catch up, too. The company is entering a game where competitors have been slugging it out for years, and have learned every trick in the book.

This isn't the MP3 player market, where the best gadget wins. And it's not the PC market, where one has only to be more usable and elegant than Windows to compete.

The global handset market is a monster unlike anything Apple has ever faced. Innovation is rampant. Margins are razor thin. And success depends upon a million invisible factors -- not just design.

I know it's blaspheme here to even suggest such a thing, but Apple may make mistakes in this new market while it finds its way. I think the early announcement was the first of those errors.


*** 4. No evidence that Apple TV has been negatively affected. If anything, there is at least some evidence to the contrary ***

So you're saying that giving the Apple TV top billing at the January Macworld keynote would have been *bad* for the Apple TV. Is that what you're saying?


*** 5. Not according to channel checks: Briefly: NPD data indicates Apple iPod units tracking above Street - February 28, 2007 ***

The Jury's still out on this one. I still say the needlessly early iPhone announcement will hurt iPod sales in the first two quarters of 2007. We'll have to wait and see on this one.


*** 6. Who cares? Totally meaningless point by Elgan. ***

Apple shareholders care about wasted money and bad press.

Oh, Elgan, you are such a waste ...but I do sort of see what you mean about one thing ........I know someone who talked to me so long once that I had to be resuscitated. This mans reflection doesn't even exist anymore for the same reason. He says he's an analyst ......he smells like sulphur.

I'm going to play analyst for a moment. Mike, figuratively speaking, your in danger of shoving dynamite up your own ass and blowing up your inner child. Don't ask me how I know this, I'm playing analyst. My suggestion to you is to stop talking and stop writing for about 5 years ....then let your inner child run your life. In the meantime, here's a hot stock tip ...buy Apple.

So did Elgan "blow his story" by releasing it back in January. It was stupid then and it's stupid now but IDN is making sure he gets his hits and his ad dollars, so the story may be stupid by Elgan isn't.

“A right to reply” here (author of this post). Thank you Mr. Egan for your comments. Below you'll find my counterpoints to Mr. Egan’s counterpoints to the MacDailyNews counter-point points.

And please Mr. Egan, in future leave my sister Jane out of this. Thank you.

(I think we can all see where this is going)

1/
So you're saying that Apple should have promoted the iPhone as mediocre and told the targeted market that they should not expect too much from it as it is only a half assed product.
What you are implying if I understand your line of thought correctly is that Apple should have announced - the iPhone being the a half assed piece of crap that it is, it might not hold eight or more full length movies - also Apple would like to point out to prospective buyers, that we have made every effort to screw up the scrolling and multi-touch UI features but included at no extra cost a clunky feel. Oh and by the way the product material is designed to scratch very easily and melt if left in the sun for a couple of minutes, and as everybody knows we at Apple prefer to lock ourselves into a technology forever. please do not expect 3g at any time with this product.
Sorry I can not find the piece written by Avi re - "the backlash" is it out there? - links would help here.
- Your point being - STUPID. Who, but some of us Mac fan bois/chiks are promoting the supremacy of the iPhone with a certainty, anyway we say it will rock. You are right to say that everyone's expectations are pegged at "wonderful" because everyone believes SNL, I mean, those weren’t jumped up satire gags, they were true to god Apple PR stunts, so everyone else is stupid as stupid does, surely only fan bois/chiks fall for marketing hype. Which are you?

2/
OMG. does Apple realize that there is a dizzying array of villainous forces and thorny obstacles out in the big wide world, just beyond the cozy confines of number 1 infinite loop, obstacles that might impact on their product, I'll shoot off a quick email to his Stevie'ness and break it to him gently.
as for wall street and their crack hungry dachshunds ... look at their little legs go , a full 4 mph top speed, haha. Back off on dissing the Wall Street dogs. The iPhone is not solely Apple, the iPhone is part of Apple. Apple as you might have noticed is diverging its markets - the iPone being ONE product that protects and enhances its existing products.
I did read that Avi made the point - 10m iPhones sold in 2008 probably isn't a bad estimate - the motorola razr sold 5m in its first 9 months - particularly given the apple fan base.

Hmmm, interesting.

3/
Well the competitors seem to have been paralyzed for sometime, if they are soooo good, why are their products so .... shite!!!? why have they not brought a 'gift" to market before? ... coz they have shite products and why should they rock the boat, they're not innovators, they sell snake oil, and make plenty of bucks doing so, hence the phrase bandied about a lot “Apple are shaking up the market". Apple is innovative and thank god for that.
- Sure everyone has patents, look at all the new wonderful tech stuff out there brought to you by the competitors, if they have patents they should quit sitting on them, as we know patents are only good if they are put to practice in the market.
- Every trick to hold up the inevitable, while milking a cash cow.
- Every trick in the book , haha, the book looks like it might have to be rewritten.
- A big part of this is about the mp3 player market and Apple being forced on one hand to protect its product and on the other allow diversification - With a micro pc, that, as you so Simply put it, … be more usable and elegant than Windows to compete ... I had to read your line there a few times to believe that some one would actually write it.
- 'innovation is rampant" - are you on medication!!! do you know what the word rampant means?
- "margins are razor thin" - not in the Apple world, low cost is not a big part of the apple biz plan, and for good reasons.
- "success ... millions of things" - are we going around in circles here. get off the meds!!!
- "blaspheme'" - that's a cheap shot, I’ve got plenty of those hang'n about too. anyway if you took time to read MDN often enough you would realize that religion, politics, global warming, sexual choices and other contentious issues never crop up here ... ever.