You're posting a story on the MSNBC website (hint: the "MS" stands for Microsoft... and NBC's not too happy with Apple these days, either), that quotes Rob Enderle, who's been wrong so many times it's not even worth counting? This is your "real story"?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20625498/

This is what a real journalist (online or otherwise) would report on a story such as this. Take a lesson.

Did you buy your iPhone with your American Express card? Call American Express Return Protection line at 1-800-297-8019, and they'll help you get $200 back (credit to your card or check in the mail).

http://www.cartoonbarry.com/2007/09/amex_comes_through_200_back_fo.html

All I want to do when I see their logo is strangle an orphan to death then fling it through the windows of AT&T. On fire. Maybe they're better now and maybe they all suck nads equally. But I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever invest one iota of trust in anything connected to any phone company let alone AT&T. I've tried them all and not even chemotherapy is more aggravating than the phone company.

"This from a company that survived for years by purposely avoiding even a whiff of backward compatibility so the faithful would have to replace everything whenever a major upgrade came out. They length of service for their products was more a result of Apple's glacial development cycles than any committment to their customers."

Huh? if there's one thing Apple has handled with absolute brilliance it's backwards compatibility. They moved to PowerPC processors without much of a hitch. They moved from OS9 tp OSX - an entirely different OS - without much of a hitch (with the Classic Layer) other than OS X's growing pains. And recently they moved from PowerPC to Intel and now have two versions of the same operating system on two processor - and this is completely invisible to the end user. With Leopard they'll be running quad-binaries (PPC-Intel-32bit-64bit) -again, all without any changes for the end user.

I met a guy at the Apple Store last week who was shopping for a new Mac. He was a Windows user but had bought a used Wallstreet Powerbook a few months back just for fun. This is a machine that was released in 1998. He said he was running Tiger (the latest OS) on it and could even play around with Garageband. He told me he was so impressed with the fact that this 10 year old machine was not only still running, but actually running the latest OS, that he had decided to take the plunge and check out a Mac for home use.

If there's one thing Macs are known for, it's their value over time. And if Apple's development cycle is glacial... man, i don't know what you consider hot. Certainly not any company from this planet.

It's interesting to note that AAPL has been vastly outperforming MSFT for years now. In fact, if you bought and held one or the other stock, you'd have to have bought MS mid 1993 for MSFT to give better returns than AAPL.

Check out the 10 year comparison:

http://finance.yahoo.com/charts#chart12:symbol=aapl;range=19970902,20070906;compare=msft;charttype=line;crosshair=on;logscale=on;source=undefined

I'm glad for the people who got the $100 back. Really, I am. But I hope they now realize that Apple charges a huge premium to people who just have to have their products before everyone else. We are all familiar with Apple's pricing strategies, and it is certain that they are making a very healthy profit at the new price point, so they were making an absolute fortune at $200 more. I won't have any sympathy for them the next time around, and Mr. Jobs probably won't either.

The one thing I thought was kind of comical was the part about getting years of enjoyable service from your Apple product. This from a company that survived for years by purposely avoiding even a whiff of backward compatibility so the faithful would have to replace everything whenever a major upgrade came out. They length of service for their products was more a result of Apple's glacial development cycles than any committment to their customers.

Howzbout a $100 in itunes songs?

i bought a computer 6 months ago. Now I can get something twice as good at half the price. I WANT A REBATE!!!!!! WWWWAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Alright you whiners, I'll be happy to take your $100 credits if it'll make you happy.

Good Lord, the things some people find to complain about!!!

Heh, When I read the headline over at Engadget that Apple was giving $100 back to the early adopters, I was sure that the Apple haters would be silenced for a little while. Obviously that was not the case. I find it amazing that people are so jaded or outright hateful that they have to search high and low for ways to criticize Apple over this. Apple was under no obligation to credit anyone anything, yet they did. I can see nothing negative about it.

To C. Fishman: Actually, Jobs reportedly mentioned the 10 day price protection at some point after announcing the price drop, and also that it has to be claimed within 14 days of the announced price change--which is completely separate from the $100 rebate. That point was reported on most of the tech sites I've seen, and I think even in Fahrad's original column on the price drop. Buyers that bought their iPhone by credit card should also check into what price protection benefits come with their card. Some issuing banks may offer a longer price protection period compared to Apple.

i have been using the term "iPhone shame" because it seems everytime i pull it out [the phone, that is] someone makes a comment about my being a guinea pig or a sucker or a fanboy or whatever.

fact is my iPhone is everything i could want in a phone and even more. fact is i don't regret having purchased it for a second. fact is everyone who shoots me a snarky comment is jealous [and if they could get out of their current cell contracts they'd probably have one now also].

was i a little annoyed the other day with the price drop? you bet, but just a little. i've really enjoyed having and using it for the past month and half. so imagine my surprise with today's announcement. it wasn't necessary, but it is appreciated.

and for my father, who's first apple purchase ever was an iPhone, Jobs really redeemed himself today. my dad was preparing to fire off a nasty letter his way after the price drop, but now he's singing the man's praises again.

shame no more.