I am an unapologetic Apple fanboy.
My home is an all-Mac, all-Apple home. My son has probably heard rumors of Windows, but not used a Windows OS. Hope he doesn’t have to be subject to that inefficient black hole.
Last September I took the plunge and bought an iPhone 3G after being really unhappy with Cincinnati Bell’s call quality. Lots of dropped calls, mouth-breathers for tech support, and devices that had “lowest bidder” written all over them – I was happy to join the ranks of iPhone users and be part of yet another innovation from Apple.
All was going so well until August 1st, 2009, which is around the time when Apple released iPhone OS 3.0.1, which has a security patch. That’s when the dropped-calls-polluza began.
At one point I had 5 dropped calls in a single conversation with my biggest client, no less. I called AT&T and they ran diagnostics while bemoaning Apple’s product construction. Their conclusion: Not an AT&T problem.
So I called Apple. Same rap – not their problem, it’s an AT&T network issue.
I then made a call to my local AT&T store and talked with a very nice guy, Andy, who talked with me like someone who understood the impact of a bad device in business. We set up a 2pm appointment for Tuesday.
Yesterday (Tues.) at 2pm I showed up, and was greeted by a frumpy blonde who just looooooves her job. She couldn’t have been snarkier or more uninviting, so I dismissed her and began working with her co-worker. He was decent, but not a businessman. We figured out a plan of action – for my wife to take over the iPhone and for me to get a very stripped down phone that could just be used for calls. Simple enough.
Only… they didn’t have the phone I wanted in stock. I took it as a sign when my sales dude was pretty indifferent about the situation I was in.
Disgruntled, I hopped in my SUV, called my wife and asked where the nearest Verizon was. I wanted to see what their plans were these days and maybe, just maybe break my AT&T contract and make the jump.
I walked into Verizon, was greeted professionally by a non-pushy sales guy, and was introduced to Ben. This guy, Ben, is a guy who understands business. We talked as adults, he actually listened, and as I considered my situation of being made a fool by AT&T and Apple’s blame game, I made the jump.
Within an hour I was no long an iPhone user, and instead walked out using a stripped-down Nokia that does one thing right: Makes phone calls without dropping them.
Don’t get me wrong – the iPhone is a device that truly changed the game in mobile. I have no doubt that in a matter of a year or so I will be designing branded apps, etc. for iPhone or other rip-offs. But the one thing Apple went horribly wrong on was only allowing AT&T service their device. When you take competition out of the mix, mediocrity is always the result. No exceptions.
I hope to return to Apple’s device some day, but it won’t be until they let a reputable company service their device.
Filed under: business
There is nothing that will turn a person into a Government-loathing Libertarian more than business ownership. Once you have to write the quarterly tax estimates to Uncle Sam, money that you earned, you sold, you developed, you were paid… well, in kind terms, it sucks hard.
Andrea had prepared for 2007 taxes so we didn’t owe much. If I have to choose between the two, I’d rather owe than get a check come tax time. If I am getting a check, that just means I over-paid. I can put my money in a much better savings vehicle than the bloated govt., thank you very much.
So as a business owner, around this time of year we get the double-whammy: We get to pay the balance of taxes-due for 2007, AND pay our 1Q 2008 estimate for D&A Design! And to make it even more of a joy, March has sucked in terms of getting checks for the business. It has been a very good month in terms of developing new business, and I fully expect the months ahead to be much better than March. But still… writing those checks to a govt. that gives zero in return, that invades other countries for no good reason, that funds artists who place the Cross in a fish bowl of urine, … it’s just as taxing to my nerves as it is to our wallet.
Yet even as I write this I hear Jesus …give to the government what’s theirs, give to God what is His (my paraphrasing)… it’s not “mine” in a grand sense.
Filed under: business, design (and branding), happenings | Tags: climate change, design (and branding), global warming, ohio floods
We moved into our house July 2006. Since then we have experienced:
- An ice storm
- Severe Drought
- Blizzard
- Severe Flooding
My basement is wet. Streams of water are flowing toward the center main drain. This house was built in 1944, and it’s a solid as a rock. The rain seems to have overcome our sump pump (our second one since moving in), but when the pump pit over flows, the water streams directly into the drain. This wetness – hard to call it “flooding” – caused me to realize that the drain cover is partially rusted. I guess this has been an issue for a long, long time. The tile-on-concrete floor is doing well, too. Though last night we were taken aback when we saw 4 perfect spouts of water flowing the bottom of one wall, forming a solid stream that ran directly to the main drain. Unseen until last night, these holes are perfect 1/4″ holes apparently drilled to relieve pressure on one wall when it’s really wet. The more I get to know this house, the more amazed I am by it’s simple-yet-efficient design!Unlike my hand-wringing Leftist pals, I do not think this is the result of man-made Global Warming/Cooling or the so-simple-it’s-silly phrase now being thrown around, “Climate Change” (seriously – Climate Change??? who thinks of this? soon Sun Setting will be a global concern).
To me, it is quite pompous to say that the weather is the result of people when weather records only go back 100 years or so. Who’s to say that the last 1,000 years haven’t been a hiccup in what is really ideal on Earth? Make no mistake: The snake oil of people-caused Global Warming or whatever is bunk.
But it is also entertaining, even in the skeptic’s seat. On one hand, new Green Initiatives in corporate America have drummed up new business opportunities in design and branding. Trying find renewable materials to use in packaging or printed pieces just makes design projects more interesting. Though I do get a kick out of proposing the options of virgin paper versus recycled paper for a project, and virgin paper is picked almost every time because the ink will “pop” more when the package is on-shelf. Depends on the product, I suppose…
I was in a Target store a few months ago and saw an end-cap with “green” electronics. The packaging was designed and printed on uncoated stock, matte colors, very flat from a design perspective. Flat is also seen as “simple” a la most Target packaging. It is not good or bad design – I don’t believe in good or bad design, it’s all relative to the client and their goals. Anyway, I saw these “green” electronics products, and laughed aloud saying “God bless capitalism.” I mean, here is a situation where someone realized that they could sell more widgets if they tweaked production a way or two, redesign the packaging, and leave the consumer believing they just did a little something to save the planet!
Personally and professionally, I have no problems with Green Initiatives so long as the Koolaide isn’t forced down anyone’s throat. Let the free market figure out sustainable ways, and who knows – maybe Green production methods will result in better ROI for everyone!
