Easily breakable, overpriced technology may turn out to be more trouble than cutting edge
Posted on September 17, 2007
Rule number one when owning an iPod, iPod Nano, or iPhone: do not get emotionally attached to it. No matter how convenient it may seem, fashionable those white ear buds look (although they never seem to fit properly in my ears), or how light and small they are, do not be misled.
The distracting colors that Apple manufactures, from hot pink to blinding lime green, may send your mind off into a daze, unable to realize that your iPod is flashing on and off — not actually playing music.
A common trend with Apple technology is that a significant number of devices eventually break for no apparent reason, leaving us music-lovin’ kids without music. The moment you forget what the letters C and D used to mean to you, what an 8-track was or that stereos still come with radios, is that terrifying moment when your Apple gadget blinks uncontrollably or becomes a small, lifeless rectangle.
It’s also important to remember that after the initial rush of purchasers gets their hands on an Apple device, the price of the said item drops dramatically, as was the case with the most recent gadget from Apple: the iPhone. The love child of an iPod and phone, the iPhone is a phenomenal piece of technology has an original price of $699.
The device promised to make everyone’s lives more organized, and to perhaps end world hunger. Stars rushed out to buy it, and us common folk in turn camped outside of stores everywhere in the country to have our own little sliding rectangle of joy.
Within just a few months of releasing the life-improving gadget, the price has been cut to $499. Those who first rushed to buy the geometrical wonder are experiencing two things: bruises from kicking themselves very hard, and an extremely bitter sentiment toward the letter I.
The recent cut in price is the result of many different speculations. The most predominant one is from Technology News blogger Micheal Kanellos, who stated that large margins between the two different prices of the various iPhones (one phone has four gigabytes of memory, the other eight gigabytes) are inevitable.
Others speculate that the iPhones are simply not selling as much as they have in past and that the price cut was made in an effort to rid Apple of an iPhone surplus. Either explanation does little to ease the annoyance of those diehard, pioneering iPhone fans who couldn’t contain themselves when given the opportunity to wait in seemingly endless lines to get their hands on the gadget.
Perhaps it seems like a great idea to store all of life’s eggs (music, movies, pictures, phone numbers, addresses) in one’s basket (iPhone). However, with the shady reliability Apple supplies, it’s a wonder why the masses are rushing out to purchase Apple’s latest creation.
Although it may seem like the logical thing to put trust in the company we purchase items from, Apple does little to help its customer’s – especially when something goes wrong.
For example, iTunes does not guarantee a customer’s money or music back if something happens to their iTunes account or if music mysteriously vanishes from a piece of Apple technology.
Furthermore, shouldn’t we be a little weary to trust and believe a company that doesn’t even have the self respect to capitalize the first letter of its name?
Sarah Delia is a junior English and art history major.
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