Here's hoping that .Mac will now truly find itself while remaining the same cost. Mac-to-Mac file sharing via Leopard looks very promising.
Yeah. If they hold the line on price while making .mac an integrated part of the whole convergence strategy-- with functionality across multiple Macs, iPhone and Apple TV-- they might really have something.
Plus, it would be nice to see Apple take a cool idea that they have let languish and run with it, for once, instead of just letting it die a slow death (airport express, mini, I'm looking at you).
i have a bad feeling apple is going to try to tie in some kind of itunes integration into the service contract, or worse yet, .mac
i'm sure that would be enough to make verizon say no thanks.
Nah. I don't see that happening. I think the reason they're making everyone sign up for an iTunes account is that they want to sell you ringtones, and eventually games.
.Mac will continue to improve over time, but it won't ever be required in any contract. It'll just give bonus features to those who do sign up.
My main concern with the way that Apple is handling its iPhone introduction has to do, increasingly, with a misjudgment I seem to have made early on. I thought that Apple will do to a moribund, atavistic, consumer-unfriendly cellphone service provider industry what it did to a similarly afflicted music industry: kick their butts to improve their business model. Instead, Apple seems to be encouraging these idiots to piggyback on its own seeming arrogance vis-a-vis this 'hot' product (the company behaved VERY differently with its iPod intro).
That said, I am going to buy one, since I am weak (and I have a $600 Apple gift card to burn).
If the service plans on these things really do end up in the $60-100 range they'll never be more than a slice of the business market. If they really want the iPhone to be a mainsteam consumer device, the monthly charges will have to be a LOT lower.
If the service plans on these things really do end up in the $60-100 range they'll never be more than a slice of the business market. If they really want the iPhone to be a mainsteam consumer device, the monthly charges will have to be a LOT lower.
It's the business market, at least for medium, and large, corporations, that doesn't mind paying the higher rates.
Larger users of these services, such as CitiCorp, where my wife works, which has given her a Blackberry, get discounted rates for the volume.
Here's hoping that .Mac will now truly find itself while remaining the same cost. Mac-to-Mac file sharing via Leopard looks very promising.
I'm hoping that the integration of doing everything through .mac will make Mac2Mac as secure as a dedicated system in larger corporations. That is where I see Macs really increasing in the soho markets - giving consumers the advantages of proApps in elegant, inexpensive, standard packages.
.mac could make sure priveleges and such are consistent for each member and having Apple running the servers allows for quick upgrades, etc. as long as it actually dedicates the resources to it. With possible evolutionary steps with iTunes, iPhones and ATV's, there will be a tremendous amount of leverage for the company that can help distribute services over multiple platforms and on multiple devices and each new device just adds to the advantages. That is where Apple's h/w s/w models excel and the other companies get bogged down in tacking convergent features on divergent devices.
They've got that covered. It's called dropped call. I don't think anyone has ever actually completed a cell phone conversation of more than 5 minutes. Even Verizon to Verizon with maximum signal strength still drops regularly in my experience.
Uhh... You might want to change services then. I regularly have 1 hour to 3 hour straight conversations on AT&T.
I think everyone expecting a 'customer friendly' price cut are in for a rude awakening. I see them staying pat and offering the same old voice and data plans that they currently offer.
Comparing business to average consumers is a mistake because deals always get worked out by business buying in volume, as an average customer we don't have any leverage other than buying a different phone and plan, but thats not really leverage it's just a choice..
They must be offering something that is different from what they already offer, why else would they keep it secret right up until the launch? I think they don't want to give competitors the chance to offer the same type of offer to keep thier subscibers from leaving. My guess is that it's going to be cheaper than the current unlimited PDA plan - in the $20 to $30 range for unlimited data, with X amount of SMS, etc. You're voice plan will be whatever they currently offer.
They've got that covered. It's called dropped call. I don't think anyone has ever actually completed a cell phone conversation of more than 5 minutes. Even Verizon to Verizon with maximum signal strength still drops regularly in my experience.
In your case I would say...It's the Network.
When my wife and I were courting each other we had a few phone calls (late at night with unlimited minutes) that were 3 hours plus. I'm on T-Mobile and she's on Verizon.
They must be offering something that is different from what they already offer, why else would they keep it secret right up until the launch? I think they don't want to give competitors the chance to offer the same type of offer to keep thier subscibers from leaving. My guess is that it's going to be cheaper than the current unlimited PDA plan - in the $20 to $30 range for unlimited data, with X amount of SMS, etc. You're voice plan will be whatever they currently offer.
I hope I'm wrong, I'm an AT&T customer, I would benefit from a good deal if I decide to go with the iPhone. We are talking about one week though, would it really cost them customers if they came out with a great plan right now? No, it wouldn't it would probably increase them if they were going to offer a great plan. But on the other hand if they came out with a plan that was either the same or worse then it could keep people away. Competitors couldn't get advertising together in time to lure people or keep them to their service at this point, time wouldn't permit it. We will see soon though.
[edit: removed a sentence at the beginning came out completely wrong...]
Everyone considering that ATT had better offer a good deal had better think again.
While I HOPE they can offer a good deal (whatever that means to anyone), it must be remembered that if the RUMORS of Apple getting kickbacks on the sale of the phone, and kickbacks on the monthly fees, is true, then because of Apples' predatory ways, ATT may have no choice but to charge us more.
Assuming that you will have to buy minutes with the iPhone, let's think about the plausible options here:
1. Choose talk minutes with unlimited data.
2. Choose talk minutes with limited data.
3. Choose talk minutes with NO data.
I don't see 3. as being much of a desirable option.
So what about this: What if AT&T offered data as part of a minutes plan (so that your minutes are used as data, say 1 min. per MB) with the option of an unlimited data plan (say $49) a month.
I have a feeling we're going to see some "outside the box" ideas from Apple and AT&T on this one.
Comments
i have a bad feeling apple is going to try to tie in some kind of itunes integration into the service contract, or worse yet, .mac
i'm sure that would be enough to make verizon say no thanks.
He did say they are about to start building up .Mac.
Here's hoping that .Mac will now truly find itself while remaining the same cost. Mac-to-Mac file sharing via Leopard looks very promising.
Here's hoping that .Mac will now truly find itself while remaining the same cost. Mac-to-Mac file sharing via Leopard looks very promising.
Yeah. If they hold the line on price while making .mac an integrated part of the whole convergence strategy-- with functionality across multiple Macs, iPhone and Apple TV-- they might really have something.
Plus, it would be nice to see Apple take a cool idea that they have let languish and run with it, for once, instead of just letting it die a slow death (airport express, mini, I'm looking at you).
i have a bad feeling apple is going to try to tie in some kind of itunes integration into the service contract, or worse yet, .mac
i'm sure that would be enough to make verizon say no thanks.
Nah. I don't see that happening. I think the reason they're making everyone sign up for an iTunes account is that they want to sell you ringtones, and eventually games.
.Mac will continue to improve over time, but it won't ever be required in any contract. It'll just give bonus features to those who do sign up.
That said, I am going to buy one, since I am weak (and I have a $600 Apple gift card to burn).
How can you be raped if its entirely your choice. Buy it/Don't buy it.
It is called Seduction. Raping by slow seduction
If the service plans on these things really do end up in the $60-100 range they'll never be more than a slice of the business market. If they really want the iPhone to be a mainsteam consumer device, the monthly charges will have to be a LOT lower.
It's the business market, at least for medium, and large, corporations, that doesn't mind paying the higher rates.
Larger users of these services, such as CitiCorp, where my wife works, which has given her a Blackberry, get discounted rates for the volume.
$60-100 range
That's quite a range. $60 wouldn't be bad for unlimited data + calls, $100 would suck pretty bad.
That's quite a range. $60 wouldn't be bad for unlimited data + calls, $100 would suck pretty bad.
How many talk minutes are you expecting for those amounts?
Here's hoping that .Mac will now truly find itself while remaining the same cost. Mac-to-Mac file sharing via Leopard looks very promising.
I'm hoping that the integration of doing everything through .mac will make Mac2Mac as secure as a dedicated system in larger corporations. That is where I see Macs really increasing in the soho markets - giving consumers the advantages of proApps in elegant, inexpensive, standard packages.
.mac could make sure priveleges and such are consistent for each member and having Apple running the servers allows for quick upgrades, etc. as long as it actually dedicates the resources to it. With possible evolutionary steps with iTunes, iPhones and ATV's, there will be a tremendous amount of leverage for the company that can help distribute services over multiple platforms and on multiple devices and each new device just adds to the advantages. That is where Apple's h/w s/w models excel and the other companies get bogged down in tacking convergent features on divergent devices.
How many talk minutes are you expecting for those amounts?
For more than $60? That better be unlimited.
For more than $60? That better be unlimited.
Who gives that?
They've got that covered. It's called dropped call. I don't think anyone has ever actually completed a cell phone conversation of more than 5 minutes. Even Verizon to Verizon with maximum signal strength still drops regularly in my experience.
Uhh... You might want to change services then. I regularly have 1 hour to 3 hour straight conversations on AT&T.
For more than $60? That better be unlimited.
I think everyone expecting a 'customer friendly' price cut are in for a rude awakening. I see them staying pat and offering the same old voice and data plans that they currently offer.
Comparing business to average consumers is a mistake because deals always get worked out by business buying in volume, as an average customer we don't have any leverage other than buying a different phone and plan, but thats not really leverage it's just a choice..
They've got that covered. It's called dropped call. I don't think anyone has ever actually completed a cell phone conversation of more than 5 minutes. Even Verizon to Verizon with maximum signal strength still drops regularly in my experience.
In your case I would say...It's the Network.
When my wife and I were courting each other we had a few phone calls (late at night with unlimited minutes) that were 3 hours plus. I'm on T-Mobile and she's on Verizon.
They must be offering something that is different from what they already offer, why else would they keep it secret right up until the launch? I think they don't want to give competitors the chance to offer the same type of offer to keep thier subscibers from leaving. My guess is that it's going to be cheaper than the current unlimited PDA plan - in the $20 to $30 range for unlimited data, with X amount of SMS, etc. You're voice plan will be whatever they currently offer.
I hope I'm wrong, I'm an AT&T customer, I would benefit from a good deal if I decide to go with the iPhone. We are talking about one week though, would it really cost them customers if they came out with a great plan right now? No, it wouldn't it would probably increase them if they were going to offer a great plan. But on the other hand if they came out with a plan that was either the same or worse then it could keep people away. Competitors couldn't get advertising together in time to lure people or keep them to their service at this point, time wouldn't permit it. We will see soon though.
[edit: removed a sentence at the beginning came out completely wrong...]
While I HOPE they can offer a good deal (whatever that means to anyone), it must be remembered that if the RUMORS of Apple getting kickbacks on the sale of the phone, and kickbacks on the monthly fees, is true, then because of Apples' predatory ways, ATT may have no choice but to charge us more.
Apple's gain, in other words, will be our loss.
If this is all true, then blame Apple, not ATT.
1. Choose talk minutes with unlimited data.
2. Choose talk minutes with limited data.
3. Choose talk minutes with NO data.
I don't see 3. as being much of a desirable option.
So what about this: What if AT&T offered data as part of a minutes plan (so that your minutes are used as data, say 1 min. per MB) with the option of an unlimited data plan (say $49) a month.
I have a feeling we're going to see some "outside the box" ideas from Apple and AT&T on this one.