US Sen. Schumer writes letter to Apple CEO over iPhone 4 antenna

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  • Reply 81 of 197
    yebotyebot Posts: 10member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore View Post


    Sleazbag politician looking to take credit for whatever action that is to take place the next day.



    this.
  • Reply 82 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post


    Dear Government: Get the fuck out of....EVERYTHING. This has nothing to do with you. Go away. Seriously...just leave us alone. By us, I mean everyone: Individuals, corporations, small animals, potential extra-terrestrials...everyone.



    lol @ small animals lol
  • Reply 83 of 197
    finetunesfinetunes Posts: 2,065member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post


    Actually, it does not look like an official letter. Can't find it on his website (schumer.senate.gov) and it was not signed 'Senator' nor did it mention anything about his being a politician.

    Likely just someone "important" pushing the issue.



    Only way to check this out is to see a copy of the letter and see if it is on official letter head or was it his own personal stationary.
  • Reply 84 of 197
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post


    Actually, it does not look like an official letter. Can't find it on his website (schumer.senate.gov) and it was not signed 'Senator' nor did it mention anything about his being a politician.

    Likely just someone "important" pushing the issue.



    I imagine it's a lot faster for them to release documents to the press than to get them posted on the official senate web site.
  • Reply 85 of 197
    So a senator agrees and backs up the majority of people's opinions and frustrations with the new iPhone, and decides to use his power and status to help the people who elected him, and you're all complaining. Good grief.
  • Reply 86 of 197
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    It's not clear to me what recourse Apple shareholders have, other than to sell. I wrote to Apple Investor Relations requesting the email addresses for the lead directors to express my concerns as a shareholder.



    The response? Zip. Zero. Nada. Nothing. Silence.



    Nah, it wouldn't be peon retail investors like you or me (yes, I'm a shareholder). The big institutional heavyweights would have the loud voices.
  • Reply 87 of 197
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Chuck Schumer. What an unimaginable childish idiot.
  • Reply 88 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by benice View Post


    What's wrong with the Senator doing his job? Politicians are there to represent us on a very wide range of fronts that are of concern to the community. Though it's pretty unprecedented for a politician to give a crap about a single phone, I think it shows that Schumer has his finger on the pulse of what's annoying constituents. He ought be commended for gently encouraging Apple to make its phone deliver everything that users expected.



    This is NOT his job, though he (and most Congresspeople of both parties) and you and others obviously think it is. This is a big part of the problem with America - the notion that Congress and the federal government are there to solve any and all problems. This (and a thousand other things they meddle in) is ridiculously off base from their Constitutional mandate.
  • Reply 89 of 197
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Masterz1337 View Post


    So a senator agrees and backs up the majority of people's opinions and frustrations with the new iPhone, and decides to use his power and status to help the people who elected him, and you're all complaining. Good grief.



    Do you even know who he is? Google him for 10 minutes. He's a scum bag criminal liar like the rest of them. Who cares what he says?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore View Post


    Sleazbag politician looking to take credit for whatever action that is to take place the next day.



    This!
  • Reply 90 of 197
    Schumer could have at least waited until after the 30 day return period. There isn't an iPhone 4 in the world that is returnable right now at the option of the owner.
  • Reply 91 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Masterz1337 View Post


    So a senator agrees and backs up the majority of people's opinions and frustrations with the new iPhone, and decides to use his power and status to help the people who elected him, and you're all complaining. Good grief.



    Let me correct that for you:



    "decides to abuse his power..."



    You really think a Senator should involve himself in this level of minutia? Thousands of products have problems of one sort or another? Should Congress get involved in all of them?



    Do any of you who see nothing wrong with this have the ability to solve your own problems without appealing to authority?
  • Reply 92 of 197
    tbstephtbsteph Posts: 95member
    Dear Chuck:



    Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to write Steve Jobs about the international iPhone 4 antenna crisis. I'm thrilled a prominent US Senator cares enough about us little people to demand immediate action on this horrible issue caused by a despicable US corporation. I have total confidence that your concern will humble the mighty and bring us back to the utopia we all strive for.



    PS - I just noticed real unemployment is about 15%? Maybe you should put your iPhone down and think about ways to grow the economy without sinking the ship with more debt. Maybe your resignation would help?
  • Reply 93 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    Schumer has always been very active on consumer issues, so it's entirely in line with his normal activity as a Senator.



    It's entirely in line with his normal activity as a pompous, attention-seeking, arrogant windbag.
  • Reply 94 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sandau View Post


    Someone show me the Senator's recent letter to BP. He's clearly working on the important issues.








    Maybe you should perform a bit of research before posting like a self entitled idiot.





    http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-bl...-letter-to-ceo
  • Reply 95 of 197
    Q: Who stands to gain most from bad iPhone press?

    A: Google Android



    Q: How do you get the media to write even more about a consumer product issue?

    A: Have a prominent government official complain in public about it.



    Q: Why would a NY Senator do Google's bidding?

    A: Follow the money



    Campaign Contributions by Google PAC to Schumer:



    2009-2010: $4900

    2007-2008: $1000



    http://www.congress.org/congressorg/...ycle=2009-2010



    And CEO Schmidt gave Schumer the max: $2400 in the general and $2400 in the primary this year.



    http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_politica...ic_Schmidt.php



    Who knows what other Google money has flowed into Schumer's pockets.



    So yes, Google can buy a few minutes of a Senator's time to pay for more bad press for a competitor at a crucial moment. The favor was called in.
  • Reply 96 of 197
    icyfogicyfog Posts: 338member
    This is a bunch of BS. WTF? Serisously? This is what this senator is worried about, when U.S. has far bigger concerns like unemployment, Iraq, Afghanistan and BP. Sheesh.

    Where was his concern when as Douglas Adams put it Microsoft was releasing second-rate technology.

    This antenna is from personal experience a non-issue and quite frankly overblown.

    Also where was this guys concerns when Toyotas were crashing. It's odd, but I rarely see U.S. politicians come down hard on foreign companies.
  • Reply 97 of 197
    tulkastulkas Posts: 3,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    Schumer has always been very active on consumer issues, so it's entirely in line with his normal activity as a Senator.



    If this is indicative of the minor level of consumer issues that he gets involved with, then I would think he could find better ways to spend his energies that would better aid the consumers. You previous example of AT&T's bait and switch is a decent example. But, I wouldn't expect him to write to McDonald's complaining that their food tastes like ass on behalf of his constituents.
  • Reply 98 of 197
    It's not like this is the first time Schumer has tried to bully around a business. Back in '95 he wanted to regulate the eeeeevil breakfast cereal industry...



    http://reason.com/archives/1995/05/01/cereal-killers



    That facts in the iPhone4 case are simple: if you like the phone, there's no problem. If you don't like the phone, take it back. No one was FORCED to buy an iPhone, and no one is being FORCED to keep it. Schumer is a shameless opportunist who doesn't believe in limits to government and thus repeatedly tries to stick it someplace it's not meant to be. It is NOT a U.S. Senator's job to protect you from Apple. Apple can't do anything to you that you don't let it do to you. If you don't like your iPhone 4, take it back. It's really that simple. The government shouldn't be getting involved.
  • Reply 99 of 197
    tt92618tt92618 Posts: 444member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jb510 View Post


    I have a lot of respect for Senator Schumer and this isn't the first time he has gotten involved in consumer protection matters. I don't see anything wrong with the letter, letters like this get written all the time by senators and representatives.



    The timing of the letter is a bit questionable. Apple has already announced a press conference. While I suspect the letter was already in the works, why release it between the announcement of the PC and the PC. It makes it look like he's setting himself up to take credit for whatever comes out of the PC which would be complete BS.



    For the record I think Apple has little to no obligation to offer a solution to this aside from directions "not to hold your phone like that".



    If they do offer a solution I hope the call it the cry baby band aid and it's a 1" piece of flesh colored tape you apply to the bottom left corner of the phone.



    Apple DOES have an obligation to fix the issue. Everyone knows that cell phone reception varies based on how the device is held, signal strength, etc. We all know these issues come into play with every phone, but the pertinent question is "to what degree". On one level, performance hits in this arena are a normal attribute of the technology. But they can also reflect the existence of a design flaw, and the distinction between the two is purely a matter of degree.



    What the senator's letter is really saying is that Apple has a real obligation, both ethically and legally, to remedy this issue. The flippant responses you guys like to churn out, the tirades and vitriol - all of that means nothing. Consumers have a reasonable expectation for the device they buy to perform to certain standards and that expectation IS legally enforceable, whether you folks believe that or not. Screaming about how unfair it is that some people are questioning the perfection of your beloved phone is just completely pointless.



    This MUST be addressed - in a mature, reasoned way. If you have actual concern for the company you so vociferously defend, realize this: if Apple doesn't start addressing this issue transparently and substantively, its going to hurt.



    I have great respect for the work Apple does, and I own quite a few Apple products. You have to be blind, however, to be unable to see the serious nature of this and how badly it has blown up, primarily because of the way it has been handled. The solutions you and others propose, which tend to cluster around 'STFU', 'stop whining', and 'its all a vicious lie' are NON solutions and frankly speaking, that kind of stuff is part of what is making this issue blow up like it has.
  • Reply 100 of 197
    trrosentrrosen Posts: 32member
    Now he did send a copy of that letter to Motorola? Because every Motorola phone i've owned would often drop bars and lose signal if I tried making a call with only 1 or 2 bars. Seems odd that the Razr sold so good with it having such a terrible design defect.



    In other words...I'm not Walt Mossberg but SHUT THE F*CK UP!!!
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