Paul Thurrott is Arbitrarily A Moron

[Vincent Ferrari]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/06/09/wwdc-2009-reality-check-2-0-iphone-3g-vs-3g-s.aspx' target='_blank'>http://community.winsupersite.com/b...3g-vs-3g-s.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"First, existing iPhone 3G customers cannot upgrade to a 3G S for $199 or $299. Those prices are for new customers only. You will pay $599 or $699. Yeah, really. Amazingly, several software features Apple showed off yesterday will arbitrarily not be made available to other iPhone users. These include Voice Control and Compass. What?? Also... Tethering, a feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will not be made available in the US. (Thanks AT&amp;T.) If it happens later, it will be after AT&amp;T adds a more expensive data plan. MMS, another feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will also not be made available in the US."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1245237171.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>In those few words he managed to squeeze so much stupidity in it has to be a new world's record.&nbsp; Time to play "Drop the Stupid Windows Fanboi On His Head:"</p><p>1.&nbsp; The compass isn't available in prior iPhones because they don't have a magnetometer chip like the 3GS does.&nbsp; You can still get a compass app (like the one in the commercial) but in order to determine your direction, you have to walk in a straight line and it calculates the direction you're facing using GPS.</p><p>2.&nbsp; The upgrade price for the 3GS isn't automatically $599 and $699.&nbsp; I paid $499 for my 32 Gig 3GS.&nbsp; While the process by which AT&amp;T determines your price isn't clear, what is clear is that you don't automatically end up paying those quoted prices. (Although, his assertion is that those prices are out of line which is also laughable considering how much some Windows Mobile devices go for from Sprint and Verizon).</p><p>3.&nbsp; MMS <strong>will</strong> be available in the US, just not at launch.&nbsp; As dumb as that is, it's not permanent; another assertion Thurrott seems to be making.</p><p>4.&nbsp; According to John Gruber who has a much better record on knowing what's going on with Apple hardware than Windows zealot Thurrott, the Voice Control is based on a DSP that isn't in the 3G.&nbsp; Arbitrarily indeed, stupid.</p><p>Am I taking out a lot on this dope?&nbsp; Sure I am, but for years I've heard "Apple Fanboi" bandied about to describe anyone who doesn't think they should be ashamed to be a Mac user and should "know their place."&nbsp; Most of those same morons who use the word "fanboi" get their information from sources such as Thurrott or whatever other hive-mind of dopes that spews forth without information, or with information that is easily disprovable.</p>

[ptyork]

Yep, Thurott is an idiot. Just ignore him. It is pretty safe to ignore "fanbois" of all persuasions, and to smirk at their blindness to reality.

On pricing, my understanding is:

$199-$299: 18+ month (qualified) upgrade price / new customer price
$399-$499: < 18-month (early) upgrade price w/ new 2 year contract
$599-$699: Price with no contract (no concept of an "upgrade" without contract)

I think there was some initial misunderstanding due to poor wording sent out in AT&T's 3GS announcement, but I'm pretty sure that is the policy. The only question is at what point the early upgrade price goes into effect (i.e., you can't buy one at $399, sign a new contract, and come back the next day to get another at $399 just to extend your contract by a day). I'm guessing 6 months, but the only thing that is certain is that it is less than a year.

Thanks for the info on the DSP + Voice Control. I don't buy it 100%, but at least it is a valid excuse. The reality is that Apple is much better than most at upgrading functionality for existing devices in a timely manner. Looks like Palm will have the same basic policy, which is good. Having to wait endlessly for carrier and OEM testing of inane upgrades has been a major problem for years. It is most definitely one of the advantages that Apple/RIM/Palm have over the competition, especially Windows Mobile.

[emuelle1]

Vincent, I've read a few of your posts about Paul Thurrrott, and it seems like you're taking him personally. Is there a reason?

I used to listen to his "Windows Weekly" podcast with Leo LaPorte. I stopped listening for several reasons. During that time, I added his RSS feeds to Google Reader. Every now and again he puts up a helpful post, but those that are inane and useless I just blow past while going through my feeds without a second thought. Any particular reason why he gets under your skin so much?

[Vincent Ferrari]

Any particular reason why he gets under your skin so much?

As I've stated... If a Mac person was as biased and fanboish as he was, they get called out for it. He gets called a journalist and it drives me nuts.

[doogald]

First, AT&T changed their mind on upgrades to the 3GS. See http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/06/att_yields_to_c.html

Secondly, yes, he is a bit of a fan boy.

Thirdly, "Wait a minute - Microsoft has all these new features in Windows Mobile 6.5 and my Motorola Q9m running WM 6.0 cannot get an upgrade? WTF?"

[Vincent Ferrari]

First, AT&T changed their mind on upgrades to the 3GS. See http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/06/att_yields_to_c.html

That wouldn't have helped me as I'm not eligible for an upgrade until December.

Secondly, yes, he is a bit of a fan boy.

Thirdly, "Wait a minute - Microsoft has all these new features in Windows Mobile 6.5 and my Motorola Q9m running WM 6.0 cannot get an upgrade? WTF?"

That's the "Choice" part of Windows Mobile: You always have the "choice" to buy a new device!

[Fritzly]

Yep, Thurott is an idiot. Just ignore him. It is pretty safe to ignore "fanbois" of all persuasions, and to smirk at their blindness to reality.

On pricing, my understanding is:


$599-$699: Price with no contract (no concept of an "upgrade" without contract)



This is the part I found misleading, or worse. Without contract? Yes. Still locked to AT&T? Yes again.
Who would spend this amount of money for a crippled phone when with more or less the same amount you can buy it without contract and SIM free?
Just curious about AT&T thinking....

[doogald]

That wouldn't have helped me as I'm not eligible for an upgrade until December.

I have a VZW contract until December. I have waited this long; I can wait some more. You'll get most of the functionality of the 3GS now in 3.0 and when your contract is up and you're clear to get full upgrade pricing, you can be sure that there will be an even better iPhone waiting for you.

People so eager to upgrade that they get pissed about it is probably a good problem for AT&T and Apple to have. Better than Windows Mobile's, who have lost me forever. Just look at all those great new apps coming out for WM Standard! (You can probably count them on one hand, maybe one finger.) I don't mind Verizon all that much, but they should have agreed to have the iPhone in the first place if they wanted my business going forward (and it wouldn't hurt them to actually improve the reception at my house.)

[ptyork]

This is the part I found misleading, or worse. Without contract? Yes. Still locked to AT&T? Yes again.
Who would spend this amount of money for a crippled phone when with more or less the same amount you can buy it without contract and SIM free?
Just curious about AT&T thinking....

I'd love to see a reputable site selling a (legally) unlocked 16GB iPhone for $599'ish.

That said, I agree. The pricing is a bit silly. Far better to create a new line of service and then pay the $175 ETF. Actually this is even a better deal than getting the early upgrade price. This is of course why most phones are subsidized by < $200 instead of the $400 that AT&T is implying with the iPhone pricing. Regardless, it still isn't unlocked, which I guess is your point. But it is only around $375 instead of $599. And ("illegal") unlocking is only around $30 bringing you to around $400 unlocked. So, yes, I agree. You'd be very stupid to pay the no-commitment price and AT&T's thinking is that there are a lot of very stupid people in the world (like those that paid that price for a locked, contract bound 8GB iPhone two years ago). ;)

[Fritzly]

I'd love to see a reputable site selling a (legally) unlocked 16GB iPhone for $599'ish.

In Europe you can buy it; Euro 500 minus tax refund I paid roughly $620 for mine.

[grannysmith]

So I stumbled across this forum post today while surfing around for iPhone 4 info.

Just want to say that I think Mr. Ferarri was being totally childish here.

First of all, what Paul Thurrott wrote about the 3GS at the time of launch was basically 100% accurate. If the pricing details changed over time then so be it.

The 3GS was the weakest and most incremental upgrade of the iPhone to date. That's why I'm still using a 3G and can't wait to get the new iPhone 4.

The thing is, ask Mr. Thurrott what he thinks about Windows Mobile, and Windows in general. And get ready for a dose of reality and honesty because he'll tell you point blank where micosoft regularly fails and falls short. The guy owns at least one Mac and an iPhone, and will readily admit windows mobile is a disgrace. Along with various other MS products (such as Vista).

Journalists tell it like it is, which is what Paul does. He doesn't live in a reality distortion field like your average apple fanboi blogger does.

Apple makes some really great products and software. But they also make some really sketchy decisions too, and get away with it every time. Leaving their customer base completely in the dust by dropping the PowerPC chip was literally a kick in the nuts. Charging 5 X the market price for RAM upgrades is too. Apple is a hardware company and will nickel and dime you every step of the way. The iPad has no front-facing camera. But the iPhone that comes out 2 months later does? You really want to know why? So apple can guarantee themselves more sales of the next gen iPad. That's a fact. When you deal with apple, you get very high quality products at a premium price, but you also have to deal with their questionable business practices. No ones perfect.

I just think Vincent Ferarri is the real moron here. Here's a good rule to live by: when someone lashes out and reverts to childish name-calling, 99.9% of the time it's a defense mechanism.

[Vincent Ferrari]

Stop being an amateur psychologist, dumbass. To say I'm employing a "defense mechanism" implies I have something to defend against. Obviously, I don't.

Secondly, I didn't just call him a moron. There were three tenets to what he wrote and I proved why all three were wrong.

Finally, don't hand me that "he's honest about Microsoft" crap. Please. He's a Microsoft cheerleader. Criticizing the products doesn't make you any less of a fanboy and frankly, he has a hard-on for Apple that he's had for years.

Oh, and you spelled my name wrong. It's the same as the car. Surely you've heard of them? They've sold a few million of 'em.

Moron.

[doogald]

I just think Vincent Ferarri is the real moron here. Here's a good rule to live by: when someone lashes out and reverts to childish name-calling, 99.9% of the time it's a defense mechanism.

And that's why you called him a moron? Because you are defensive about something? ;)

It's funny to read through this old thread. I was so certain that I was getting an iPhone when my contract was up - which I did not do.

[grannysmith]

"Stop being an amateur psychologist, dumbass. To say I'm employing a "defense mechanism" implies I have something to defend against. Obviously, I don't."

Yes, you do. What you have to defend against is your biased thinking and total disregard for truth/logic.

"Secondly, I didn't just call him a moron. There were three tenets to what he wrote and I proved why all three were wrong."

Wow. You just can't fight this kind of crack logic! The whole point of my comment was to underscore the fact that you didn't prove any of these three "tenets" wrong, let alone all three of them! Wow.

"Please. He's a Microsoft cheerleader."

How about you take a moment to read your own signature. Who's a cheerleader? Paul Thurrott makes a living writing about Microsoft. That doesn't make him a cheerleader it makes him a successful, hard-working professional.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Ooo lookie here guys, it's the battle of the fanboys. Who wants to pay good money to see Paul vs Vince in a boxing ring? :D