Slashdot Mirror
Apple Reverses iPad "No Cash Purchase" Policy
ZipK writes "After a few days of bad publicity, Apple has reversed its no cash purchase policy, explaining that the policy was originally implemented to limit the number of iPads an individual could buy during the introductory period of short supply. Now that supply has caught up with demand — and the story has hit front pages and gained national attention — Apple has reversed its policy, and taken the opportunity to put a bow on the story by giving the formerly scorned Diane Campbell a free iPad."
(Not Another iPad Story)
.... two minutes.
A story about some poor lady who saved up her pennies to by an iPad only to be thwarted by the Evil Jobsion Empire of Credit and Security.
Come on folks. The Two Minute Hate is only supposed to last
Can't we just gang up on BP this week and leave Apple alone for a bit? Or perhaps Scientology? We haven't had a Xenu themed thread in ages.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
They implemented the cash-only policy once their fake scarcity ploy wore out. First they pretended they couldn't make enough to meet the monster demand. Then they resorted to "our gadget is so cool we won't take cash!".
Artificial scarcity is a pretty boring ploy these days - does anyone actually believe that nonsense?
The pattern is:
1. Apple does something really dumb
2. They get bad press for it
3. An army of Apple fanboys rush to their defence
4. Apple laugh at how dumb their fanboy users are
5. Boring story gets posted to slashdot frontpage
Well, it's just the never-ending story of Apple wanting to control everything.
Never-ending myth, you mean.
Not only controlling all the applications
Apple doesn't control "all the applications".
and what you can do with the device
Nor do they control what you can do with the device.
In both cases, they only mark certain things as "off limits". This is no more controlling than saying the government controls what you can drive and where you can go, since they outlaw certain vehicles and some roads are toll roads, closed roads, or one-way streets.
but controlling if you are allowed sell your device too?
Apple controls this in no way whatsoever. You are 100% free to sell your iPad to whomever for for whatever price you wish.
Everyone always says Apple is not a monopoly
Because they are not.
but exactly how is this good for the market or people?
Since it's not true, it doesn't matter one way or the other.
You don't need to be a monopoly to abuse customers.
This is true, although irrelevant, as Apple aren't abusing their customers.
Not letting people buy 50 at a time somehow increases scarcity?
It wouldn't increase real scarcity, but if you'll read what you're replying to you'll see he was addressing artificial scarcity.
Stores were selling out on launch day. I would have been pissed if I was the twentieth guy in a 60-person line and was told "Sorry, the first three guys bought 25 each, we're out. (For the record I didn't wait in line for one and I don't even own one.)
Stores sold out of PlayStations, Xboxes, Wii's, you name it. Doesn't mean any of these items are 'scarce' today. Stores sold out of Twilight on it's first day out, too. Doesn't speak for the quality of THAT product either.
Artificial scarcity is common, and apparently you're falling for it.