This was supposed to be the big day, the day after the Preview for the SDK. And I felt good, Uncle Steve was thinking different again. The opening of the iPhone for 3rd Party developer was the reason for me to go for the iPhone. And as an apple user on priciple (since OS 8.1), so I was burning to get my fingers on the device since last June. But I could not stand the politic bundled to the device, contracts bond to one carrier, no 3rd party development, WTF, had Microsoft secretly infiltrated apple. No, I know it is OSX based, it has great and it is shiny too, but I am not buying it under this condition.
Yeah, but this was all history today, the SDK is coming, the conditions for developers are better than I expected, so lets get the money and go get it.
So I had cancelled my contract with T-mobile already (I didn’t know, but I was hoping), had something over ¬£300, an electricity bill and bank statement, my passport my German ID card and my drivers licence (You never know) in my pocket and was on the way to the O2 shop on Princes Street (Edinburgh,UK). Entered the shop and a really nice and engaged sales woman was asking me for request. And I started to tell her, that I would like to buy a iPhone, 16 Gb. And as soon as I said 16Gb it became awkward. She changed colour and started mumbling. They didn’t have a 16Gb iPhone for two and they won’t get some by the end of next week, in none of the shops in Edinburgh. So after a moment of disappointment, I though fuck it and buy the small one, it took you almost a year to decide if you are getting one, so stop being a girl (yeah, yeah I apologise) and buy it. So she got me the handset and started to explain how the whole set-up process works, that I will need Itunes (yawn) and so on. OK I was just getting all my paperwork out and asking her what she need from all of the stuff. Two years ago with t-mobile it took me three hours to get the contract signed. But she said that they would not need any of this documents the system is taking care of it apple just demands a UK based credit or debit card.

What?

I do not have or wan’t a credit or debit card (they are made by the devil). I would like to pay it cash. Then, she said, she won’t be able to sell me the phone. She repeated it again after I asked her o do so. And I could not belief it. I am standing in a phone shop willing to hand over almost ¬£350 for a phone and pay another ¬£50 monthly for the next one and a half years, just to pay more money (more than $99) to be able to develop free software that promotes the product of that company which doesn’t want my cash right now.
WTF???
I do not now what to say. I am more that disappointed by the policies apple came up with during the last year. I have heard all the reasons why it has to be like this, but it is all bullshit. Apple made a few strange discussions when they planned their market strategy (just one carrier, for example) and then they were fixing symptoms of their misjudgement concerning the forces of accruing.
But this is not my problem, I have my reasons for not having any credit or debit card. So if the company of the greatest entrepreneur ever, as John Doerr from ‘Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’ said yesterday, does not want the money of a guy who is buying, promoting, support and developing for product of this company, just because he would like to pay cash, then I don’t know what the hell is wrong.
So back to you uncle Steve, as I said I buy your product because I am an engineer myself I can see if someone made the effort make a great product because he or she wants it to be great. And I know that this has its price but I want to pay this price as it suit me. So please can you give me a reason why I should give up my conviction of not having a credit card (or similar) to just to buy a phone. And please spare me all the flowers of speech about the necessity of this precaution. I have read them already.
So why did you stop thinking different?
Kind regards
Jens Kaufmann