Cases? WTF?

'A new hardware design and a soft recall.' Leander Kahney stomps on his fanboy hat.

Get It Try It

The writers at Wired's Cult of Mac are known for being unusually enthusiastic about Apple products. But they're not enthusiastic now. They're perhaps more puzzled than anything.

'Steve Jobs' press conference this morning tried to address two problems: reception and perception', writes Kahney. 'He failed on both counts.'

Reception

'At the beginning of the conference, Jobs said there is no problem with the iPhone that isn't shared by all smartphones', writes Kahney. 'This just doesn't wash.'

'Most iPhone 4 users can put their fingers across the antenna gap and watch the signal degrade.'

Perception

'Rightly or wrongly, the antenna problem is firmly associated with the iPhone 4. It's entrenched. Did Jobs allay consumers' fears about a hardware flaw or offer a good solution to the problem? No he did not.'

Steve Jobs pleaded with the media. 'We've been trying to understand this so when we solve it, we really solve it, not slap a band-aid on it.' Kahney comments.

'His solution - offering customers a free bumper case - is a band-aid solution par excellence. If a bumper isn't a band-aid, I don't know what is.'

Similar to Susan Watts' assessment, Kahney is saying Apple are better and therefore have to do better. '[Steve Jobs] had to offer a better, more satisfying solution than a free case.' And now Kahney says what most people are thinking.

'The only real solution to this problem is a new hardware design.'

Kahney repeats himself a short while later and again articulates what most people are thinking.

'The only resolution is a new hardware design and a soft recall.'

They Held It Wrong

What Steve Jobs should have done was announce that Apple were working on a design fix, writes Kahney. Steve Jobs should have explained people would have to wait until September but then all current owners would get a free replacement. 'And in the meantime, here's a free case to tide you over.'

That's what Steve Jobs should have done. Instead the world saw the dark side of Steve Jobs for the first time. It wasn't pretty.

See Also
Cult of Mac: And the Big News Is... Free Cases? WTF?