Apple cofounder, Steve Wozniak, criticized Apple CEO and cofounder, Steve Jobs, today for his decision to cut the price of the iPhone so early.

Just 68 days after the launch of the iPhone, Apple dropped the price of the device to $399 from $599, a very unexpected move. Feeling cheated, the early adopters sent countless letters to Steve Jobs and Apple, criticizing the company for mistreating its most loyal customers. Soon afterwards, Apple responded by handing out $100 Apple Retail Store gift cards to the early iPhone buyers.

Wozniak, according to ChannelWeb, believes the early price drop was a terrible move on Apple’s part:

Nobody expects a product to drop that much in price in such a short time. Steve Jobs and everyone expects technology to drop in price. The first adopters always pay a premium. I am one of them. I am used to that. But that one was too soon, too harsh.

Wozniak further criticized Apple in its decision to issue $100 Apple Retail Store credit cards, which, he says, is very optimal to the company and is really only worth $50 to the customer after you do the math. The Apple cofounder believes a better move for Apple would have been a more gradual price reduction, about $50 at first,  or perhaps some type of iPhone bundle at the original price.

Although he is unhappy about the recent price cut, Wozniak is still a fan of the iPhone and Apple in general, as are many "geeks". But Apple’s image is changing and it is being seen somewhat as "the Man" instead of just a geek’s tech hero. Apple is no longer focused on pleasing the technology crowd but rather pleasing its business partners, the recording industry and the iPhone service providers, and itself.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 9:03 pm under Apple, Opinion.

Read more entries by Danny Mendez.
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