Man up, Steve

Steve JobsThis iPhone4 fiasco is way beyond ridiculous and Steve Jobs looks even more like a petulant fool (he’s even starting to look more like Mongomery Burns, too) the more he stonewalls the reality that his newest baby has a serious flaw: It can't make phone calls unless you hold it a certain way or you have a special add-on.

Instead of admitting Apple rushed a flawed product to market – believe me, he has enough chits to cash in with an adoring public – he basically is waving a stiff middle finger to all of his customers and future customers, saying, “How dare you question me!”

Adding fuel to the fire, Jobs says that only 0.5 percent of new iPhone4 customers have called to complain. OK, quick math: 3 million new iPhone owners X 0.05 =  150,000 customers who cared enough to call to say they have a problem. Um, Montgomery Burnsthat’s kind of a lot of people, Steve. And since most of those 3 million of those new iPhone4 owners are over-the-top Apple fans who are likely to be more accepting of systemic flaws, the reality is the number of unhappy customers is way higher. But noooo, not in Steve’s world. 

Publicly, Jobs says, "We're not perfect" and "Phones aren't perfect" but impartial reviewers at Consumer Reports called BS on Apple's initial brushing off of consumer complaints. The best smartphones do push the envelope, but you kinda expect a phone to be able to process an actual call without requiring a $30 add-on.

Don’t get me wrong: I like Apple’s products. I think my iPod Touch is one of the most amazing devices ever. I use a Powerbook at work and have a Mac Mini at home. And I want an iPad.

But I’d like Apple an awful lot more if they acted human. This mindset of diminishing the concerns of real customers should scare any consumer. Jobs’ responses are starting to sound like an abusive spouse or boss who blames everything on someone else, berating anyone who dares question his wisdom. I would not be surprised if, while raging at critics, he were to slip into Burns-speak and tell his minions to "Release the hounds."

It’s time for Jobs to take a deep breath and recognize that that customers will be forgiving if you show them some trust and respect. If you don’t, there’s a forgiving company called Google that’s ready to capitalize on pompousness (remember that several key iPhone4 features are playing catchup to Android). Given the pace of overall Android sales and app development is surpassing that of the iPhone, that time might already be here. 

Update on Monday, July 19, 2010 at 8:53 PM by Logan Molen

Wired has an excellent, fairly balanced look at the contentious Apple-AT&T marriage. Jobs comes across as expected, bullying AT&T into uncomfortable positions, and threatening to take his toy elsewhere if AT&T balks What's really interesting is AT&T has pushed back on several things, much to Jobs' surprise. AT&T fears the minute they lose iPhone exclusivity, but that deal has brought a heavy burden that seemingly could make or break the company long-term.