Peeve of the day iTunes Advertising

One of the benefits of Mac ownership has been NOT having to wade thru crapware on my computer all the time.  Now comes this  

Almost everytime I sync my phone I have to click thru this MobileMe Ad?  At first I thought it was just when I synced my new iPhone 4 for the first time.  but it has been there almost every day.

CRAP!

Make it end Apple

Regardless of the relative merit of MobileMe (not good for me but I am hopeful long term) I find this type of  advertising putoffish and invasive.

Now, lets try a thought experiment.   Assume that  customers that sync their phones are better Apple customers than non-syncers.  (we know who you are). The presumption being that syncers use their phone more, buy more apps, and are happier overall with their user experience and as a result more likely to buy another phone or even better MORE apple products.

Do you think having to click thru an add every time I want to sync my phone makes me want to sync more or less? It adds friction.  like a paywall or even a registration wall does.  (see Rupert Murdoch Times 60% traffic drop off for Free restration wall went up)

There are two lessons here.

First,  If their is value in the product people will find their way to it.  Make the product better.

Second, and it is a correlary to the first.  Advertising it more make increase sales but it will not increase satisfaction and repeat customers (see rule number one)

Lastly,  I know there are opt outs for email marketing and even for iAds so if there is an opt out for iTunes I have not found it yet.  If I find it. OR if the add goes away so will my Peeve.

iPod Touch on Sale $1455 less than iPhone

Shawn Wu is wrong about this  

American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu last night warned that Apple's recently-revealed iPod touch price cut may not go far enough, saying: "While we are pleased to see lower pricing, we are concerned that price points may remain too high given the tough macroeconomic environment and relative to the 3G iPhone at $199 and $299."

The iPod Touch is an entirely different product than the iPhone.  Regardless of price which I will get to in a moment, the product is used differently by the person who buys it.  The "price out the door" does not begin to tell the price difference.  If the iPod Touch died after 24 months of use it would cost $1455 (69*24)-199) less over that period.  So you could buy say an iPod Touch AND a really bad used car for less.

Assuming he is thinking of unit sales and he was expecting iPods to be part of the Margin Crushing trend that Apple has told us about I suggest that iPhone Accounting and broader channel Sales of Macs are margin crushing enough.

Repeat after me.  iPods are the CASH COW! ...iPods are the CASH COW!