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Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Has Apple Sold Its Soul...
Has Apple Sold Its Soul...
by abyrd2000 - 5/10/07 4:36 PMI'm a HUGE Apple fan and have been for many years. But lately, I'm a bit disheartened by Apple's choice of iPhone partners. AT&T has been scandal-plagued for a while, but the whole NSA thing is probably the scariest.
As a political podcaster, I did a story in May of 2006 about the fact the AT&T allows the NSA to monitor and archive ALL of the internet and voice traffic on its network. http://web.mac.com/thewarondemocracy/iWeb/TheWarOnDemocracy.com/MP3%20Version/39702760-2C93-4530-AA75-344D52DD1E74.html
And recently ABC News did a story highlighted the AT&T technician who blew the whistle on the whole story and brought it to light. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2930944
So why, being such a great company, would Apple choose to team with a corporate demon like AT&T?
(NT) Eh...Money?
by scorcher409 - 5/10/07 5:00 PM In reply to: Has Apple Sold Its Soul... by abyrd2000Oooh, good for investors....
by R. Proffitt
- 5/10/07 5:05 PM
In reply to: Has Apple Sold Its Soul... by abyrd2000
See stock go up and up.
Well...
by rtemp - 5/10/07 7:34 PM In reply to: Has Apple Sold Its Soul... by abyrd20001) Apple was originally looking to partner with Verizon, but they didn't want to play by Apple's rules, so Apple went elsewhere.
2) Apple didn't really partner with AT&T per se, but rather Cingular, who just got absorbed into the new AT&T conglomerate.
-Ryan
not quite...historical clarrifications...
by shawnlin - 5/11/07 4:03 AM In reply to: Re: Well... by abyrd2000cingular and AT&T wireless used to be competitors.
Then Cingular and AT&T wireless merged to under the Cingular name (note that AT&T wireless was NOT under the AT&T umbrella...they used to be, but broke off and kept the name).
And then, "GIGANTOR" AT&T (SBC+AT&T) bought Cingular. Cingular and AT&T wireless had a hard time merging and was a good deal for the newly merged SBC/AT&T="The New AT&T" company.
At some point, Apple released the (flop) Motorola RCKR iTunes phone under Cingular. So there is some history between the Apple that those mobile telephony folks.
more info:
http://www.engadget.com/2005/02/02/the-engadget-guide-to-at-t-wireless-cingular-sbc-at-t-merger/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T
http://www.corp.att.com/history/history5.html
Best,
Shalin
(NT) Thanks for shedding light, Shalin.
by Alegoo92 - 5/11/07 5:37 AM In reply to: not quite...historical clarrifications... by shawnlinsure thing!
by shawnlin - 5/11/07 6:11 AM In reply to: (NT) Thanks for shedding light, Shalin. by Alegoo92my dad was an engineer w/Western Bell/AT&T/Lucent...so I had an introduction to the whole telecommunications world early on and I keep up with the business a bit...
Best,
Shalin
The Youtube version of this.
by R. Proffitt - 5/11/07 6:17 AM
In reply to: not quite...historical clarrifications... by shawnlin
(NT) haha! love it!
by shawnlin - 5/11/07 6:28 AM In reply to: The Youtube version of this. by R. Proffitt
more historical clarrifications
by rkb33 - 5/13/07 8:35 PM In reply to: not quite...historical clarrifications... by shawnlinIt was not called the Motorola Rckr, it was the rokr. I know, i am an ass, lol.
-Ryan from chicago (since there seem to be more than one ryan)
Cingular vs. ATT Wireless
by mjeffryes - 6/14/07 6:17 AM In reply to: Re: Well... by abyrd2000To set the record straight, having working in telecom for some while now.
Cingular was a partnership between 2 major "baby bells", SBC and Bell South. ATT wireless was owned by "Ma Bell". ATT sold it's wireless division to Cingular. SBC purchased ATT, but kept the ATT name because it has more market recognition. ATT (SBC) purchased Bell South and now owns all the original partners in Cingular. They renamed, are branding everything ATT for uniformity across all product lines.
All that being said. When choosing a wireless partner you only have 4 choices:
ATT (Cingular)
Verizon
Sprint
T-Mobile
Everything else is a switch-less reseller (or VNO) of some sort.
In reality Sprint is the 3rd wheel and while it may have been a decent choice they just don't have the influence of ATT or VZ. Rumors are out there about their status on the auction block, they are probably out of the running.
T-Mobile is a Dutch subsidiary that has a limited footprint, not in the running.
So you are down to ATT and VZ, pick your poison. Remember VZ bought MCI, formally known as Worldcom, remember the largest accounting fraud in US history? Yeah, that's in VZs house now. So Apple has to get in bed with one of these guys, they chose ATT.
This is part of the reason I think the iPhone is a bad move for Apple. You are bringing a high dollar product to market that has limited capabilities (no 3G) and you have to partner with someone who is bigger an much meaner than you. Apple has never competed in this space, I'm not sure everyone understands what a dirty world telecom is.
Matt formally in Deep Ellum
Apple vs ATT who is mean
by nutjob - 6/14/07 10:47 AM In reply to: Cingular vs. ATT Wireless by mjeffryesWhy do you think Apple is less mean than ATT wireless?
I have been happy with cingular
by rockinphotognyc - 5/11/07 7:15 AM In reply to: Has Apple Sold Its Soul... by abyrd2000I've been their customer for 3 years in NYC and am very satisfied with their service, locally and nationwide.
I think apple made a great choice. GSM is the standard worldwide. It makes perfect sense.
I use cingular
by ellis feigenbaum - 5/11/07 12:31 PM In reply to: I have been happy with cingular by rockinphotognycin the states and im very happy with call quality,I have never had a reason to get any other type of service from them, so I have no idea if the customer service is good or bad.
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