August 28th, and a minor milestone day for Apple customers in Thailand. Along with the rest of the world, we can buy the latest iteration of the operating system, Snow Leopard. And today is the day when the iPhone 3GS becomes available. Or not.
True is the company responsible for the world’s worst cable TV service; they also have the contract for bringing the iPhone into Thailand. I ordered mine three weeks ago, and the order contained strict instructions that I had to collect my phone on the 28th or else I would forfeit my deposit. Sadly there was nothing in the contract that said that all employees of True would commit ritual suicide should they fail to deliver the phone on that date. Because, of course, they have failed.
The idea of the pre-order was so they could order sufficient phones from Apple. They received orders for 10,000 phones, Apple sent them 3,500. Someone cocked up. True are blaming Apple; but then what else would they do? But I would be OK because I ordered on the first day so would get one of the first phones. Nope. Applying a “first come, first served” approach was a logistical challenge too far; so all the phones are going to Bangkok and the rest of us have to wait for “sometime in September”. A very nice man from True called me up yesterday evening to tell me the news I already knew. In an earlier life I would have melted the phone to his ear; last night I just said it was OK and I would wait. I have been here too long.
Never mind, we can have the minor buzz associated with the launch of a new Apple product. Apple store decked out with special displays, free T-shirts, that sort of thing. Just to be sure I popped into iStudio to confirm they would be selling Snow Leopard on the 28th, along with the rest of the world. The young man I spoke to was initially too occupied investigating his nose with his finger and wiping the findings against a 17" unibody aluminium Macbook Pro 2.8 GHz (not that he would have known the specification). Finally he turned to me and languidly explained that they had to wait for it to come from Singapore and it might take a week or more, so he really didn’t know when it would be available, and why was I bothering asking (I inferred that last bit). Then he turned away and his finger headed for his other nostril.
If you are an Apple dealer you have a competitor, the Apple on-line store; where the same products can be bought for the same price and with free shipping. So you have to work a little harder to make your customers feel they are welcome in your shop and it is worth their effort to come and buy from you. Just like iStudio doesn’t. So I ordered from the Apple on-line store on Wednesday, Snow Leopard shipped by courier yesterday, and it should arrive today. A shame I can’t buy an iPhone the same way.
Comments 🔗
2009-08-28| Marc saysYour experience reminds me of a trip to the iStudio in Chiang Mai a few weeks ago. I wanted to know the price of the iPhone and ask if they could show me how to search for duplicates in iPhoto. Instead of trying to find a solution, he opened a torrent search engine on a mac pro, found a piece of software and showed me a website to get a serial number. haha, this is Thailand.
2009-08-28| Phuket Observer saysTrue Stinks. I bought an officially unlocked iPhone 3GS on eBay from Australia. Shipped by FedEx, delivered to Phuket in 3 days. I can give you the seller’s name if you like.
2009-08-29| todd saysthats what you get for buying apple.
apple rip their customers off to no end, the iphone has a 40% profit margin. other competing phones are around and even under 10%
all apple fanboys have bought into the hype, if anyone really looked windows mobile has been doing everything and more for 4-5 years now. its just that microsoft can’t create evangelists like apple can.
seriously, how did apple sell so many iphones when the v1 couldent even send sms properly or mms at all - and the v1 phone didnt even support 3g… way to deliberaly hold back features and sell a 2nd phone to the same people.
i guess my problem with apple is that they have always been about being rebel, fight the man, break free of whatever. that’s been their pseudo mantra since the 80’s, but with the iphone you’re locked into whatever apple says.
pushing for the profit rather than freeing users now days.
why pay the premium for their hardware when it’s all x86 intel now days?
why pay the premium on their monitors when it’s the same china production lines as your average Samsung?
it’s all a joke and i can’t be bothered buying into it.
2009-08-29| Camberley saysWhy can’t Microsoft create evangelists I wonder. I have used Windows since 3.11 for Workgroups which was a DOS application not even an operating system. I won’t list the different Windows operating systems I have used after that, let’s just say most of them. I too reacted to the evangelical attitude of Mac users to the extent that would not listen.
Then Spike got a Mac and having known him for years and knowing that his insanities are confined to certain well defined areas I thought I might try one. After decades of experience with Microsoft and a few weeks with the Mac I too became an Apple evangelist. Perhaps it is a new and sinister religious cult and all the members have been brainwashed. I don’t care. Its great.
2009-08-29| Spike saysJust because someone likes something you don’t, doesn’t necessarily make them a brainless “fan boy”.
When I was away last week, in my brief moments of relaxation, I listened to my music, watched a TV series (“Being Human”, rather good) and played some games recommended by Camberley. I have found nothing from Symbian or Windows mobile that enable me to do all of those things as elegantly as the iPhone (oh yes, I called she who must be obeyed too). I actually don’t care about the phone bit too much, it’s my entertainment centre and I have yet to find better.
Computers, well it’s not about the hardware. Like Camberley, I ignored my many friends who were Mac users. Then I discovered that a humble Macbook, with slightly lower specs than my Windows desktop, could process my photos in Lightroom seven times faster than my PC (I checked this several times because it was hard to believe). OSX just destroys Windows for media work. Right now I am running Lightroom, Photoshop with several photos and layers open, Dreamweaver, an FTP program uploading photos, Safari ditto, Firefox, iTunes and a word processor. My computer is still running at full speed, and doing it without noisy fans or overheating. It just works, which is what I need.
I have a Samsung monitor, it is shit. Cheap panel and the colours change depending on viewing angle, unlike SWMBO’s iMac which has an isp panel. You get what you pay for.
Am I a fan? Absolutely. But because Apple products work best for me. Your mileage may, and apparently does, vary.
2009-08-30| Lloyd saysTry some of the higher spec Dell monitors, far better resolution options and color emulation is brilliant, better lineup than the Mac’s at much lower prices.
If you compare similar spec machines (Macbook Pro 15.4" (OS-X 10.4) vs Dell 1640 (Windows 7), both 64 bit OS’s and about as exact a mach as you can get, then Macs are no more superior for image/video editting.
No I am not a Dell fan, as a Software/Web/Media business owner and developer I try and buy the best tool for the job regardless of brand hype etc.
2009-08-31| mart saysI have a mac too but the sole aim of my post is to test the avatar function.
2009-08-31| Spike saysLloyd, Indeed the Mac choice for monitors right now is pathetic, and the Dell offerings are highly regarded. Sadly, you can’t buy them in Thailand. HP do a decent 24" ips monitor which I have yet to track down in the shops. I have found the HP LP3065, but at 30" it’s a bit too big.
All I want is two 24" matte ips monitors; any suggestions welcome.
Don’t fancy a laptop, of any flavour, as a main machine. I believe Dell make good workstations too, but I love my Mac Pro.
Mart, your avatar is beacon of design in a world of mediocrity.
2009-08-31| todd saysmeh, dell, apple, sony, samsung and all the rest is made by the same 2 companies in china / taiwan. foxconn and quanta.
quanta make all the apple, sony, dell laptops etc.
foxconn make all the desktop hardware, monitors, ipods etc.
the only variance as far as computers go is the UI. the way microsoft does things and the way apple & linux does things.
the rest is marketing.
i started on mac’s and ended up on pc’s, IMO apple gets overrated by evangelists, and microsoft gets underrated by shitty marketing and strategy. there’s so many products that do so many things that microsoft own / have bought that no one has ever heard of.
Thats’s where apple wins, keeping it small and simple, tight control over the applications they are publishing and because it’s all small and controllable they are able to market it effectively
microsoft makes it’s money in numbers, so many companies, products, applications and services it’s near impossible to educate everyone on what to use when and where for what.
i’m more tech focused so the wide range of microsoft apps works for me, apple it too limited for my needs.
each to their own i think, whatever works for you and makes you happy.
2009-08-31| Spike saysAmen
2009-08-31| Lloyd saysYou can order Dell in Singapore or Malaysia to be delivered to a hotel, take SWMBO for a cheap weekend and pick them up, claiming your GST refund as you leave. If you take one each back as cabin baggage it works well.
Dell XPS Quad Core x64 is my dev workstation which run Windows 7 and a virtual Windows 2008 Enterprise server on very high loads, simulating STP Share trading apps, and it flies.
2009-08-31| Spike saysThat’s a plan. I will be in Singapore for the Grand Prix later in the month; without SWMBO; but I could always stick one in the hold.
Any idea how much tax they will screw me for when I get back to BKK?
2009-09-01| mart saysYou can’t buy Dell monitors in Thailand? Our whole office is equipped with Dell monitors and I can’t imagine our IT dept traveling to Malaysia to buy them… Besides I’ve seen two for sale a few hours ago at Tawanna in Bangkapi.
2009-09-02| Lloyd saysMy dealings with Dell Thailand were as painfull as most Thai business transactions, I do not believe they have a retail sales department, they didn’t in 2008.
2009-09-02| Spike saysThat was my understanding too; they only do corporate sales. And even in Singapore, their range of 24" monitors is restricted to the crappy TN panel range; none of their good monitors are available unless you go up to 30". So if they don’t sell them in Singapore, I doubt they will sell them in Thailand.
2009-09-02| mart saysNext time I am going to Tawanna I will inquire about which Dell monitors they sell.
2009-09-02| Spike saysThanks.
2009-09-03| Lloyd saysI called Dell in Singapore and they can order the 2408WFP Monitor in although its a special order or try one of the UK retailers on eBay, if you pay via transfer they will ship anywhere, plenty available and prices not too bad, freight via DHL is £42 each.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=2408WFP&_sacat=See-All-Categories
2009-09-04| Spike saysThanks Lloyd.