Apple's New iPad: Turning Customers into Lemmings (AAPL)

How on earth does Steve Jobs get away with it?  The latest and greatest talk of the technology world recently is that a newer version of the iPad that will be out in time for the holidays.  Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is somehow able to keep releasing newer and newer products faster than back in the 1990’s when the PC manufacturers in the Win-Tel alliance could have issued much better PCs all along.  It was just more profitable to keep selling new ones with faster processors and more RAM each 6 to 12 months that could do more and more. Somehow, some way, the Apple customers have not figured out that Steve Jobs and friends at Apple have managed to turn them into a bunch of lemmings.

The same thing has happened with the iPhone.  Customers go get an iPhone, and before they can buy 10 or so apps a new iPhone is out with all new accessories and all new quality issues.  Still, “it’s just so cool.”

The logic behind Apple customers and their lack of outrage over getting technologically bilked is truly baffling.  The internal thought must go something like this, “I know I just paid up for the latest and greatest that just came out a few a months ago from Apple, but now there is a new one.  Mr. Jobs sure did me a favor, because it helped me practice so I would be more proficient with the new one.”  The iPhone cartoon about the dumb girl asking for the iPhone (all over YouTube) comes to mind.

Meanwhile, a few thousand dollars later… There is a term for this, although it has never been seen in consumer electronics at the frenzy that it has with Apple.  LEMMINGS!  Apple has somehow created an entire ecosphere of new consumerism, lets call it capital-lemmingism.

24/7 Wall St. would like to coin a phrase here for all the lemmings.  No more keeping up with the Jonses.  It is now “Keeping up with the Jobs'” (or is it the Jobses?… I am sure some angry lemming will clarify which is more proper).

Forced obsolescence is not really a new concept.  The fact that people keep falling for it is just amazing.  Oh well, maybe this is the cost of doing business considering that the PC makers have yet to get any real competition out for an iPad.

JON C. OGG