Apple’s Response A Mixed Bag

Well, as we discussed last time, Apple pretty much did what was expected in their press conference. A defiant–perhaps even petulant–CEO Steve Jobs practically berated critics for having the temerity to challenge the iPhone 4’s obvious design flaws.

Jobs announced that “we’re not perfect,” then discussed technical issues and compared performance of competing smart phones. Jobs also attacked the media for making a mountain out of a molehill.

He threw new software and a free bumper fix to folks who had purchased the new iPhone and sent us away with a flea in our ear.

Some say he handled this just fine. If you go by the metrics of “this story is now fading and Apple hasn’t collapsed,” then yeah, he did handle it fine. (In fact Apple shares rose slightly after the conference.)

One wonders, however, how much better this would have been had he addressed the issue sooner and in a less confrontational manner.

Microsoft says the iPhone 4 may be Apple’s Vista. Could be.

We’ll see. Even if it is, it’s just a bump in the road and hardly the end of the line. However, a recurring pattern of PR messes like this could be a sign of the Apple falling a little too far from the tree.