Before the launch of the iPod, there were many critical voices. They soon went silent.Then when Apple announced the iPhone, new critical voices came. And went. For a while Apple was about the coolest company on the planet.

They locked their phones to an inferior service and charged a premium for it. But people were happy with their phones.

Then they lowered their prices, and people got upset. Shortly after that PR debacle, Apple announced that hacked or otherwise altered iPhones would not only lose their warranty, but might stop functioning. The phrase iBlock/iBrick was created. Now people really (and this time rightfully) got upset.

Parallel to this, the situation outside of US/UK/Germany is totally unclear as to when an iPhone will become available. Not good.

Then new iPods are released, but crippled in their software. Supposedly to not hurt iPhone sales. But most people cannot even buy one (legally). It feels like Apple is holding the golden carrots in front of our noses, just to perpetually remind us that we cannot get it.

Definitely not cool.

Goodwill is a fragile commodity, and Apple has indeed been a bit bullish of late.

(Still, my next phone will be an iPhone, my next laptop a MacBook and the next music/video player an iPod.)