Sunday
Dec112011

How to Give Someone Advice About a Major Purchase

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Reader Comments (54)

A good one, right up until the last panel, which loses something due to it being incorrect. Apple currently sells 3 models, and has been selling at least 2 for a couple years now. At present, there's the 4S, the latest model, the 4, last year's new model, and the 3GS, the current budget model that was the latest model 2 years ago.

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered Commentertaellosse

Macintosh company policy itself is the punchline. I love it!

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterGregory Bogosian

False. There have been 5 iPhones.

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTheDublin

And then you should de-friend that person in real life. iPad, bah!

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJCRogers

Well, they actually are currently making and selling 3—the 3GS, 4, and 4S. (four, if you count the GSM and the CDMA versions of the iPhone 4 separately).

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJonathan

Ooohhh... this'll cause you some flame wars :) You mentioned Apple and Andriod in the same strip... and didn't come down on either side (welllll.... maybe subtly in the Android court, but the Apple users won't notice).

Now /everyone/ will hate you :)

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterOddball

Selling two obsolete models and the new one doesn't count as having multiple options. That's just "Do you want the cheaper one that's outdated, or the one that's new and also already outdated?" Neener.

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJCRogers

Most of the Android phones on the market are 'obsolete models' by that definition. At least all iPhones for sale run the latest version of the OS.

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterKfox

Brace Yourselves

The Apple Fanboys are Coming

December 11, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMatt

They might technically still be building two obsolete models, but there is only one current iPhone and quite deliberately no real choice at all. Buying an Android is like having a wide selection of colors, makes, and models. Buying an iPhone is like the option of buying a '97 Ford Taurus, a '98 Ford Taurus, or a '99 Ford Taurus. They all have the same trim package and the only color is beige.

But at least your town is full of shops that specialize in aftermarket accessories for the Ford Taurus, so there's that.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJediBear

Fun Fact: directly to the right of the comic, the ad for me was "Overstock Clearance: 32GB iPad 94% off, 32GB iPod Touch 91% off, 16GB iPhone 93% off"

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered Commentereskimo

I have an iPhone and I think the last panel is perfect, hilarious, and basically true.
I love my iPhone and I'm glad that it stays basically the same, because I am too lazy to learn new things.
I wouldn't be caught dead with any other apple products though...

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJeshka

Do you think he should buy the expensive one, the very expensive one, or the outlandishly expensive one? Also which network? The sucky network everyone hates, or the slightly less sucky network that has a few technical compromises? And which data plan--the one where you pay too much for data and then get slapped with insane fees for overages, or the one where you pay too much for data and then get slapped with insane fees for overages?

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterLummox JR

yup. selling obsolete models isn't the same as providing different options.

'no single phone is perfect for everybody...they only make one.'

much more subtle than usual but great.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterBashir

The iPhone: the smartphone for dumb people.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterRich

Or you can be like me and be a technology hobo with a dumbphone. I'm too cheap to pay extra for a data-plan (plus it's Verizon, so I can't get unlimited anyway). Works out fine, because iPhone users love to show off how cool their iPhone is to we Luddites, so if you, say, need directions, just ask random 20-something looking people on the street until you find someone who wants to demonstrate their hipness. Cheap and lazy - that's the American way! ;)

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterSteve

JCRogers - "Do you want the cheaper one that's outdated, or the one that's new and also already outdated?"

That is a BI panel 4 punchline in itself! LOL.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterRick

There's only one iPhone, in different versions. You can get it with different amounts of disk space too, I guess. Nothing worth getting pedantic over.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTim McCormack

Hmmmm, I might need popcorn for this thread.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPaul Turnbull

Most of the Android phones on the market are 'obsolete models' by that definition. At least all iPhones for sale run the latest version of the OS.

Actually untrue! Funny with all the talk about Android fragmentation, people ignore the fact that the different iOS versions are often not compatible with older phones (or at the very least are crippled in random ways).

(I own an iPhone... and will never make that mistake again).

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterBobman

Tim,

Is not the very nature of being pedantic the focus, discussion, and detailing of relatively unimportant minutiae to the exclusion of more important and relevant matters?

See what I did there?

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterTacoMagic

Oh, WOW! Lummox JR is right! This strip paves the way for endless follow-ups. Great strip!

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered Commentermcinsand

Apple supports their iPhones with the current OS longer than Android makers do. If I were interested in paying for a data plan every month then that would be the most important criterion.

They only make one--and they support it longer.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterSoul of Wit

If by "support", you mean make you pay money to call them, or drive to a major city to use the Apple store 'genius', oh yeah, they support them longer.

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAnna

Lummox really got me to thinking about follow-ups. What about Apple's design patent on rounded corners? Does this mean that those that buy non-infringing Android devices (in a universe where the patent is deemed valid) with sharp corners might risk putting an eye out? And what about the newly-minted ban on IToy sales in Europe? Could Rick make a trip to Europe just to buy an iPhone so that he could say his was contraband?

December 12, 2011 | Unregistered Commentermcinsand

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