I love people, and maybe my current and previous pets, so I refuse to say I love my Apple toys. I do however, REALLY REALLY LIKE them and Apple's legendary service. That's not to say I have never had a problem, but when I have the remedy has been exceptional.
My first Apple gadget was an iPod Nano, 1st generation, purchased sometime over 5 years ago and which has spent most of the past 3+ years relegated to a drawer after I upgraded to an iPod Touch (useful while I waited out my Blackberry contract) and, more recently, an iPhone. Last month, Apple announced that a minuscule proportion of these 1st generation Nanos might be vulnerable to an overheating battery that could become hazardous and so it was offering replacements. I submitted the serial number of my old Nano and discovered it would be eligible for replacement, received the packaging materials to return it within 48 hours and started to wait.
It surprised me a bit that a month passed with no update on the status of my "repair" but I found chatter in the Apple forum that the company had far more requests for replacement than it expected - maybe an assumption that most of them had been lost, trashed, whatever over six years - had run out of replacements and was shipping current 6th generation Nanos instead. Last night, Apple Service emailed me that my replacement was ready to ship and the serial number quoted confirms I'm in line for the new model. Nice Christmas present, Apple. A new 2011 iPod for a 2005 iPod, smaller form-factor with larger storage (8GB vs 1GB) and much improved controls and functionality. This is one I will use, particularly at the gym where its wearability will be very convenient. I expect to treat myself to the accessory that turns it into a customizable watch in celebration of getting a retail $129 toy for a nearly forgotten item in the back of a drawer; I'm looking forward to showing-off my Kermit watch! Another 1st generation model would have gone back in the drawer to gather dust until I hauled it out in 2025 to show my grandniece how we listened to music in the old days. BTW, that would be the 3-year old who showed me at Christmas how proficient she can be at playing Angry Birds on my iPad; "batting .500" at level 3 after less than ten games.
It's astonishing that some customers are complaining in the Apple fora about a "broken promise" to replace their Nanos with another 1st generation device. I could understand the disappointment if someone has collected every Nano in the series and wants working models of each but true collectors, I'm sure, would have taken the infinitesimal risk and kept their original editions. The griping seems to be coming from those who are thinking, they've offered me this, maybe if I complain loud enough they'll send me a new iPhone. Maybe they're going to hold out for a MacBook Air.
From my perspective, Apple is continuing, under CEO Tim Cook, founder Steve Jobs' commitment to ensuring a satisfactory customer experience. I am more than satisfied; I'm delighted with what they have done to retain my loyalty for many, many years. Yea Apple! I REALLY, REALLY like you.
