Reading Reaction Journal #5

Reference

Woman sues over iPhone price cut. (2007, October 2). USA Today. Retrieved on October 3, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-10-02-iphone-price-cut-lawsuit_N.htm

Summary

According to this article, a woman who lived in New York, has entered a lawsuit against Apple because of cutting down of iPhone’s price. Dong Li of Queens, who complained, suggests “the company violated price discrimination laws when it slashed the price of the 8-gigabyte iPhone by a third, from $599 to $399, within two months of the gadget’s June debut.” Apple cut down iPhone’s price on Sept. 5 and stopped selling 4-gigabyte iPhones. Because of this eventual slashing, Apple apologized and refunded the $200 difference for those who bought it earlier. According to her lawsuit, lopping of price makes people like her damaged because they cannot resell iPhone for the same price as those who bought later. She bought a 4-gigabyte iPhone and alleged that people who bought a 4-gigabyte iPhone weren’t treated like owner of 8-gigabyte iPhone. Apple announced that they don’t disscuss pending litigation. The lawsuit also suggests Apple and AT&T, the exclusive carrier in the U. S. for the iPhone, made unfair business practices. But Mark Siegel, an AT&T spokesman, said that he hasn't seen the lawsuit yet.

Reaction

If I were in same situation, I would complain the same as she did. In any part of business, exclusion makes it worse than with competition. Competition makes market activate more and more and consumers get more benefit.

Reading Reaction Journal #4

Reference

Graham, J. (2007, September 24). Apple: ‘Unlocking’ software damages iPhone. USA Today. Retrieved on September 25, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-09-24-apple-iphone_N.htm?loc=interstitialskipReference

Summary

According to this article Apple announced a consumer warning: “Buy an “unlocked” iPhone at your own peril”. In the USA, most cellphones are sold “locked”, which means a phone is used by one carrier that supplied it, AT&T. But some early consumers of iPhone have complained about AT&T’s data network’s unstable cell coverage. After the iPhone’s launch, a cottage industry sprang up for webpage servicing software to “unlock” the device from AT&T, in which means that it can be used freely on other carriers. On Monday, Apple announced an official announcement that using software to unlock an iPhone or buying an unlocked iPhone – “will cause irreparable damage.” In the past, Apple has distributed simple software to prevent people from hacking into its devices and Phil Schiller, who Apple Senior Vice President, says that they tested iPhone and found out this unlocking software everlastingly damages the software. Some sites sell the unlocked iPhone a little expensively and other sites sell software for around $70. The iPhone has been sold at more than 1 million units. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, projected first-year sales of 10 million, and earlier this month, he cut down the price of iPhone from $599 to $399 in an effort to increase holiday sales.

Reaction

In South Korea, there is a same situation like this, RAZR that is Motorola’s popular cellular phone, is sold exclusively by SK Telecom. So if I want to use RAZR, I should admit that company. I think exclusive marketing is not good because there is no competition, if there is no competition in marketing, there are no development.

The most aspect of the TOEFL

Not only taking the TOEFL, but also any other test is stress for me. But especially taking the TOEFL is the most stressful, because all kinds of sections of the TOEFL are hard, such as listening, reading and grammar. Among those sections, I have the most difficulty with the listening section, because I’m not good at vocabulary. Even though I can hear some words, I don’t know the meaning of those words. So it makes me stressed.

My experience of smoking

When I was a middle and high school student, the policy about smoking of students was very strict in my school. My family has no people who smoke. I think that’s why I’m a nonsmoker. When I was in the army, I had tried to smoke, because living in the army was the most stressful time in my life. But whenever I smoked, I felt a headache and was sick to the stomach. I think smoking isn’t suitable for me. After that, when I felt stressed in the army, I usually played soccer instead of smoking.