Apple authorized resellers are taking advantage of the recently flurry of product announcements from the company, offering a series of deals that range from a free iPod shuffle with the purchase of an iPod touch, to $100 and $75 rebates on the brand new MacBook and MacBook Pros.
First off was online retailer Amazon.com which launched this week a new promotion offering shoppers a free 1GB iPod shuffle with each new order of a 32GB iPod touch.
"When you purchase a 32 GB iPod touch, you qualify for a free 1 GB iPod shuffle in green, silver, purple, or blue," the retailer says. "Just add both items to your cart and you will not be charged for the shuffle."
Complete terms and conditions of the offer are available on this product detail page.
Penryn-based MacBooks
Meanwhile, Apple's No. 1 direct reseller Mac Mall on Wednesday began offering considerable savings on both the just-announced Penryn-based MacBook and MacBook Pro.
In addition to rebates of between $75 and $100 off each new 13-inch MacBook, the reseller is throwing in free shipping and two other rebates good for a free copy the Parallels Desktop 3.0 Windows virtualization software and a free Epson Stylus Printer.
The offers reduce the cost of the entry level 2.1GHz white MacBook to just $1019.00 and the high-end 2.4GHz black model to just $1394.00.
Penryn-based MacBook Pros
Mac Mall's offerings on the new MacBook Pros are similar, including $75 rebates across the board, which similarly bundle free shipping and the same two aforementioned rebates good for a free copy the Parallels Desktop 3.0 and an Epson Stylus Printer.
The savings bring the cost of the entry-level 2.4GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro down to $1844.00 and the high-end 2.5GHz 17-inch model down to $2644.00.
MacMall is also offering $150 rebates on most previous-generation MacBook Pros and $50-$100 in rebates off the new MacBook Air.
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This model could change over time, he says, but the ultimate plan is to provide the best possible experience early on. The existing tie-in with AT&T gave Apple a large amount of coverage while allowing both companies to be themselves, and a simple experience for first-time users.
"We're not married to any business model," Cook explained. "What we're married to is shipping the best phones in the world."
He added that for some areas to get the iPhone, it might be necessary to drop even staple features of most cellphone services. Some areas rarely if ever offer post-pay (subscription) cellphone service, for example, which would require a setup process devoted solely to prepaid options.
This isn't a sign of things Apple will or won't do in the market, Cook warned investors.
The officer also reiterated that there would always be a certain level of hacking no matter how widespread the phone might be, if simply because the demand exists. When users outside of official areas are "stepping over each other" to import iPhones, that indicates significant potential, he said.
The Apple senior staffer also noted that the iPhone's price cut to $399 during the holidays wasn't just a reaction to customers who thought the device was too expensive. It helped build momentum and a user base for the upcoming SDK, which he said would let programmers "only be limited by [their] imagination."
Beyond the iPhone, Cook acknowledged but downplayed concerns that the market for digital music players was oversaturated and cooling off. In a rare admission, the COO admitted that sales for the iPod shuffle had lagged by 17 percent worldwide during the holidays and was the key factor behind new price cuts that should help rekindle sales.
There was also likely some cannibalization of iPhone sales by the iPod touch, but the iPod sold well and needed to be out in the market to set the groundwork for the Wi-Fi mobile platform it represents, he said.
However, Cook reassured investors and analysts at the Goldman Sachs event by characterizing the iPhone as the company's greatest chance at success to date. Apple is still on track to sell its 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008, he said -- a statement that sent the company's share price up over 3 percent in after-hours trading.
The iPhone is already an "incredible accomplishment," he said, but has far more potential in the long term. "I need a word bigger than 'enormous' to describe it."
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Britain's primary cellphone carrier, O2, reported on Thursday that the iPhone was one of the primary drivers of its success in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Though still refusing to confirm or deny reported sales numbers for the specific Apple device, the provider said the 483,000 net customers it picked up during the three-month span was the most ever for the company. About 276,000 of these had signed a contract and included the iPhone customers in their ranks, as the handset requires an 18-month agreement.
O2 also boasted that the device was the "fastest selling device that [it has] ever had" in the country and that the average revenue per user is about 30 percent higher than for a typical contracted subscriber.
About 60 percent of all iPhone users have come from other providers, and the iPhone has had the highest satisfaction levels yet of any O2 device with a record low return rate, the company said.
PayPal issues Safari security warning
Apple's primary web browser is the last one any PayPal customer should use when visiting the payment site, said a new warning from the company's chief info security officer, Michael Barrett.
The technology expert cautioned that, of all the major browsers, only Safari lacks two clear anti-phishing measures. There is no filter to block or warn users of fake websites that may use a PayPal-like website address to scam users, he warned.
Safari also lacks a recent development known as an Extended Validation (EV) certificate. It turns the address bar green when visiting trusted sites that use the certificate, letting them know that the site is authentic.
While only Internet Explorer 7 currently uses EV, all browsers except Safari, including Firefox and Opera, at least support a basic filter and are likely to receive EV soon. The transactions themselves on Safari are said to be secure but may be deceptive if a phishing scam forges a security certificate.
"Safari has got nothing in terms of security support, only SSL [Secure Sockets Layer encryption], that's it," Barrett said.
iPhoto 7.1.3
Lastly, Apple has issued a minor patch for its latest version of iPhoto.
Version 7.1.3 (16.9MB) resolves issues with creating cards as well as wire-bound photo books.
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The multi-function touch-screen handset will be available in the region beginning March 14 in an 8GB model for �399 and a 16GB iPhone for �499, O2 said during its fiscal fourth quarter conference call.
Similar to distribution in the UK, the iPhone will be made available through the carrier's retail stores as well as Carphone Warehouse stores.
Customers will be able to select between three monthly tariffs (calling plans), starting with a �45 option that includes 175 anytime minutes and 100 text messages. A �65 tariff includes 350 anytime minutes and 150 text messages, while the high end tariff offers 700 minutes and 250 text messages for �100.
All of the tariffs require an 18-month agreement and none include unlimited data or Visual Voicemail at this time. Instead, all three include just 1GB of data transfer and a 15c per minute charge for checking messages.
Ireland is just the fifth country to see an official rollout of the Apple handset and the first of 2008, joining the United States (AT&T), UK (O2), France (Orange), and Germany (T-Mobile), which launched last year.
Interestingly, word of the iPhone's arrival in the region comes just one day after eagle-eyed enthusiasts spotted references to O2 and Ireland in the latest version of the iPhone's firmware. The same firmware also included references to T-Mobile Austria.
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Thanks to all the readers who wrote in over the course of the day with word that their pre-orders for Apple's new Time Capsule backup appliance have been prepared for shipment.
"I just checked Apple's web site and my Time Capsule order has changed to 'preparing to ship,'" one reader wrote. "Historically that usually happens the same day products I have ordered from Apple ship."
Said another, "My credit card was charged this afternoon by Apple for my Time Capsule. I assume that means the unit will be shipping today or tomorrow."
Time Capsule was one of four major product introductions at last month's Macworld Expo. Essentially a 802.11n AirPort Extreme router with a built in server-grade hard disk, the device works in conjunction with Apple's Time Machine software to perform complete wireless backups of one or more Leopard-equipped Macs.
Apple is offering Time Capsule in a 500GB configuration for $299 and a 1TB configuration for $499. Readers who've been hesitant to purchase a Time Capsule thus far may want to check out AppleInsider's in-depth review planned for next week.
Wireless bill threatens iPhone exclusivity
The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet held a hearing today on a new draft law by Rep. Ed Markey that would require every mobile provider to offer subsidy-free wireless customer equipment, effectively breaking the exclusive relationship between Apple and AT&T over the iPhone and allowing all owners of that handset to subscribe to a wireless carrier of their choice.
The bill, titled "Wireless Consumer Protection and Community Broadband Empowerment Act," would establish new rules for wireless carriers that include offering unsubsidized service as well as disclosing rate plans to customers in a "clear, plain, and conspicuous manner."
As part of the draft law, carriers would be obligated to provide more detailed maps of their network coverage areas, and would be forced to allow customers to cancel contracts for any reason without penalty within the first 30 days as well as prorate any fees associated with leaving a contract early.
MacBook Pro Benchmarks
Apple's new line of MacBook Pro notebooks introduced on Tuesday offer marginal performance gains at best when pit against their Fall 2007 predecessors, a series of Geekbench 2 tests conducted by Primate Labs reveal.
"The processor in the new MacBook Pro @ 2.4GHz (T8300) has less L2 cache than processor in the old MacBook Pro @ 2.4GHz (T7700) which explains the slight drop in performance," the software developer said.
"However, when you consider the new MacBook Pro 2.4GHz is the base model, while the old MacBook Pro 2.4GHz was the mid-range model, the small drop in performance comes with a significant reduction in price. Plus, the new Penryn processor uses less energy than the old Merom processor, which means a cooler laptop with increased battery life."