This is copied from an Apple support discussion board – the more light I shine on this issue, the better…
Dear Apple Support People,Since you have given me the opportunity for a response:
Firstly, could you please look at this thread on Apple iPhone Discussions, in its entirety.
Then ask yourselves – and your software engineers and marketing personnel – why it took three or four people who are not Apple employees (and who admittedly won’t have had to sign NDAs) – to find a fix for the problem (broken downloaded iPhone apps and missing iPhone music) – i.e., that it was a poisoned version of iTunes (7.7.1).
Then you should politely suggest to Mr Jobs that you release your software and its updates when the engineers give it the OK – not when marketting says to push it out on to the unsuspecting masses on their whim.
Rushing stuff out to market like this will lose you more sales and earn you more ill-will in the long run than if you had waited and tested the app thoroughly.
The problem with the iPhone (see above) has cost quite a number of people several days figuring this one out and writing it up – and Apple doesn’t pay them. People who have already bought iPhones and quite a number of iPhone apps. They had to do the research themselves as the situation was so dire that they couldn’t wait for Apple to wake up to the problem.
This sort of debugging and alpha (not even beta) testing should be done in-house, not using the public as unsuspecting, unpaid alpha-testers.
Even now it isn’t certain from the outside of the organisation that Apple has got the message: Apple’s Software Update is still trying to push me the 7.7.1 “downgrade to services” that it manifestly is.
To add insult to injury, it has been reported by one of those suffering from the 7.7.1 that when suggested that to a software engineer that they look at the above discussion thread outlining the fix (i.e., rolling back to iTunes 7.7), they flatly refused to do so.
I’m afraid that this incident is not a small issue, is not going to go away in a hurry, and is going to cost you money and good will in a tightening economy (world-wide). Coming hot on the heels of a disastrous few early point releases for OS X 10.5 and the mess surrounding the .Mac to MobileMe transition, it points at a wider and more systemic problem within Apple in releasing software without thorough “real-world” testing.
Apple needs to be extrememly careful about throwing stones in or around glasshouses: delivering software that destroyed many working iPhone environments after running ads belittling Windows Vista’s stability doesn’t sit well (and is probably making Mr Ballmer laugh his head off – all the way to the bank). Some on the other side of the PC divide might with some justification say “serve you jolly well right”.
By the way, in response to the question about my comment, it is both a suggestion and a complaint equally.
I would appreciate it if you forwarded a copy of this email up the chain to Mr Jobs, please.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Alex Newman (PhD).
Apple, I WAS going to buy a new mac for Christmas. After this debacle of a release, combined with Mobile Me’s issues? Nope. Not until I see your QA improve dramatically.
Signed, Joe Dickerson
former Apple fanboy