Apple defenders come out

When Choice named iPods as among the ten shonkiest products of the year, I expected the fanboys to come out snarling. In the next few days we'll see the usual sqwarking and attacks on everyone concerned. I certainly didn't expect Smarthouse News to be questioning Choice's integrity, however.

While I agree the Australian Consumers Association can be hysterical at times, and I disagree with their view that computers should be as reliable as toasters and fridges, their comments about Apple's disgraceful iPod return policy are quite right.

What I find interesting in the Smarthouse article is the quote from Harvey Norman's Rutland Smith: "The claims by Choice surprise me as we have no problems with iPod returns and we sell thousands"

It's amazing that there are two Rutley Smiths working at Harvey Norman. A month earlier another Rutley Smith told Australian Personal Computer,

Harvey Norman had repeatedly asked Apple to change its iPod return process which instructs customers to return faulty iPods directly to Apple by post.

“We’ve instructed our stores to resolve problems in accordance with the Trade Practices Act and handle stock problems with Apple at a later date. But so far we’ve found Apple to be particularly uncooperative.”

So it seems we have two Rutley Smiths at Harvey Norman. One thinks Apple are terrific and one seems to have a similar attitude to Choice Magazine. What a strange world we live in.