Last month, when speculation that that Apple's PCI firmware update 1.1 had deliberately crippled blue & white G3 PowerMacs, making them unable to accept G4 upgrades was still just a rumor, I wrote that "If Apple has indeed endeavored to deliberately inject planned obsolescence into the blue & white G3 machines, owners of the latter are justified in being very angry, and I personally hope any such misconceived scheme blows up spectacularly in Apple's corporate face.

Well, it turns out that the rumor was well-founded, and the blowing up part is happening as well, as evidenced by the anger being expressed on MacIntouch's reader forum on this issue and elsewhere around the Web. Apple is doing itself a great disservice by arrogantly stonewalling user protests, actually deleting user threads on the topic from its TIL forum and refusing to make an unambiguous statement clarifying its position. The longer this goes on, the worse the damage to customer goodwill is going to be.

One of the best treatments of the issue that I've read so far is this week's "The Back Page" column by by Bryan Chaffin of MacObserver, entitled:

"Apple's G4 ROM Block Will Only Serve To Lose Customers." September 3rd, 1999

"The issue is that Apple feels that they lose sales to manufacturers of G3/G4 upgrade cards," Chaffin writes. While this is certainly true to one degree or another, most buyers of upgrade cards are people that CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY A NEW COMPUTER in the first place!

"What the upgrade manufacturers achieve for Apple is that Mac users have usable machines for a longer period of time and remain satisfied Apple customers." This is exactly what I've been saying in various columns aboutthe Mac depreciation value scandal.

"I can think of no better way to lose customers than by sneaking in crippleware in the guise of a firmware update without telling people about it....That is one of the most unbelievably arrogant and stupid things I can conceive of." Amen to that as well.

I suggest that as many Mac users as possible, whether or not they own a blue & white (because there is a principle at stake here that transcends the specific crippling of one computer model) to contact Apple and let the company know their thoughts on this matter.

You can call 1-800-767-2775 (Do not select any options from the menu) or write a letter to:

Apple Computer, Inc.

P.O. Box 4040

Cupertino, CA 95014-4040

Be polite but firm.

Charles W. Moore

.

February 09, 2010