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"The NYTimes reports that Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, has studied Apple's financial statements and come to the conclusion that AT&T is paying Apple $18 a month, on average, for each iPhone sold by Apple and activated on AT&T's network — up to $432 over a two-year contract. This shows how much incentive Apple has to maintain its exclusive deal with AT&T rather than to sell unlocked phones or cut deals with multiple carriers. Last week Apple disclosed that 250,000 iPhones had been purchased but not registered with ATT that Apple thinks are being unlocked so Apple has now taken action to curb unauthorized resellers by limiting sales of the iPhone to two per customer and requiring that purchases must now be made with a credit or debit card — cash will not be accepted." The latter article links to a US Treasury page explaining the incorrectness of the widely-held belief that cash cannot be refused for any transaction.
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Funny post from the comments:
(Irritating teenager in an Apple store grasps for iPhone, bugs parents and then just takes one from the stand.)
(Lights flash, teenager freezes mid-grasp.)
(A group of small, odd men enter from a previously unnoticed doorway under the iMac stand.)
Oompa Loompa doopity do
I've got an iPhone here for you.
Oompa Loompa doopity day
Sign here and here and take it away.
What do you get when you follow a craze?
Buying everything to the end of your days.
What do you do when you're nose-deep in debt?
You will pay all your wages, that's a certain bet.
I don't like the look of it.
Oompa Loompa doopity dah
If you are cautious you will go far.
You can live in happiness too
Without credit like the Oompa Loompas doopity do!
(Irritating teenager is sucked down a pipe, parents watch in horror and are led away by an Oompa Loompa)
(Lights flash, teenager freezes mid-grasp.)
(A group of small, odd men enter from a previously unnoticed doorway under the iMac stand.)
Oompa Loompa doopity do
I've got an iPhone here for you.
Oompa Loompa doopity day
Sign here and here and take it away.
What do you get when you follow a craze?
Buying everything to the end of your days.
What do you do when you're nose-deep in debt?
You will pay all your wages, that's a certain bet.
I don't like the look of it.
Oompa Loompa doopity dah
If you are cautious you will go far.
You can live in happiness too
Without credit like the Oompa Loompas doopity do!
(Irritating teenager is sucked down a pipe, parents watch in horror and are led away by an Oompa Loompa)