A pple is getting some bad publicity in the form of consumer complaints about the iPod and the dual-USB iBooks. Reuters has published a story that has been picked up by many news outlets about campaigns to start class-action lawsuits against Apple for problems that some are saying is widespread. Neither campaign is new, but the Reuters article brings far more attention to them than the stories that have circulated in the Mac Web. From the Reuters article:
As enthusiasts devoted to Apple prepare to descend on San Francisco next week for the annual Macworld conference, at least two online petitions have collected hundreds of signatures from potential plaintiffs seeking to file lawsuits over claims of defects in the iBook laptop.
Another growing source of complaints surrounds Appleis wildly-popular iPod line of digital music players, which many enthusiasts believe will get an upgrade at Macworld with the introduction of smaller, less-expensive models and a range of case colors.
In California, a lawsuit seeking class-action status is expected to be filed January against the company over the claim that Appleis warranty does not run long enough to cover problems with the playeris battery.
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Taken together, both consumer campaigns against a company that prides itself on high standards for design and engineering threaten to cast a shadow over Macworld, historically a forum for Apple and its charismatic leader, Steve Jobs, to showcase new products and innovations
There is much more on both campaigns in the full article.