When I read about the new pricing rollback (8GB iPhones being reduced in price by $200) I was mad and I don’t even own one.

This pricing rollback is intended to stimulate holiday sales, and it will, a slew of them. Even though the next holiday I can think of is halloween. Hmmm… maybe we can hand them out to our trick-or-treaters since we only get about two of them here at our house.

Seems a lot of other people were mad, too. How would you feel if you were one of the first to get on board with an iPhone or two? Remember, these things have only been out there for, what, three months?

Steve Jobs released an “open letter” today, in which he acknowledged that Apple needed to “take care of early customers.” (You can read the entire letter over at www.macrumors.com.)And the way they are being taken care of is that they’ll get $100 store credits toward the purchase of any item in any Apple store.

I simply don’t think that’s fair.

Why not a $100 rebate AND a $100 store credit? Where would the iPhone be if not for those who were willing to spend big bucks to be the first to own it?

Most of the comments I skimmed quickly over at MacRumors.com indicate people are happy, and they are singing hallelujah to Apple for being responsive and allowing them to get more stuff at their local Apple store. And while they are in there, they will happily plunk down more $ for other Apple stuff. Apple wins big with this move, but I don’t like it.

Apple is able to tag their items with premium pricing for what are, admittedly, superior products, and we who adore that product line just keep handing over our hard-earned cash flow. Talk about loyal consumers.

C’mon Steve. You can do more.