I admit it. After years (decades?) of being wrapped in the thrall of the Microsoft/PC world, I am now firmly planted in the wonderful world of Apple. In my case, it started with my kids -- they're the ones who first brought iPods and iTunes digital music downloads into our home, back when I was still hooked on CDs and the Sony Walkman. Then it was my daughter who convinced my wife and I to buy her a MacBook laptop computer, and next my oldest son who bought himself a 24" iMac desktop computer. Finally, the last straw was when my wife bought an iPhone. While I had stood on the sidelines during this steady Apple-ization of the Economy household, I could stand by no longer. I bought my own iPhone, realized what an amazing device it is (no other phone comes close), and I have now taken an oath of eternal allegiance to Apple. To seal the pact, I recently ordered the new iPhone 4 and there's a shiny new 27" iMac i5 on my desk.

Imagine my concern when I read the news that many of the people who got their hands on an iPhone 4 on June 24, the first day of release (1.5 million iPhone 4s were sold on that first day), found there was a problem with the phone's antenna, which is built into the metal band that circles the outside of the phone. According to a flurry of reports in the technology press, when you cup the phone in your palm a certain way (coincidentally, the exact way I hold my own phone), then the antenna loses reception and calls are dropped. For a phone, that's a pretty major design issue. In fact, some might consider it to be a fatal flaw.

Apparently, however, Steve Jobs didn't think so. When asked about the problem via email, he did a Marie Antoinette, curtly responding: "Non issue. Just avoid holding it in that way."

Sorry. Wrong answer.

While Steve can perhaps be excused for shooting from the hip in an email response about this issue, Apple itself cannot be excused for ignoring what may very well turn out to be a fundamental design flaw in the new iPhone 4. And neither Steve nor Apple can be excused from this arrogant lack of concern for the customers on whom the company depends for its current good fortune. No company -- regardless of how well it is doing today -- can afford to ignore its customers, and to treat their problems as "non-issues." Technology changes far too quickly, and what's "in" today, is "out" tomorrow. Just ask Bill Gates and Microsoft.

In the days since, both Steve Jobs and Apple have admitted that there is a problem, and the company is reportedly working on a fix. The good news is that this antenna issue may turn out to be fixable through an operating system update, which may be issued as soon as Monday.

If so, then Apple fans around the world (including me) will be able to sleep easier at night, and all will be right again in the wonderful world of Apple.