Apple takes on teen's college fund start-up business

[Hannah Bell]

A 17-year-old geek from Queens has turned the fervor for the unreleased white iPhone 4 into a six-figure business — enough to send himself to college, so long as he can stay out of trouble with the law.

The unbelievable demand among Apple enthusiasts for the long-delayed white version of the iPhone 4 has been compared to the hunt for that legendary white whale, Moby Dick.

So when Fei Lam, a high school senior and gadget nerd, got a tip about buying up some white iPhone 4 parts, he saw the opportunity to finally make his passion for electronics pay off.

According to Lam, who speaks fluent Chinese, about six months ago he was able to make a connection with Apple's infamous overseas supplier. "I knew a guy from a few years back that had somewhat of a relationship with folks in Foxconn," Lam told The Observer by email.

http://www.observer.com/2010/daily-transom/white-iphone-four-sending-kid-college


I don't speak apple. as i understand it, so many people want a *white* iphone (as opposed to a black, pink or whatever other color), which apple doesn't sell, that the kid can make 6 figures supplying white plastic components?

and apple, rather than produce the white phone with same simple white plastic, goes after the kid?

my response = people are stupid.

[HEyHEY]

1. selling stolen goods.... sorry buddy.. that's a crime, not a business.

[Hannah Bell]

2. not stolen goods. and as the article notes, jobs got his start actually ripping off the phone

company. for real stealing, not selling a conversion kit to produce a white phone apple doesn't offer.

[HEyHEY]

3. I thought it said he bought them stolen from the factory

[Hannah Bell]

4. didn't say anything like that.

"I got an email from a private investigator accusing me of selling stolen goods, which I'm 100 percent sure is not the case."

[HEyHEY]

5. ahhhh

well then, up yours, Steve Jobs

[baldguy]

6. No stolen goods.

He buys the parts legally in China, imports them legally into the US, and legally replaces the black parts with the white parts, and since he's not changing the operational parts or the functionality of the phone, he sells them legally in the US.

Woz actually bought one from him.

Apple's problem that they can't control the supply chain for one reason or another, and can't restrict what their supplier does. So they go after the little guy just trying to make a buck, and "make an example" of him.