Wow, A-CAP is basically wrong about everything. They're fringe benefits, not French benefits, dude.
Anyway, yeah, I haven't gotten the credit yet because no one has. I'm not sure I'm eligible since I paid $0 for my iPhone, but if all you have to do is enter a serial number then I'll sure as hell try to get the galactic credits anyway.
I can't say I'm surprised that they'd lower the price of the iPhone, and I'm not even surprised to hear people complaining about a price drop. I'm just surprised they dropped the price so quickly.
The reason people are complaining of course is that it makes iPhone more affordable and accessible, and therefore less "elite" to own. I'd be happy if everyone had an iPhone (although only because I make the internet and am making iPhone-centric apps) because someone else's phone makes mine no less awesome. Also, larger market share (i.e. more success of the product) means faster lifecycles, faster improvements, and a better product overall.
I thought the iPod 4G was about the perfect music player. The iPod classic now bears that distinction. The new "touch" and iPhone are more specialty convergence products, although now that even the lower end iPods play video it won't be long before every iPod is a convergence product of some kind or another and people will just expect their walkmans to get the internet.