It's easy to say that you're going to buy it before it comes out. When the respondents actually see it in person and play around with it, they'll probably change their minds...
I think you're completely wrong. Once in a potential buyer's hands, Apple products have an EXTREMELY high "omg this thing is sooooo sexy. MUST. HAVE. NOW" factor. Very rarely do people desire an Apple product less, after touching it.
While it's not OLED, I'm willing to be that the iPad has a VERY nice screen, and it's all shiny and stuff. This thing will absolutely sell, though similar to the original iPhone, it will require a $200ish price drop before masses will adopt it.
For fanboys, sure. But to the average buyer, they may find its impracticality not worth the money. Chances are, the buyers already have an iPod Touch or iPhone and might say, "Why would I need this, it doesn't really add much more utility as it is just like what I already have but larger."
Yeah, touching it for the first time is cool, but when its time to shell out the money, there's definitely going to be second thoughts.
Whenever I visit a computer shop I poke around products on display, and often the apple products. Never have I gotten the feeling OMG, I gotta buy this. Mostly I get the feeling, OMG, this is annoying. Somehow all apple mice have rubbed me the wrong way, for one example. Dashboard gives me hives.
I like the looks of the apple products, usually, but then theres the apple philosophy of doing things differently, just for being different, not better. It's like french cars. Look great but then they decide to do some odd choices that spoil it.
@erik1080 The overwhelming majority of iPhone and iPod touch owners are not fanboys, they're not even Mac users, yet that didn't stop both those products from selling gangbusters. The iPad will no doubt sell itself in the hands of average consumers. That's why Apple has invested so heavily in their retail chain, so they can give people a place to try out their products. For most consumers who have some interest in the iPad, using one will most definitely be the deal clencher. To those people, all the geeky technobabble BS reasons to not get an iPad will quickly become irrelevant.
@madgunde Because they're mindless sheep. I own a 2G iPhone that I got on day 1 because the phone looked to be revolutionary. If someone actually goes in and buys this thing then they're an idiot. You can get so much more out of a netbook for a fraction of the price.
You are 100% correct. But the survey in question is comparing what people said they would do ahead of time with the iPhone and what people are saying they will do before the iPad comes out. The article above represents apples to apples (in terms of timeframe). You're point, I assume, is that apples are worthless.
People know what the iPad will do, they've seen and used an iPhone, so the iPad is not completely foreign to them (as the iPhone was before it hit the market). To Jaylittle's point, the 13% is probably a lot closer to a true number of market demand than the 9% ended up being for the iPhone.
@chripuck Yeah, like more batteries to buy to keep it going, more anti-virus/security software, more vulnerabilities and viruses, more crashes, more wait times. All that good stuff. Sorry, for the average consumer, an iPad will see way more use because it's actually usable.
You're happy with a netbook? Good for you, but the average consumer doesn't want another windows machine to have to troubleshoot and support. The iPad gives them everything they need in a smaller/lighter package and with NONE of the hassles of a netbook running a traditional desktop OS.
@madgunde "all the geeky technobabble BS reasons to not get an iPad will quickly become irrelevant."
If that is the case, the technobabble BS WILL become relevant when they go home and start using it. "Hmm, I can't really fit this in my pocket... Why won't Hulu open? Typing on this feels a bit awkward... You mean I can't minimize my programs? etc."
The only way that this thing will sell is if the buyers don't think ahead and see the ways the iPad will actually be useful to them.
@madgunde Usable in what sense? All I see here is you pointing out the downsides to Windows. Which in any case, isn't omnipresent. Moreover, your statement "an iPad will see way more use because it's actually usable." The sales figures of netbooks (bought by the average consumer) will disagree with you. If your only defense is "they bought 'em cuz dey were cheap" it's proof you can't attest to this counterargument. additionally, the quote-on-quote "usability" is lesser than a netbook.
In the end, your argument only talks about a couple downsides to a desktop OS, little do you know that the upsides outweigh both that, and the upsides of a mobile phone OS.
@N900 why do people buy netbooks when they could get a much better performing laptop?
A netbook is nothing more than a crappy, cheap laptop. They are aimed squarely at a market which uses their computer just for the basics, ie Internet, email, photos and media. An ipad does all of these things better and without the hassle of the mainstream os.
@chripuck Couldn't agree more. It's interesting. I think history will look back puzzled over the lemming type mentality that caused people to buy inferior products before looking to find there are superior offerings out there. All on crazy pills.
@N900 How can the ipad possibly be usable if you can not multitask. No camera...does not support flash(Do not say HTML5 because it wont be out till 2022) The apps that are ported from iphone will not be full screen. SO you can only do one task at one time. How is that usable. I admit.. I want to see the IPAD fail like the Newton with a passion. Apple needs to be knocked done a few notches with their control issues.
@madgunde That's true. Every person I know who owns an iPod says that they love it, but the software is crap. They also own Windows PCs. People don't care about what the PC side does, just so long as the benefits in the end outweigh the risk. I, personally, would buy an Zune HD, and a iPad.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
It's easy to say that you're going to buy it before it comes out. When the respondents actually see it in person and play around with it, they'll probably change their minds...
@erik1080
So you think looking at pictures of the iPad will be better than using it?
@erik1080
I think you're completely wrong. Once in a potential buyer's hands, Apple products have an EXTREMELY high "omg this thing is sooooo sexy. MUST. HAVE. NOW" factor. Very rarely do people desire an Apple product less, after touching it.
While it's not OLED, I'm willing to be that the iPad has a VERY nice screen, and it's all shiny and stuff. This thing will absolutely sell, though similar to the original iPhone, it will require a $200ish price drop before masses will adopt it.
@crawdad689 @martynmcfarquhar
For fanboys, sure. But to the average buyer, they may find its impracticality not worth the money. Chances are, the buyers already have an iPod Touch or iPhone and might say, "Why would I need this, it doesn't really add much more utility as it is just like what I already have but larger."
Yeah, touching it for the first time is cool, but when its time to shell out the money, there's definitely going to be second thoughts.
@crawdad689
Whenever I visit a computer shop I poke around products on display, and often the apple products. Never have I gotten the feeling OMG, I gotta buy this. Mostly I get the feeling, OMG, this is annoying. Somehow all apple mice have rubbed me the wrong way, for one example. Dashboard gives me hives.
I like the looks of the apple products, usually, but then theres the apple philosophy of doing things differently, just for being different, not better. It's like french cars. Look great but then they decide to do some odd choices that spoil it.
@erik1080 The overwhelming majority of iPhone and iPod touch owners are not fanboys, they're not even Mac users, yet that didn't stop both those products from selling gangbusters. The iPad will no doubt sell itself in the hands of average consumers. That's why Apple has invested so heavily in their retail chain, so they can give people a place to try out their products. For most consumers who have some interest in the iPad, using one will most definitely be the deal clencher. To those people, all the geeky technobabble BS reasons to not get an iPad will quickly become irrelevant.
@madgunde Because they're mindless sheep. I own a 2G iPhone that I got on day 1 because the phone looked to be revolutionary. If someone actually goes in and buys this thing then they're an idiot. You can get so much more out of a netbook for a fraction of the price.
@erik1080
You are 100% correct. But the survey in question is comparing what people said they would do ahead of time with the iPhone and what people are saying they will do before the iPad comes out. The article above represents apples to apples (in terms of timeframe). You're point, I assume, is that apples are worthless.
People know what the iPad will do, they've seen and used an iPhone, so the iPad is not completely foreign to them (as the iPhone was before it hit the market). To Jaylittle's point, the 13% is probably a lot closer to a true number of market demand than the 9% ended up being for the iPhone.
@chripuck Yeah, like more batteries to buy to keep it going, more anti-virus/security software, more vulnerabilities and viruses, more crashes, more wait times. All that good stuff. Sorry, for the average consumer, an iPad will see way more use because it's actually usable.
You're happy with a netbook? Good for you, but the average consumer doesn't want another windows machine to have to troubleshoot and support. The iPad gives them everything they need in a smaller/lighter package and with NONE of the hassles of a netbook running a traditional desktop OS.
@madgunde
"all the geeky technobabble BS reasons to not get an iPad will quickly become irrelevant."
If that is the case, the technobabble BS WILL become relevant when they go home and start using it. "Hmm, I can't really fit this in my pocket... Why won't Hulu open? Typing on this feels a bit awkward... You mean I can't minimize my programs? etc."
The only way that this thing will sell is if the buyers don't think ahead and see the ways the iPad will actually be useful to them.
@madgunde Usable in what sense? All I see here is you pointing out the downsides to Windows. Which in any case, isn't omnipresent. Moreover, your statement "an iPad will see way more use because it's actually usable." The sales figures of netbooks (bought by the average consumer) will disagree with you. If your only defense is "they bought 'em cuz dey were cheap" it's proof you can't attest to this counterargument. additionally, the quote-on-quote "usability" is lesser than a netbook.
In the end, your argument only talks about a couple downsides to a desktop OS, little do you know that the upsides outweigh both that, and the upsides of a mobile phone OS.
@N900
why do people buy netbooks when they could get a much better performing laptop?
A netbook is nothing more than a crappy, cheap laptop. They are aimed squarely at a market which uses their computer just for the basics, ie Internet, email, photos and media. An ipad does all of these things better and without the hassle of the mainstream os.
@erik1080
Both sides will change their minds. But which side is affected more heavily?
@chripuck
Couldn't agree more. It's interesting. I think history will look back puzzled over the lemming type mentality that caused people to buy inferior products before looking to find there are superior offerings out there. All on crazy pills.
@N900 How can the ipad possibly be usable if you can not multitask. No camera...does not support flash(Do not say HTML5 because it wont be out till 2022) The apps that are ported from iphone will not be full screen. SO you can only do one task at one time. How is that usable. I admit.. I want to see the IPAD fail like the Newton with a passion. Apple needs to be knocked done a few notches with their control issues.
@madgunde That's true. Every person I know who owns an iPod says that they love it, but the software is crap. They also own Windows PCs. People don't care about what the PC side does, just so long as the benefits in the end outweigh the risk. I, personally, would buy an Zune HD, and a iPad.