Apple Stores, Best Buys not the only places to get an iPad on Saturday
By Chris Ziegler 
posted April 1st 2010 12:24PM
posted April 1st 2010 12:24PM
It turns out that "select" Apple Specialist locations -- independently-owned stores authorized by Apple to sell and service its products -- will be getting iPad stock to sell on Saturday. In our experience it's hit-or-miss; we've called a few locations around the country this morning and have been given answers ranging from "no" to "we'll have display units, not retail units" to a straight-up "yes," so we recommend that you call the Specialist near you if you're looking for a stealth way to avoid the bedlam that's likely going to be brewing at proper Apple Stores. Complicating matters, though, is the fact that we're also being told these Specialists are currently under NDA, which means you might not be able to get a straight answer out of 'em today -- but hey, at least be on notice that you've got a Plan B (or C) if neither Apple nor Best Buy are able to hook you up in about 48 hours' time.
Ill be stopping buy to test one out. Im curious to see what the hype is all about.
@reader1 great April fools day joke
@reader1
The iPad marks the beginning of the second generation of Apple producing an inferior product that will be purchased merely on the basis of hype.
@eminisp
I was under the impression that first ipads were sold out.
Now they have them in stock on shops.
Go figure.
@reader1
Ridiculous.
"In 5-10 years, if a Mac doesn't have an app store people are going to wonder "How do I get apps on this thing? Where's the app store?" "
Corrected for you.
@reader1
I think the change will be more towards SAS (Software as a Service) than walled gardens (a la App Stores).
You can already see the trend towards SAS with Gmail, Salesforce.com, TurboTax.com, etc.
The Client/Server model is in vogue; it's the 70's all over again!
@horizontaleight oh yea & NOT because the average person may actually LIKE the product & doesn't CARE about things like flash or multi-tasking & are JUST fine with push & a few likely good or great Apps that will be released with the iPad.
It's definitely NOT because many consumers TRUST the Apple brand & actually LOVE their good & sometimes great products & don't just focus on the few negatives but the many benefits these devices MAY have given them over previous phones or devices they may have owned in the past.
For every inferiority I'm positive I can name an alternate superiority that maybe you Tech junkie may not give a sh*t about, but the average consumer, the mass market, LOVES. Get your heads out of Techie butts sometimes & stop making such rash statements. I mean hey, I still read them & find you guys as hilarious hating d*ckh**ds sometimes; but sometimes, JUST SOMETIMES, y'all need to relax.
@Tuan X
The average person is wrong.
Hating d*ckh**d
Sent from my Toilet
@horizontaleight ... 'wrong', based on the standard I've seen here in the comment threads, is a VERY subjective term.
@newone. Apple's press release was their stores and Best Buy only. Which makes me wonder if these select shops are the ones that have Saturday UPS and typically fairly early so they had a handful of employees each pre-order two ipads and are going to resell them to customers
I hope Jo-Anns has it.
Form a line at my apartment. I'm an authorized Pad-tailer.
@xirsteon I forgot to mention:
When you click on something, it opens and guess what? Magical. Revolutionary.
@xirsteon
Why don't you speak to some of your non-techhead friends if you have any. Just because you're not impressed with how the iPad operates doesn't mean that consumers aren't. You think everyone is aware of multitouch tech, well, you're wrong. I know a number of people that have never used it. You just don't get it because you're a tech genius. Ask your mom or dad what they know about multitouch and they'll be scratching their heads. Give 'em an iPad and they'll think it's magic. Don't believe me, try it for yourself. I'm not talking about ATM kiosk touch since many people use those. I'm talking about full-gestured multitouch. It's not as common as you think.
I wonder if i can find one at the end of a rainbow somewhere.
The terrorists have won
I'll wait until amazon sells it For a little cheaper than apple.
Oh crap I'm shocked D:
They're also for sale at Walgreen's, you know what aisle to find them...
Lets see how fast they end up on ebay and for what price ...I'm guessing 1500 starting price and at least 2 bids lol
Damn you US-ers; we've to wait another month in the UK!
@Zcott
As an Englishman, I can't say I'm that bothered.
They must have plenty of these sitting around to send to small shops etc. The real question is, how will this thing sell AFTER the horde of apple fannies have gotten theirs.
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
Hardin Computers in Arlington, TX will not be carrying it at rollout. FYI
@Robbzilla will they be getting any afterwards? .I really love their service and I won't be going to an official apple store any time soon since they are so close by.
@sharukh007 Not too sure. I called the store and they'd never heard this rumor. So unless he was a pretty good actor, there won't be any at Hardin Saturday. I'm sure they'll get them though, being the only store that's sold Apple in the Metroplex solidly for the last 30 years.
I have a feeling that The Shack may be carrying them soon enough, as well. When they started getting large quantities of iPhone cases, I knew something was up. Well, iPad skins are apparently on the way.
seriously why? who cares, tablets have never been mainstream, what makes this over-sized iPod Touch anything better than it's predecessors? why build hype on something that is an overpriced, oversized finger print collector?
I feel bad for the ppl who actually go out and buy it because they are wasting money. But then again, I really don't, it's their dumb ass decision.
@greenplastic
I guess you missed the reviews by Walt Mossberg, Ed Baig, David Pogue, and the article in Time magazine, all raving about it, and saying it lives up to the hype.
I await the inevitable claim that these guys are all paid apple-fanboys. Maybe its possible they actually like the device??
@greenplastic
What makes the iPad tablet better than all the others? Because it's made by Apple and Steve Jobs birthed it out of his cosmic uterus. That guarantees six million iPads will be sold this year. The iPad will be sold out in two to three days and consumers will be in tears for not grabbing one when they had the chance.
Just publish another ipad article before the day is out... just doit i dare you
you can order through macmall, pay no tax, ships Saturday arrives Tuesday. By wait a few days you save enough to buy junky accessories.
Can't wait to feed my petville pet on on my ipad
@Filthymcnasty
Doesn't petville use flash? Or you where being sarcastic and I failed.
@kitsune. Can't wait to do my farmville on my ipad
@Filthymcnasty
Okay got it I failed.
I wonder what Josh is up to? He hasn't posted an article since Mar 29th 2010 at 3:33PM, hmmmm........
I never post to Engadget, but this is a special situation. The iPad WILL be available at Peachmac on Saturday. Peachmac is a chain of three Apple stores in Georgia founded by Daryl Peck, who started outpost.com in the 90's. I should know, I reserved mine right after the keynote and am planning to be numero uno in line in Macon Georga :D
http://www.peachmac.com/blog/?p=216
http://www.peachmac.com
@nissaneuphoria
I'm so thrilled for you, you're the best.
@nissaneuphoria I will see you there - make sure to say hey!
@NoahD Yeah! I'm going wait till around lunchtime and if I'm not called yet I'm just going go hang out/loiter till it comes. Paid for it today :D
@nissaneuphoria I hope you are the ultimate troll, if not congrats on wasting your money.
@hated one
You're right. This is Apple, so it's magical and revolutionary. And made from unicorn dust.
but it's one big april fools!! http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,39029450,49305388,00.htm
@speculatrix
Priceless, thank you.
The Portland State university bookstore is supposedly going to have units on hand on Saturday. I can't imagine they are going to have much of a crowd, if anyone in Portland wants to snag one without much of a hassle. Personally, I'm going to wait until the whole iPhone OS 4.0 situation is all straightened out before I seriously consider it, and I suggest all of you do the same.
In Georgia, PeachMac will have it - Athens, Augusta, & Macon.
Shame on Apple for continually ignoring those companies which stood by it during the hard times before Steve came back in 1997. For instance, Micro Center, which had the first "Apple Store Within A Store" concept, has no iPads for sale (when I checked on Tuesday). I wonder how many mom & pop retailers who were there when the Apple II was rolled out have been similarly ignored?