Now the hard work begins for Apple
By Jessica Mintz |
April 5, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Now that the iPad is in the hands of early adopters, the hard work for Apple Inc begins.
Eager customers intent on being among the first owners of this new class of gadgetry stood in long lines across the United States on Saturday. They seemed willing to buy first - and discover uses for the iPad later.
In some ways, it was reminiscent of the lines and hoopla surrounding the 2007 launch of the first iPhone. The difference: People knew then that the iPhone would replace their existing cell phone, an appliance that has become a must-have for everyone.
With the iPad, which fits somewhere between phone and computer, Apple must convince people who already have smartphones, laptops, e-book readers, set-top boxes and home broadband connections that they need another device that serves many of the same purposes.
Many of the earliest iPad buyers say they will have a better idea of what they'll use it for only after they've had it for a while.
That didn't stop them from imagining, though.
Beth Goza has had iPhones and other smartphones, along with a MacBook Air laptop, yet she believes the iPad has a place in her digital line-up. She likened it to a professional tennis player owning different sneakers for grass, clay and concrete courts.
"At the end of the day, you can get by with one or the other," she said outside an Apple store in Seattle's University Village mall.
But she clearly doesn't want to just "get by." She's already dreaming up specific uses for her iPad, such as knitting applications to help her keep track of her place in a complicated pattern.
Then there's Ray Majewski, who went to an Apple store in Freehold, New Jersey, with his 10-year-old daughter, Julia. The iPad is partly as a reward for her straight A's in school, and partly a present for himself.
"I like the electronic books, and my daughter is really getting into them as well," Majewski said. "I was thinking of getting a Kindle but then said to myself, 'Why not get an iPad because I can get so much more from that than just reading books?'"
The iPad is essentially a much larger version of Apple's popular iPhone, without the calling capabilities. Just a half-inch thick, the device has a touch screen that measures 9.7 inches on the diagonal. Also like the iPhone, it has no physical keyboard.
For now, Apple is selling iPads that only connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi. They start at US$499.
Versions that also have a cellular data connection will be available by the end of the month. They will cost US$130 more, with the most expensive at US$829.
Once the initial iPad excitement settles, Apple may have to work harder to persuade a broader swath of people to buy one.
Many firms have tried to sell tablet computers before, but none has caught on with mainstream consumers.
In Apple stores in Seattle and on New York's Fifth Avenue, the atmosphere was festive, with employees cheering and clapping as customers entered and left.
Eager customers intent on being among the first owners of this new class of gadgetry stood in long lines across the United States on Saturday. They seemed willing to buy first - and discover uses for the iPad later.
In some ways, it was reminiscent of the lines and hoopla surrounding the 2007 launch of the first iPhone. The difference: People knew then that the iPhone would replace their existing cell phone, an appliance that has become a must-have for everyone.
With the iPad, which fits somewhere between phone and computer, Apple must convince people who already have smartphones, laptops, e-book readers, set-top boxes and home broadband connections that they need another device that serves many of the same purposes.
Many of the earliest iPad buyers say they will have a better idea of what they'll use it for only after they've had it for a while.
That didn't stop them from imagining, though.
Beth Goza has had iPhones and other smartphones, along with a MacBook Air laptop, yet she believes the iPad has a place in her digital line-up. She likened it to a professional tennis player owning different sneakers for grass, clay and concrete courts.
"At the end of the day, you can get by with one or the other," she said outside an Apple store in Seattle's University Village mall.
But she clearly doesn't want to just "get by." She's already dreaming up specific uses for her iPad, such as knitting applications to help her keep track of her place in a complicated pattern.
Then there's Ray Majewski, who went to an Apple store in Freehold, New Jersey, with his 10-year-old daughter, Julia. The iPad is partly as a reward for her straight A's in school, and partly a present for himself.
"I like the electronic books, and my daughter is really getting into them as well," Majewski said. "I was thinking of getting a Kindle but then said to myself, 'Why not get an iPad because I can get so much more from that than just reading books?'"
The iPad is essentially a much larger version of Apple's popular iPhone, without the calling capabilities. Just a half-inch thick, the device has a touch screen that measures 9.7 inches on the diagonal. Also like the iPhone, it has no physical keyboard.
For now, Apple is selling iPads that only connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi. They start at US$499.
Versions that also have a cellular data connection will be available by the end of the month. They will cost US$130 more, with the most expensive at US$829.
Once the initial iPad excitement settles, Apple may have to work harder to persuade a broader swath of people to buy one.
Many firms have tried to sell tablet computers before, but none has caught on with mainstream consumers.
In Apple stores in Seattle and on New York's Fifth Avenue, the atmosphere was festive, with employees cheering and clapping as customers entered and left.
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