Consumers Not Interested And Don't Need An Apple iPad

A new study shows that a lot of consumers just don't care too much about Apple's iPad tablet after the public announcement for it. In fact, the numbers seemed to double when it came to consumers losing interest in Apple's new device.

[cyguration]

before it even arrives? That's a bit ironic.

[blind-reaper]

And still will sell just because it haves a little bitten apple in the back.

[zeeshan]

There are enough Apple fanboys that Apple will make a little profit out of it but I don't expect it to be a game changer at all. In fact, if anything, Steve Jobs will soon be kicking himself for not upgrading iPhone and investing heavily in iPad.

I like Apple's product and I think they have innovated a lot of cool stuff ipod, iphone etc but iPad just doesn't make ANY sense to me. I don't understand it's application in normal life and I just can't imagine what iPad can do that my Laptop can't do besides the touch screen crap?

[Panthers]

I think you guys are wrong. Apple products are either wildly successful or fail. There are not enough fanboys of any company to support a product. It needs mass appeal and this does not have it. It seems like an oversized iPhone. I think people just wanted a tablet PC running on MacOS, not this gimmickry thing.

[Hoolock]

If I had the spare cash to buy the iPad I would get one. It's cool and I would happily use it to read books and browse the internet and even some of the word editing and note stuff but its not really a very practical device if you want mass's of functionality. Its great at what it does but doesn't do enough for me to justify me handing over the cash yet.

[Moentjers]

I was waiting for this one: I don't have internet access on the job so at noon the iPad will help me go online without bothering about the local network. + The Mac OS + bigger than iPhone or netbook but smaller (lighter) than a Notebook. No separate bag needed... big difference !

Although Win7 seems a lot better than Vista, I'm still not sure it will be the future for portable devices.

Close a Windows notebook (wireless connection, several applications up and running, wireless mouse) and reopen it.
Do the same with an MacBook... see the difference !

[Dorfdad]

Epic fail and crap article sorry..Anyone that mentions the iPad is a retarded iTouch loses all credibility, and clearly doesn't know the topic hes posting on. While the elites on here will cry failure they are plain stupid. The iPad will be a HUGE success. There are some many reasons why that I can't explain here. Im a PC and Apple Fanboy but the iPad will be bigger than the kindle in short time.

[madpuppy]

I think that you have been drinking too much of the Apple kool aid.

I will direct you to some Apple failures just so you understand that Steve Jobs isn't the Christ.

The Pippin
The Newton
the IIc
the Lisa
the g4 cube
the crt based imac

and that is just the ones off the top of my head.

don't worry, man It's OK for a company to release a failure once in a while. keeps them on their toes.

[wicko]

And if it does I will have lost faith in humanity. At this point if anyone picks it up its because it's an apple product.

[butterfinger]

does become "bigger than the Kindle", it will be due to Apple locking down certain big name publishers mostly. I honestly couldn't imagine this thing selling all that amazingly well, but I am planning on picking one up due to the fact that I have a LOT of time at my job where I am literally travelling/doing nothing, and I love the idea of having my books, music, and movies/TV shows on one device that is large enough to make it worth watching. I have a feeling that this will go the way of the MacBook Air, where a lot of people will think it is a neat idea, but most people will realize they don't have much use for it.

[Shadowstar]

@2.2 -- I'm buying it because it fits my needs-- light internet surfing, maybe some games, no contract with a phone company but 3G access for whatever I want, bigger screen to allow some reading. I could get a Kindle, sure, but I'd like the flexibility of something that has more than one function, and ePaper didn't really pan out like I'd hoped. I could get a laptop, sure, but I already have one and it really needs a laptop case to carry around with me, while this has dimensions so that it will fit in my purse. I have actually wanted a tablet style computer for a long while. Of course, I could get a tablet PC with a full operating system, but those have been out for years and still haven't got true software support (ie, general programs that take advantage of touch screens), while Apple has already shown it wants to get software on it by showing their iWork suite with an interface designed specifically for the touch interface instead of the mouse/keyboard. (I've also considered the JooJoo. My overall experiences with Apple make it win out, so there, you're right. I'd choose the iPad over the JooJoo because Apple, a company with a good deal of history instead of a start up, makes it.)

It doesn't fit your needs, and that's fine, but to say that anyone who gets it is only getting it because it's from Apple? No. It's not the only reason.

[TOSgamer]

I love how people saying they will buy this because it fits their needs. Then they shoot off a few reasons none of which a netbook for about 60% of the price can't do. Face it you want it because it has an apple logo on the back. Nothing more nothing less.

[Shadowstar]

Uh huh.

The netbook can fit in my purse? Really? Show me, please.

I have a laptop. I don't need a cheaper one.

My boss bought a netbook. He used it in meetings for about a month before he went back to pen and paper. Really, those netbooks are awesome! Maybe the iPad will end up being just as clunky for me to take notes on (assuming I bother doing that-- it really isn't what I intend it to do, I'm just an internet junkie), but I already know that the netbook won't fit my needs.

[TOSgamer]

A 10" netbook is the same dimensions as a ipad except it is .5 inches thicker. So unless your purse doesn't have an extra half inch of width to spare then yes it will fit. Slimmer and smaller netbooks should be coming out soon as well, now that Intel has integrated the graphics and memory controller onto the same die of the Atom processor. Especially if people don't mind buying gimped devices like the ipad. See other companies can remove usb ports, vga port, ethernet port and memory card readers too. Apple isn't doing anything magical by removing features, they are just one of the few companies with the gall to sell gimped products at a premium. BTW if your boss had trouble typing on a netbook see how long he lasts on a ipad with no real keys and staring down at his desk...

[SaiyanFury]

Well it's ultimately up to the individual consumer. As a person who has both a modern gaming PC and a modern laptop running Windows 7 with good hardware, I have no need for an iPad. If those people find that they need an iPad to supplement their modern mobile lifestyle, it's fine. I, personally won't be getting one because of several things. First, the price. I'm not paying that much for something I don't need. I don't subscribe to Apple's totalitarian policies. My electronics facilitate me very well without contributing an Apple device to my lifestyle. But for those who want it, there's nothing wrong with that. Most who seem to have an iPhone don't want it, as it might seem unnecessary. But hey, this is only one man's opinion.

[butterfinger]

Wow, the iPad is the same dimensions as a netbook?! EPIC FAIL. Have you ever seen a newer netbook in your life? They are small, but bulky, and now have those horrendous 6-cell battery packs hanging off in random areas. The software is the real problem, because Windows 7, although better than all other Windows OS, is still a slow, buggy POS compared to OSX. I had an HP mini for about 3 months with Windows 7 home premium, and it ran like absolute crap. Guess what I found out? EVERY netbook I have used has been slow, and a hassle. It's so funny how ignorant people like yourself like to bash people that buy Apple products, saying that we buy it because Apple makes us think it's cool or some other garbage, when in reality, you are just acting like a dbag that thinks they are better than everyone else. It's not my fault that you can't afford an iPad, or various other Apple products, but for those of us that can, it is truly a MUCH better experience than PCs seem to offer. If I want a computer with the buggiest software on Earth, I will simply buy any PC on the market.

[thewhoopimen]

Agreed. Netbooks can do "everything" but they are slow as molasses and that makes them literally next to useless when i just need to jot down notes. Open netbook, wait, wait for it to come out sleep, wait wait... f**k that. My Lenovo S-10 runs faster on OSX 10.6 than Winblows 7 and I still have issues with it for casual use. Since owning one of these crap buggers, my key criteria has changed from pure portability, to usability with speed. If the iPad can do 80% of what a netbook can do at 500% the speed (which it sounds like it does with instant on, etc.) then I would buy it.

[TOSgamer]

@2.9 Yes and that's exactly why you're an Apple douche. I can't afford an ipad?! ahahahahahahah I can't afford a new Porshe or a condo on the beach. A frickin' ipad? Please... There is a big difference between not being able to afford one(which anyone with a job can do) and having the sense not to waste my money. But that's what makes you a hipster loser. Insinuating people don't have money if they don't WANT to pay for overpriced crap.

BTW my Lenovo S10 with a 3 cell battery measures 9.75 inches by 7.25 inches by 1 inch. Compared to 9.56 in x 7.47 in x 0.5 inches for the ipad. I guess that makes you a complete moron...

@2.10 Don't know what's wrong with your Lenovo S10 but it takes mine about 7 secs to get out of sleep mode with Windows 7 home.

[butterfinger]

Wow, look how cool you are with your ability to call people names! You are definitely the coolest poor person with a cheap netbook, I must say. I hope you have all of your antivirus software up to date, wouldn't want that fragile baby to crash on ya. IDK about you, but the $700 isn't a lot of money for me, so of course I don't mind picking up something that I will find extremely useful. Perhaps your parents will pay for half of it as your Christmas present next year?

Oh yeah, sorry to hear about your 3-cell battery. I hope you enjoy your extremely limited portability/battery life and/or have a car charger.

[Shadowstar]

@TOSgamer

7 seconds? That seems atrocious. You really don't find 7 seconds to be a long time when you only want to use it for a 20 second google search? Droid and iPhone users always seem to have the net less than a second away...

[Gago]

why the hell would any person with half brain buy an over sized ipod touch, that doubles as a gimped tablet pc

[dan_chan89]

THIS^^^

[thewhoopimen]

Because that oversized iPod might just be the right bridge between a notebook vs a PDA. Netbooks fail for this job b/c they try to do everything and they suck in speed. PDA/phones are fast but the screens fail. Notebooks are too clunky for casual enjoyment. I use 90% of my netbook for surfing and some notetaking/word processing. For that... it sucks cuz its SOOO slow.

[Xi]

In the future the Ipad will be the size of a wallet, and it will feature the ability to send and receive phone calls and texts messages...

mark my words.

(/s)

[MegadethAndy]

Everyone is competing for our hard earned cash. There are more products on the market than ever before, so the money we spend is dividing more and more.
Not sure what im getting at here (lol) but if they want our cash, it better be worth it (thats goes for all products).

[Varodor]

They get into mine brain aAAAAA
...I Don't Need An Apple iPad

[butterfinger]

is wrong, but how much credibility does a poll from "retrevo" have? This write up about it clearly shows that the author doesn't like it at all (like most of you), and I don't see any real poll statistics (age group, how many surveyed, how they were surveyed, etc.). I bet the iPad has strong initial sales and then it dies down quickly.

[leftbehindxp]

Very good points there. This is from the source itself:

About Retrevo Pulse Report
Data for this report came from a study of more than 1000 randomly selected Retrevo users. A first random sample of users were surveyed between Jan 16-20, 2010 before the Apple Tablet was announced. A second random sample of users were surveyed between Jan 27 – Feb 3, 2010, after the announcement. The sample was distributed across gender, age, income and location in the United States. Most questions had a confidence interval of 4% at a 95% confidence level.

[ironmonkey]

they say they dont need it you know what its gonna sell

[labwarrior]

But i can't see how, the huge screen means a HUGE price

[jharv]

Between owning a smartphone and a laptop, what's the point in owning this?

[UnasFortuna]

It does fit a lot of peoples' needs (despite what some are denying above). It has nothing to do with being a diehard apple fan (for I am far from it). I have Ipods/Touchs, Iphone and that is it. Have never owned other apple products for I don't personally like the mac. Humm... what does it do that a netbook or laptop can't... good question. There is nothing that a laptop couldn't do that this can do. Have also owned tons of different pdas/smartphones. There are many things you can't do easily on a smartphone. Such as an e-reader. The small screens are just not made for it. It is not looking to replace a laptop. Netbooks... hate em. As far as the IPad goes..., I am split on Apples' decisions on it construction, but I love the premise. I was going to buy a kindle but I hated spending that much money (and I would have bought the bigger screen...so that is much more than the smaller original version) on a device that has only one very limited function. I love the Book Reader interface on the IPad. If Apple plays this right... they will have to bring on some huge publishers. This device is perfect for web surfing without having to drag out a laptop or netbook. Quick for movies, music, etc also without having to drag out a larger piece of equipment. I have three laptops and two are some of the lightest on the market... they are still a pain to travel with due to the cases, etc... With this you can literally just pull this out of a small bag or whatever and do many different things. The touch interface on the iphone/itouch is one of the best on the market and that is one of the draws of those products. Granted it is overpriced since it is not a true tablet pc which many were expecting... but I still am planning on getting one. As widespread as wireless hotspots are nowadays, you don't even need the 3G chip; however, I plan on getting that one due to ease and convenience. Apple is not targeting this product at the general public and that is what people need to remember. It is a niche product but will still sell well in my opinion (especially after the price comes down... which it will).

[Double Toasted]

...they won't buy it are the people who can't afford it. That was me when I thought it was going to be at least $1000, but when I seen it was actually half of that...I now have my sights on picking one up.

[madpuppy]

"People who say...
...they won't buy it are the people who can't afford it."

That is a pretty smug statement, I have read it so many times by people that worship at the feet of Holy Jobs.

Just because someone doesn't want something doesn't mean they cannot afford it, Sometimes it is a worthless POS and/or an alternative is better.

Apple products (and their owners)have more in common With Harley Davidson than other electronics Companies.

[velaxun]

That doesn't make the slightest bit of sense...... If I can afford a new HDTV, PS3 and continuous upgrades to a PC while living in my own place I'm pretty sure I could afford the big ipod Jobs is toting around. I just don't want one. I just don't the point of paying 500$ for something that does much MUCH less than a netbook would for half the price....

[KillerPwned]

@ madpuppy

Very true i could get one but i rather spend the money on my house then just buy one product. That to me all its gonna be is a ipod with a bigger screen.

I think it has the potential to be a great product to me tho its just a ipod with a bigger screen.

[stardusk]

I think once some innovative software starts flowing in, people will have seconds thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[leftbehindxp]

Personally I'm looking for a e-reader, and if the iPad develops into a good one then hell yeah purchase for me. If not then it's the kindle. But, I'm gonna wait for the next installment and I imagined a lot of other people as well. Work the bugs out, get better technology such as a camera or perhaps flash support (but doubt that). Wish the survey asked a question concerning that topic.

You guys hopefully checked out the website that this article is talking about, pretty interesting. http://www.retrevo.com/cont...
Downside is that this data is only based off of users on retrevo, but everything else about the study seems sound. Can't generalize consumers based off one website. Also the article point out about how there was a slight increase of people defiantly/wanting to purchase it after the announcement.

[frankymv]

Main demographic for this are adults/physicians/attorneys and college students (for text replacement). It will sell very well.

[DJ]

For those who prefer to use Internet and watch Movies. But the lack of Flash support is pretty embarressing, and puts Apple in a slightly inferior position compared to other tablet makers.

The device itself is perfect; it's jut that one odd omission that will have a lot of purchasers confused once they go online. It's not like there's a warning on Ipod and Ipad devices stating "Only supports part of the internet."

[KillerPwned]

Personally i just think this thing is for people always on the go and business type of people that would use it for those reasons. But you can use this thing as a cell phone? Who would wanna use something that big? The price to is just to much IMO. Your looking at $500-$900 depending what model you want.

Id say for anyone that wants to get one wait for the hardware to get out of its stages of prototype (the first shipments) and a possible price drop. In this day and age i don`t understand how someone could afford to blow this amount of money on something like this when you could buy a completely new pc. Or invest in things for your home.

I own a 32GB 3G ipod touch im good. Tho this device is nice i don`t think its just for the run of the mill consumer looking for something with a big screen and can do multipl things.