Apple iPad – Who’s Buying One?

Feb 8, 2010 Author: Daniel | Filed under: Apple, Technology

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There’s alot of bashing on the Apple iPad. While I am neither an advocate or a basher myself, I just want to provide some perspective here on what’s behind “Steve Jobs” mind when he said the iPad was his most important work for years. To the critics, “So who’s buying the iPad?” And in addition, let’s also look at some previous comments about the iPhone launch. The Apple iPhone had became a phenomenal success, hasn’t it?

Let’s continue, shall we?

Yes iPad didn’t live the hype because you all think Steve is making a Cray Supercomputer instead of a mobile device. You say it doesn’t have this or that… Sure you’re right but you know what, if it does, it’d be a Macbook replacement and it’d cost $999 not $499. And it’d have cannibalized it’s own product which would be stupid to do.

Steve did a great job because it’s a gap filler. You now have the iPod, iTouch, iPhone, iPad, iMac, MacBook/Powerbook. It completes the line up and yet does some but not a complete cross-over.

Fact is, the device will drive sales to people who are not using a computer right now. That’s a huge majority of people on this planet (may be upper of 70%)!!!! And that’s alot of dollars coming in!!!! So who are these 70% of the world population who don’t actively use a computer?

I get one because I can give it to my parents and grand-parents. Think of the last time you try teaching your Mom how to use a computer? Remember the time when you try teaching her the difference between double-click and single click in Windows? Drives me bonkers!!! These people will never use a desktop or laptop, nor a Kindle, but they will sure use the iPad !!! Why because you don’t need to wait for it to boot, you don’t have a crazy interface, and it works beautifully that anyone can use.

It’s also for the stay home Moms, the grandpa who wants to see their granbdkids’ photos, the hospital worker, the real estate agent, the sales guy on the road, the primary school kids who doesn’t want a 5-pound backpack.

It’s also for the Corporate. Stop giving employees a laptop when they don’t need them. Give them an iPad to the sales and marketing folks. They can do Google Doc, surf the intranet and do mail on it.

Most analyst got it wrong when they criticize it doesn’t have this or that because you still think of it as a Laptop computer. But frankly Steve doesn’t give a sh*t about you folks who already have an iPhone, and/or a laptop. If you’re rich enough you can get one for the novelty and the luxury sure. For example, you can count those of us who wants one to replace my guest computer for friends, and also become a good device to surf the web on the couch, in bed or in the bathroom even.

For folks who thinks Kindle is still better. True if you only wants to read books. Even my grandpa, my aunt, and probably everyone else would wants to do more than that once they realize how easy it is. I can tell you there’re millions of small business (e.g. flower shops, to-go eatery, restaurants etc) who don’t even need a computer. But if you show them one that’s so easy to use and so cheap, they’ll get one. If you show them how beautiful and cool it looks, they’ll buy it. Yes, Kindle can read books but the ability to surf the web is a must. Color screens are great and the iPad does so much more.

And for you guys who wants multi-tasking and other crap, go and continue using your netbook/notebook. Keep doing those Windows Update, Virus Scan, Driver Update, Regular Backup, dealing with Blue Screen of Death that take so much wasted time. Because for the rest of us, we just pick up an iPad and start using it.

And for those who doesn’t think it’ll replace what you already have. I think since you have not used one, it’s a fair point. But you can look further in the future when there’ll be apps that works so much better with multi-touch and a bigger screen that it’ll be compelling. For example, taking orders in a restaurant, planning a trip using touch than a screen, painting/drawing a comic etc. There’ll be apps none of us have seen that will take the iPad even further.

I am not saying I have to be right but here’s a review of past comments against Apple…and we got 20/20 on who’s right today, haven’t we?

• “[Apple should sell 7.9 million iPhones in 2008]… Apple’s goal of selling 10 million iPhones this year is optimistic.” – Toni Sacconaghi, Bernstein Research analyst, February 22, 2008

• “What does the iPhone offer that other cell phones do not already offer, or will offer soon? The answer is not very much… Apple’s stated goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008 seems ambitious.” – Laura Goldman, LSG Capital, May 21, 2007

• “Even if [the iPhone] is opened up to third parties, it is difficult to see how the installed base of iPhones can reach the level where it becomes a truly attractive service platform for operator and developer investment.” – Tony Cripps, Ovum Service Manager for Mobile User Experience, March 14, 2007

• “I’m more convinced than ever that, after an initial frenzy of publicity and sales to early adopters, iPhone sales will be unspectacular… iPhone may well become Apple’s next Newton.” – David Haskin, Computerworld, February 26, 2007

• “Consumers are not used to paying another couple hundred bucks more just because Apple makes a cool product. Some fans will buy [iPhone], but for the rest of us it’s a hard pill to swallow just to have the coolest thing.” – Neil Strother, NPD Group analyst, January 22, 2007

• “[Apple's iPhone] is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard which makes it not a very good email machine… So, I, I kinda look at that and I say, well, I like our strategy. I like it a lot.” – Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, January 17, 2007

• “The iPhone is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks. In terms of its impact on the industry, the iPhone is less relevant… Apple is unlikely to make much of an impact on this market… Apple will sell a few to its fans, but the iPhone won’t make a long-term mark on the industry.” – Matthew Lynn, Bloomberg, January 15, 2007

• “Apple will launch a mobile phone in January, and it will become available during 2007. It will be a lovely bit of kit, a pleasure to behold, and its limited functionality will be easy to access and use. The Apple phone will be exclusive to one of the major networks in each territory and some customers will switch networks just to get it, but not as many as had been hoped. As customers start to realise that the competition offers better functionality at a lower price, by negotiating a better subsidy, sales will stagnate. After a year a new version will be launched, but it will lack the innovation of the first and quickly vanish. The only question remaining is if, when the iPod phone fails, it will take the iPod with it.” – Bill Ray, The Register, December 26, 2006

• “Apple is slated to come out with a new phone… And it will largely fail…. Sales for the phone will skyrocket initially. However, things will calm down, and the Apple phone will take its place on the shelves with the random video cameras, cell phones, wireless routers and other would-be hits… When the iPod emerged in late 2001, it solved some major problems with MP3 players. Unfortunately for Apple, problems like that don’t exist in the handset business. Cell phones aren’t clunky, inadequate devices. Instead, they are pretty good. Really good.” – Michael Kanellos, CNET, December 07, 2006

And so we have reasons to believe the Apple iPad will be a solid winner in the years to come!!!

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