iPad Mini Sells Out in Two Hours at Apple's Flagship Fifth Avenue Retail Store

[BruceEBonus]

Won't sell well.
Overpriced.
Crappy screen.
No market niche.
Nexus 7 is better.
No Retina.
CPU is old.
RAM is weak.
Tim Cook's major failure.
Apple's greed is unrelenting.

Not being biased despite owning many Apple products over the years ..Macs..iPads...Touches...Phones....this guy has succinctly summed up the new Apple philosophy. I didn't think they'd go downhill so soon after Steve Jobs sadly passed away ... But they sure are making up for it now ... Not good.

 

[IbisDoc]

I stopped off at my local apple store to check out this fancy iPad Mini... and I noticed something very interesting:
Apple has the iPad Mini and the iPad 2 all together in the same area and the iPad 4 with Retina & iPhone 5 quite some distance away.

Not only that, but the iPads that they have next to the iPad Mini's that display information, pricing and specs are old ass iPad 2's without Retina Screens.

Apple Stores are playing it smart by keeping the high res screens completely away from the Mini.

The minute I stepped away from the iPad mini and onto the iPad 4, I made my decision and walked out of the store.

I was REALLY pushing for this iPad mini, but not this round. Maybe next time.

The geniuses on here will either say that you're envious, or can't afford it.

 

[hface119]

I got to Best Buy at quarter to 8, only 4 people in line. They only had 5 16gb minis in black only. But, they didn't do tickets for the iPad 4 as they said they had a ton. I got the mini, though I really wanted white, and only one person behind me got one.

 

[nia820]

Wow good for you! Do you feel better about yourself now? Will you feel proud sitting in your mom's basement with your shiny new stunning retina display iPad mini while the dredges of society suffer at the hands of the hideous, vile non-retina version?

Why people care what others spend their spare money on is just mind-boggling. Grow up.

yes i do feel better about myself thank you for asking

 

[marmotte]

The screen sucks, how anyone goes from a retina iPad screen to low res iPad 2 resolution is beyond me

Yes the small size and weight is nice but to just settle for a mini iPad 2 in 2012 is a joke when it's clear the next mini is going to be a massive upgrade, likely with retina

I don't have an iPad so for me the Mini is just fine: I travel a lot and weight/size is super important; I don't have my eyes used to having a retina display so I am sure the iPad mini's screen will look just wonderful to me.

This product is perfect for me as far as I am concerned so your mileage does vary.

In fact, if you already have an iPad, I am not sure why you would buy a Mini indeed. I guess if you are fortunate enough to have plenty of $$$ around ...

 

[the8thark]

Here we go again--because you aren't excited about the iPad mini, there's "nothing exciting about it."

There is a difference between excited and "unhealthy blind fanboyism" I'm sure we're all excited for the Mini. I know I am. I might even get one. But I'd never go and write an article about every unboxing, every release date, every sellout, every second of delay in shipping etc etc (like MR has).

Not saying that's a bad thing. Just making the point you can be very excited and not be a total fanboy as well.

 

[mac4good84]

Ipad Mini

I bought an ipad 3 last week before they made the announcement, and yesterday I popped into the Apple Store to exhange it for an ipad 4-16 GB. So far, the ipad 4 is blazing in speed, not just in apps but browsing. Everything is just quick to load. I am VERY impressed with it so far. I will have more time this weekend to put it through its paces.

In terms of the mini, I only had time to go in and out yesterday, so I plan to go back and check it out further and actually play with one of the store models. For the few minutes that I saw one briefly yesterday, I was intrigued. The retina display will be something that I willl prefer to wait for, but yet I didn't have any time to get close and see the screen for myself. When I see the screen in action for myself, I will have an opinion.

One thing is for sure, very happy with the ipad 4

 

[Appleisntpefect]

Why Rush?

Why would anyone wait in line, let alone buy one of these now?
Everyone knows that in March or April Apple will come out with the next version of the mini with Retina and the A6 chip.



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No "aaaaaaaaaand it's gone" comments on the first page?

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Should I cease eating my Halloween candy in honor of those who can't eat candy right now due to the hurricane?

Some people just read stuff and TRY to get offended by it. I remember when some MacRumors guy got mad and called me a racist because some comment was really abbreviated, and I said that it looks more like someone who doesn't bother typing stuff correctly than someone who doesn't speak English well.

The people who are dead wish they could be in line at an Apple store versus the morgue.

 

[oogje]

1. THis is the worst Apple Product they have made...this Screen really does suck big time. And its slow as ****!!! ugh....

2. Grand Central didn't even enough White IPad Minis for the first 50. They ONLY had FOUR (4) White IPads!!!! WTH....

3. I'm one of the biggest apple fans and even I'm disappointed....

The food is horrible and the portions are too small.

 

[macs4nw]

OR maybe ...
Apple said OK we can manufacture a million iPad Minis for product launch; How many countries do we have to launch the product in to make it appear that demand for the product is high and the product is sold out everywhere

Or for the non-cynically inclined: how quickly can we secure components and ramp-up production, so we can have the product available in as many countries as possible. There's no hard science for this, and any company's CFO will tell you, they'd rather err on the side of caution. Also, there is a limit to the # of quality components, that can be produced in a month. Of course, they could start manufacturing them 2-3 months earlier, but it would be THAT much harder to keep a 'lid on it' for the competition, and at the speed of technological innovation, you wouldn't get the latest Tech in those products.

I won't deny that it certainly helps to create an artificial 'shortage', but based on the phenomenal success of APPLE's recent history, I simply can't imagine them engineering such a 'shortage'. APPLE is currently the envy of the industry, or should I say, of corporations the world over.
They don't HAVE to resort to such tactics yet, and would rather be selling more products.

 

[marksman]

OR maybe ...

Apple said OK we can manufacture a million iPad Minis for product launch; How many countries do we have to launch the product in to make it appear that demand for the product is high and the product is sold out everywhere

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and we will laugh at you when they don't!

So they ration individual store supplies because demand is greater than inventory. You realize you are just making the argument for the other side. There has never been any evidence that apple does not produce as many items as possible for a launch. Keep in mind you have to keep production capacity at a certain level to control costs. If you build out production to make 5 million devices a month and sell 5 million month 1 and 4 million month 2 and 3 million for the next 10 months each you have overbuilt your production.

 

[osofast240sx]

I played with mine a bit longer, got both side by side.. I guess our needs differ.

Not really, retina would be welcome. But it didn't take away from the overall experience. On the flip side a few more generations of all the tablet and smart phone makers, specs won't be a issue. It will be OS wars.

 

[TeachMeiOS.com]

Not surprised by the overwhelming response to this new device. I'm amazed at how light it is. I have a Kindle Touch and the iPad Mini is only about 100 grams heavier - that's amazing!

 

[rdlink]

Be a decent human being and help out around the city that you live in which was just destroyed?

Destroyed? Hyperbole much?

 

[ghost187]

Get iPad 4 Instead!

I preordered the iPad mini, and the moment I turned it on I knew it was a mistake. The apple logo on the boot up screen alone lets you know that this is not a retina display. A5 seems more sluggish than what I remember it as, and honestly once you go retina, you can't go back. On the plus side, battery is much better than what they claim, and it is incredibly lighter and thinner. If you are reading books with charts and some other chart/table related apps, you might have trouble with them.

So what should you do?

Well apple put me in a tough situation. You compromise either way with the iPad mini of the 4th gen iPad. I leaned towards iPad 4 and returned my iPad mini (and I'm mad at my self for selling my iPad 3 prior to iPad mini to raise capital). The iPad 4 is not really 2x faster as apple claims. It's about 50% on average. So, if you got iPad 3 stick with it. If you got iPad 2 or prior, and screen res don't bother you go with the mini, if you want retina go with iPad 4. Honest opinion, save your money for a retina mini next fall. But whatever you do, don't go android ( or surface).

 

[ellsworth]

I leaned towards iPad 4 and returned my iPad mini (and I'm mad at my self for selling my iPad 3 prior to iPad mini to raise capital).

An honest tid-bit right here. Thanks for sharing.

I decided to go with an iPad 3 with cellular. My initial complaint was the size/weight of the iPad. I'm a ON-THE-GO guy and really wanted something small and light-weight to take with me.
I'll save up for the iPad mini next year.
I've also learned to always wait out a new product until it reaches 2nd gen or even 3rd.

 

[50548]

I often agree with you, but not this time. I think the pattern will repeat itself. Just as the iPod mini/nano went on to sell more than the iPod, the iPad mini will eventually eclipse the iPad. Perhaps not in its first iteration, but eventually. Only time will tell.

You make valid points, but mine concerns a matter of principle. In virtually ALL other devices produced by Apple, you would see a clear pattern of innovation, boldness and uniqueness. Try it:

- Every iPod model;
- every Mac model (Mac Mini for its size and integration, iMac for its AIO edge, MacPro for its excellent expandability/case design etc.);
- the original iPhone, followed by evolutionary iterations;
- the original iPad, followed by evolutionary iterations.

The iPad Mini?

It doesn't create a new market, it doesn't bring anything new to the table. Just a smaller iPad, really, clumsily marketed between the iPod Touch and the normal iPad. Build quality is tops, of course - but the iPad Mini is, indeed, one of the FIRST Apple devices specifically created as a "me-too" product, something to pursue competitors in covering a perceived portion of a market (smaller screen tablets).

I will still probably buy one to replace my Dad's iPad 1 - but I'd never buy one to use beside my iPad or normal computer.

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I'm American and I am Hispanic. I don't get offended if someone says I'm American overseas.

"Hispanic" is not a race either, no matter how much the stupid average US citizen wishes to label any Latin American speaking Spanish as "Latino" instead of "Caucasian"; in fact, most Spanish-speaking Latin Americans have even more European genes than the average US citizen...and no, I do not speak Spanish.

 

[Renzatic]

"Hispanic" is not a race either, no matter how much the stupid average US citizen wishes to label any Latin American speaking Spanish as "Latino" instead of "Caucasian";

Oh god, I can't believe I'm replying to a "stupid american" quote, but...

Just about everyone in North, South, and Middle America has a little European in them. Latino has become a blanket term for anyone who can trace their ancestry to Mexico and below back a few generations, who speaks Spanish, and has at least some visible trace of middle-southern native American in their features.

It's a catch-all, much like caucasian is for people with mostly middle to northern European and/or Slavic features. I mean comeon, only an idiot would assume all white people come from the Caucasus Mountains, right?

And Hispanic could be considered a branch off the Spanish family tree. It's a Spanish and Native American mix.

 

[d0nK]

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=211

Spot on!

The market is what Apple tells you it is.

 

[xofruitcake]

I won't deny that it certainly helps to create an artificial 'shortage', but based on the phenomenal success of APPLE's recent history, I simply can't imagine them engineering such a 'shortage'.

Agreed. And logically it does not make any sense for Apple to withhold supply for the initial launch. Apple announced the first weekend sales for Ipad 1, Ipad 2, 4S, Ipad 3 and Iphone 5. Withholding supply will lower the launch weekend sales number. How does lower sales number help in generating the impression that they are successful product? It simply does not make sense. For Samsung, HTX, Nokia etc. It makes sense to withhold supply because they do not announce their sales number. When it come to releasing sales information, Apple is the best company out there.

 

[50548]

Oh god, I can't believe I'm replying to a "stupid american" quote, but...

Just about everyone in North, South, and Middle America has a little European in them. Latino has become a blanket term for anyone who can trace their ancestry to Mexico and below back a few generations, who speaks Spanish, and has at least some visible trace of middle-southern native American in their features.

It's a catch-all, much like caucasian is for people with mostly middle to northern European and/or Slavic features. I mean comeon, only an idiot would assume all white people come from the Caucasus Mountains, right?

And Hispanic could be considered a branch off the Spanish family tree. It's a Spanish and Native American mix.

That's the problem with people like you - if you were at least a little bit consistent, you'd call "Latinos" ALL those speaking a Latin language, including everyone from Romance Europe.

Alas, this is not the case because all you want to do is to label those Mexican or Central American immigrants something different from "Caucasian", just so the US can retain its fake European "anglo-saxon" character. So in the end, you have an invented "race" called "Latino", as opposed to "pure" white "Americans" who are as mixed as anyone else in the world.

Just another type of one-drop rule, of course. If you have a tiny speck of African blood no matter how light your skin is, you're still "black" in the US (mulatto Obama is just one of them).

As for "Hispanic", drop the nonsense, please. These people speak ONLY Spanish - there is nothing related to Native American languages in most of them.

 

[Renzatic]

That's the problem with people like you - if you were at least a little bit consistent, you'd call "Latinos" ALL those speaking a Latin language, including everyone from Romance Europe.

Alas, this is not the case because all you want to do is to label those Mexican or Central American immigrants something different from "Caucasian", just so the US can retain its fake European "anglo-saxon" character. So in the end, you have an invented "race" called "Latino", as opposed to "pure" white "Americans" who are as mixed as anyone else in the world.

Just another type of one-drop rule, of course. If you have a tiny speck of African blood no matter how light your skin is, you're still "black" in the US (mulatto Obama is just one of them).

As for "Hispanic", drop the nonsense, please. These people speak ONLY Spanish - there is nothing related to Native American languages in most of them.

Latinos generally refer to themselves as Latinos, and we've adopted it ourselves over time. It isn't a term we mighty whitey types have pegged onto the brown folk to separate them from the sparkling mass of perfection that we represent.

People like me. Good god. You know, if we really do want racism to come to an end, we don't just have to educate the mindless racists,we also have to curtail those who race bait in a sad, pathetic attempt to appear intelligent and open minded to a bunch of random strangers on the internet.

Cuz lets face it. You could give less than half a damn about any Mexican, Brazilian, Chilean, Peruvian, or anyone else who might fall under the Latino umbrella. Of course you'll claim otherwise, probably by tossing up some cliched phrase like "I care about all humans in the world", but...no. You're just vainglorious and want to look intelligent. You want to give yourself a reason to pat yourself on the back. I mean why else would you bring up something so off topic in an iPad Mini sales thread? Because you're secretly wanting someone to stare at your post wideeyed, scream "Oh my god, He's so...progressive", then give you a slow golf clap? Yeah, you don't care about anything but your vanity.

So drop it.

 

[neogeo71]

If you are in doubts, go to apple store and look at one. Many on this site and others talking garbage without looking at one. The iPad 2 was 60% of iPad sales even after the iPad3. This has the same great screen as a iPad2 but looks even better as it has been reduced to 7.9 inches and the pixels are smaller. The display looks great for reading and photos and everything else. All this talk about the display is FUD. This is a great product, and benchmarks have it near performance of the iPad 3, I doubt anything is stuttering or lagging on this device. It is a great iPad. If your on the fence, do yourself a favor and go try one in person, if still not for you then move on. I wonder how we survived when we only had the first Gen iPad lol! I never had any problems with quality of my iPad 1 and I definitely won't have any with my new mini. A d don't worry about the black scratching, the display I looked at had been manhandled all day and still looked great. My iPhone 5 does too. The black is not that easy to scratch with proper care. More FUD. If you throw it in a purse sans case with your car keys, of course it will scratch. But proper care, and it will look great for a long time to come.

 

[neogeo71]

Not sure I believe it but i still find it amusing

Because kids have money? Lol, parents will buy iPad and kids prefer iPads. I am no android hater but iOS is the superior platform for gaming

 

[steve119]

Gee I see the trolls are really out in force just now.

The people that are trading in their iPad 3's for a mini and are disappointed... what did you expect?

you have gone from a retina to a normal screen....bigger fools you in the respect that you knew it wasn't going to be as good as the retina screen, so you cant possibly complain!!

Who honestly expected more from the mini, its a 7.9" ereader that can do a lot more than a normal ereader, and unless you're used to an ipad 2 rather than a 3 then you're wasting your time buying this if you're expecting it to replace your ipad 3. But then I do not imagine for one second that you've not researched into it first.

As for the keyboard warriors complaining over hurricane sandy and the lack of compassion, the world continues to turn and people are looking after number one....and you're on an apple website trolling anyway possible, get over it.