Apple Announces Two Million iPads Sold

[gwynne]

Anti-Apple Poster Timeline:

Pre April 3: It's going to flop, LOL big iPod touch.

Post April 3: These people all ordered sight-unseen, they're just brainwashed fanboys anyway, the sales will drop off soon.

1 million sold: THIS IS THE END OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT. This makes me so sad on behalf of humanity. But those numbers will drop off soon. Blah blah blah brainwashing, RDF, Apple fanboys. ('Giant iPod touch' joke thrown in for good measure.)

2 million sold: *flail* *sputter* *rehash prior excuses*

 

[ReallyOldGuy]

I have used the iPad now for two weeks. The absence of flash is refreshing on many sites due to no moving ads etc. On some news-sites video will not play, but the dedicated news apps are better than the internet websites anyway.

I found that in most if not all cases the absence of flash is a good thing. Haven't missed it at all.

Whats Flash? holy cow have i been missing something????

+2 (my wife agrees with me, which is highly unusual)

 

[Atkins]

I think this is actually quite bad news for everyone, save a few who benefit financially from this product selling well (like shareholders or application developers).

Oh, really? Finally a real transition to touch interface and you call this irrelevant.

The problem is that it's not really that good a product. It's missing many critical features, and while people can say "oh I won't use that", how long is it going to be before Apple is releasing another product without something you want because everyone bought the last one anyway? Remember the FireWire ports going missing on MacBook Pros fiasco?

What is a good product? You are just listing specs, while omitting the most important changes the iPad makes. (btw, I think the MBs didn't have the FW port, not the MBPs; also, in their case, you have a precedent, so it really felt like crippling the device)

It could do so much more and with such little effort. Things it doesn't have like Flash, USB and multitasking could be very easily added, but were omitted for reasons unknown.

I would agree about the multitasking, but it is coming. As to Flash and USB, you call this "so much"? People aren't that stupid, you know, if they buy it they don't care.

This not only has an effect on Apple's product, but as the new 'market leader' in this segment, it dictates what all the other products on the market have as well. Apple has set the bar, it's not very high, but once again the better products will be sidelined because of the hype surrounding this device.

It dictates nothing. If someone wants to make a better device they are free to do so. In fact, they must do a better device to have a bite from this market. Also, while there is hype involved for sure, there are some other important factors - for example, if the ipod/iphone didn't exist this thing would never sell like this.

We as consumers are missing out on the best technology around because of the way iPod, iPhone and now iPad have been marketed. It's such a shame because I would LOVE to see what some of the talented developers working on iPhone applications could do if they had the hardware that is available in other smartphones.

We are missing on technology, because nobody has the guts like Apple to risk it and put an interesting device on the market.
"Other smartphones"? Like the iPad?

 

[gmanist1000]

Great news, I wonder how many of these people will be upgrading to the 2nd generation.

 

[ValSalva]

lets see.... Google Market Cap $154.67 B, Apple at $233.74B.......I would say that is a statistically significant difference.

That has nothing to do with whether the iPad will be successful. I didn't think Steve's goal in life was to die with the biggest pile of cash. Who cares about the difference between these huge market caps or piles of cash on hand?

 

[phpmaven]

This "magic" is getting really old. I never looked it as magical even when it was announced. Just a larger more capable iPod touch that was more responsive. Thats it.

What's getting much more tired than that is this same lame argument that it's just a big iPod Touch. Anyone who has owned both an iPod Touch and an iPad, such as myself, laughs at what complete nonsense that argument is.

 

[Goona]

I never said Apple was making any wrong business decisions.

Dude you're implying that through what you wrote earlier. You believe Google will come and make Apple irrelevant which I disagree with.

 

[geerlingguy]

ipod touch ~ iphone. So how come I only use my iphone for calls and sms now?

Ditto. Although sometimes, if my iPad is nearer and I'm on WiFi, I'll pop open Skype on my iPad and talk via that app...

You didn't include, though, using your iPhone as a MyWi modem to get the iPad on the 'net. I do that quite often, too!

 

[ValSalva]

Dude you're implying that through what you wrote earlier. You believe Google will come and make Apple irrelevant which I disagree with.

That's not the implication. My only argument so far is that two months is too soon. Google could make a better OS and other companies could make a better and more widely used tablet, irrespective of what Apple does.

 

[Cynicalone]

So they are averaging close to 35,000 per day. That is close to a 250,000 per week.

I wonder how much they can increase production before memory and display constraints begin to become a problem.

 

[Atkins]

It's an analogy. It's not a direct comparison. The point is that two months is too soon. The competition is not backing out. They are retooling. There's a big difference.

It's a bad analogy then. But ok, let's say they are retooling - meanwhile Apple is selling without having any real competition. For two months already, and soon even longer. Also, not many serious announcements for another product from anyone with release dates, specs, etc. that would make people wait. How is that not winning? Yes, of course, the war isn't over, but the first battle ended already.

 

[liavman]

It's an analogy. It's not a direct comparison. The point is that two months is too soon. The competition is not backing out. They are retooling. There's a big difference.

I grant you that and the fact that two months is too soon. No one is declaring permanent victory. But why are you giving undue importance to things that do not exist and that may or may not be better than the iPad. You seem to put more faith in the abilities and capabilities of those other companies than Apple. You are willing and ready to go back to 1984 but Apple has proven three times in the past 10 years that they get to redefine successfully three different industries. How much more do you want Apple to prove?

Though having a counter-point is good, we do not need to minimize the positive and magnify a potential future scenario regarding the competition. And competition will be good for Apple and the evolution of the iPad.

Of course, we do not know for sure what the future holds but you have to acknowledge that Apple has been firing on all cylinders.

 

[ReallyOldGuy]

Dude you're implying that through what you wrote earlier. You believe Google will come and make Apple irrelevant which I disagree with.

i think he forgot what he posted.... is this a re-troll?

 

[ReallyOldGuy]

That's not the implication. My only argument so far is that two months is too soon. Google could make a better OS and other companies could make a better and more widely used tablet, irrespective of what Apple does.

and if a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his butt when he hopped

 

[neiltc13]

Oh, really? Finally a real transition to touch interface and you call this irrelevant.

For a transition to benefit people then it has to be better. FWIW, I don't see how a touch interface improves my computing experience in any way. It makes one of the tasks I perform most frequently - text entry - much more difficult.

I would agree about the multitasking, but it is coming. As to Flash and USB, you call this "so much"? People aren't that stupid, you know, if they buy it they don't care.

I'm not sure about you, but I'd certainly prefer that my device could run multiple applications at the same time, instead of one and little parts of others.

I'd be willing to bet that the first many of the 2m iPad owners realise that their device doesn't have Flash is when they try to fire up Farmville or visit Hulu on it for the first time. I wonder how many people are at the Genius Bar right now asking what the little blue square means?

We are missing on technology, because nobody has the guts like Apple to risk it and put an interesting device on the market.

My point was more that people who buy iPads are missing out. There's little doubt that if Apple wanted to use the latest technology available then it could. It chooses not to and that is one of the reasons I don't own an iPad.

 

[parapup]

What's getting much more tired than that is this same lame argument that it's just a big iPod Touch. Anyone who has owned both an iPod Touch and an iPad, such as myself, laughs at what complete nonsense that argument is.

So I have seen many (some even exactly) similar claims but no one ever tells me why it is not just a big iPod touch. (And I don't live in my head going experience, magic, insanely great etc. - I need *real* reasons as to why it is not just a big iPod touch. And these reasons cannot include artificial software limitations that Apple can place to differentiate between product lines.)

 

[gnasher729]

2 million iPads sold, 10 million MacRumors posts: At the current rate, MacRumors will first reach 12 million first and will be overtaken around 12.5 million

So I have seen many (some even exactly) similar claims but no one ever tells me why it is not just a big iPod touch. (And I don't live in my head going experience, magic, insanely great etc. - I need *real* reasons as to why it is not just a big iPod touch. And these reasons cannot include artificial software limitations that Apple can place to differentiate between product lines.)

Apple's dirty little secret: It _is_ a big iPod Touch. But guess what, a really big iPod Touch is exactly what two million people so far have wanted.

But I'm not a fan of the ipad, mainly because the pricing is far too high, you could get a Core i3 laptop for the same price.. The pricing should've been around $329US, I'm pretty sure its supposed to compete with netbooks..

Two million iPads sold. Two million people disagree with you and have paid good money to say that the pricing is right. But I think you don't get that "compete" thing quite right. Apple doesn't compete on price. Competing on price is a mugs' game. Acer and Toshiba are very welcome to the $329 market. Apple competes on usefulness and user experience. There is actually no netbook market. There are, however, many people who don't need a laptop and want something smaller. Netbooks filled this gap; the iPad fills it much much better.

 

[ValSalva]

and if a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his butt when he hopped

Good comeback. You win.

It's a bad analogy then. But ok, let's say they are retooling - meanwhile Apple is selling without having any real competition. For two months already, and soon even longer. Also, not many serious announcements for another product from anyone with release dates, specs, etc. that would make people wait. How is that not winning? Yes, of course, the war isn't over, but the first battle ended already.

That's my point. Apple has won the first Battle. But who won another famous battle at Pearl Harbor? Yes, I know you'll say it's a bad analogy

 

[dm2]

Prediction:

Now one of those brilliant (hah!) Wall Street analysts will say "I predict that Apple will have sold 3 million iPads within a few months".

and analysts are right! Apple will sell 3 million iPads in 3 months. and definitely number 3 is "few"

 

[Cleverboy]

Multiply this video times every customer service sector in the free market.

We gave Jennifer Newton, Owner of Walters Home Management, a challenge: What if you and your staff could really work from anywhere? What would this kind of freedom mean to your business? With an iPad, an Internet connection and AppFolio's web-based property management software they had fun (it is an iPad!) and found opportunities for every member of their team to get more done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSCA1ueAKiA

~ CB

 

[phpmaven]

I'm waiting for the version where it is running a fully touch supported version of OS X - then I'll be all over it. The ultimate portable .

It's called a MacBook.

 

[macsmurf]

So they are averaging close to 35,000 per day. That is close to a 250,000 per week.

I wonder how much they can increase production before memory and display constraints begin to become a problem.

Not to mention pixie dust shortages.

 

[rlmccormick]

Yeah, but how many would they have sold if it had a camera and supported Flash (runs away and hides in a very dark place)

Well done Apple! Pity they don't also have the comparison figures for how long it took to sell the first 2 million Macs!

Believe it or not the average Joe doesn't know jack about Flash. Most buyers do not know what Flash is and do not know that the iPad does not support it.

As for a camera? I can't imagine actually using it as a camera. I don't think their market share was affected by the lack of one. It's dimensions would make it a strange photo capturing tool.

 

[dernhelm]

What is wrong with people? I know a few who bought the Wi-Fi model just because they could not wait for 3G to ship and then bought the 3G model. Scary - tomorrow Apple will ship a shiny paper weight in the name of simplicity and a promise to ship a 3G paperweight in 3 months and 6-8M people will still end up buying it

It's becoming a game of how swiftly and overwhelmingly can you fool people with traps! Masters of foolery shall sell the most goods and make the most profits - LOL the days of real innovation seem to have taken a hiatus!

Give it up. You clearly are just plain wrong about the device. Just because you don't want one doesn't mean they are silly or useless. And here's a news flash - you are NOT smarter than all of the 2 million people that own one. I do find it amusing, however, that you trolls are getting more and more desperate, finding any reason what-so-ever to make these idiotic kinds of posts.

 

[neiltc13]

Multiply this video times every customer service sector in the free market.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSCA1ueAKiA

~ CB

All of the 'benefits' shown in this video are nothing to do with iPad. They're the benefits of wireless internet and portable computers, neither of which are exclusive to iPad.