Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Estimated to Have Taken 50,000 iPad Orders in First Two Hours

sanPietro98 said:
I work at a very high-tech job and made an unscientific informal poll of my co-workers. Almost everyone said that they were going to get an iPad, but were waiting until they hit the stores to actually get it.

I guess I'm the risky one.

But the real interesting number will be what the sales figures look like on April 10th -- after a week of in-store sales when people can actually pick one up and try it.
Click to expand...
agreed. I actually believe there will be no lines on April 3rd. I'm approaching my purchasing choice in reverse of how I bought the iPhone. Instead of rushing to be an early adopter, I'll wait till April 10th and try it at the store. Maybe more than once. Then I'll know if the iPad fits my digital lifestyle.
 
Hmm I just thought of the awesomeness that will be using Jaadu/iTeleport VNC on the iPad! I use it all the time on my iphone but the iPad will be ideal as a remote for all the Macs and PCs around the house!

There are a load of things the iPad is more suitable for than a laptop if people use their imaginations. Of course it depends on the tasks you want done in the first place.
 
These numbers are more or less useless. 50K iPads in itself obviously is a drop in a bucket (in terms of overall Apple sales). The number confirms that Apple has tons of fans who follow every announcement, new product etc. These people are the ones who are pre-ordering now. Nothing new or surprising. The interesting stuff will start when iPad hit the stores and when we will be able to see how regular public reacts to the product.
 
sanPietro98 said:
Your comments are spot on!

The use of touch as the primary input to the device necessitates a different way of interacting with the OS and apps. The new modality begets a different "kind" of computer. Apple took a serious risk in creating a new way of interacting with a computer with your fingers. Time will tell if it paid off.
Click to expand...

Good, at least a couple of others in this thread who see what I'm seeing: a new paradigm, one not meant for the techies who have ruled the roost in computing up until now. This is the start of the next era, and that era will be ruled by common folks who don't know about computers, but sure do know how to use their fingers.

Time will tell, of course. I'm betting that it will work (simple is always better for the non-expert). I realize these threads are typically overrun by two types of complainers:

1. Apple fans who want an update on THEIR product, and whine in every other thread that talks about other products.

2. Astroturfers tasked with generating lots of complaints about Apple to try to sway people into thinking Apple is a failure.

Today's pre-sales data show the futility of both such groups of whiners.
 
DaveSW said:
50,000 in first two hours. nice :D <== success


in comparison Google only sold 20000 Nexus One's in the First Week <== failure :D
Click to expand...

And yet people bought more Android phones in the last quarter than they bought iPhones. What's your opinion on this fact?
 
sparkstsa said:
The iPad is marketed as something between smartphones and laptops.
Click to expand...

And there's the issue. How large is this market for something between a smartphone and a laptop? No one knows, but all other tablets have failed for a number of reasons, but one of the big ones is that it's a very niche market.

I read people saying how the iPad will replace the MB/MBP. If it really can replace your MB/MBP then you had waaaay too much computer to begin with. I think what might happen is what originally happened with netbooks. People buy them expecting one thing and then return them because they find out all the limitations once they start using it. In the iPads case they may realize it's missing the portability of a smart phone and the flexibility of a laptop.

So where does the iPad fit in a normal persons computer lineup? And no, the guy who buys every Apple product doesn't count. I would argue that if someone already has a smart phone and a laptop the iPad is going to be a hard sell. If they already have an iPhone/Touch and laptop it's going to be an even harder sell.

It will be very interesting to see what the sales number are next year at this time.
 
lilo777 said:
And yet people bought more Android phones in the last quarter than they bought iPhones. What's your opinion on this fact?
Click to expand...

People don't buy as many iPhones in the months leading up to the new model. iPhone sales will only get slower and slower from here on out.

Please compare anual numbers or don't bother comparing numbers at all.
 
lilo777 said:
And yet people bought more Android phones in the last quarter than they bought iPhones. What's your opinion on this fact?
Click to expand...
I'd imagine it's something along the lines of "duh, the iphone is a single handset from a single vender while Android runs on loads of devices" ?
 
lilo777 said:
The number confirms that Apple has tons of fans who follow every announcement, new product etc.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Weeks ago, I signed up with Apple's "Notify Me" service to tell me when the iPad will be available for pre-order. I didn't get the e-mail until 9:30 EST, which is one hour after it was available for pre-order.

So the 50,000+ people who ordered the device in the first two hours are more likely than not fanboys. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
Small White Car said:
People don't buy as many iPhones in the months leading up to the new model. iPhone sales will only get slower and slower from here on out.

Please compare anual numbers or don't bother comparing numbers at all.
Click to expand...

Did you notice that I replied to a guy who was comparing first week sale numbers?
 
eastcoastsurfer said:
So where does the iPad fit in a normal persons computer lineup?
Click to expand...

The normal person does not own a smartphone.

The normal person did not buy an iPod touch because it's too small for them to see and type on.

The normal person is now looking at an iPad as something that gives them the benefits of those other devices without those 2 drawbacks.

Consider this: It is estimated that 1 in 6 people will own a smartphone by 2013. So please, please stop asking "where does it fit between an iPhone and a Laptop?" Who cares. Apple doesn't need to sell to thsoe people. There are a TON of customers who don't have that "problem."

lilo777 said:
Did you notice that I replied to a guy who was comparing first week sale numbers?
Click to expand...


He made a bad point. You responded with a bad point. My advice stands for both of you. He's free to read my post too if he wants to.
 
eastcoastsurfer said:
You try to make fun, but RT2020 makes a lot of good points. Using the iPad for anything other than consumption (reading, playing games, watching movies) does look painful. The problem is that input is so very limited. Even if you get the keyboard you're still typing and then reaching up and touching etc... It makes little sense. A typical user types a lot (email, chat, etc...) and that is going to be painful with the current on screen keyboard and laughable if people carry around the keyboard with them.

Apple is great at marketing so they will sell a bunch up front, but the tail is what will show how the iPad is really doing. Once you get off of Apple oriented websites I don't see many people that are that excited about it. This is very different than when the iPhone came out for example.
Click to expand...

Why is it that people think that every device has to do everything and be everything for everyone (and all for just $499)?
Multitasking? Serious database work? Programming? Large spreadsheets? Virtual machines? All these tasks I do comfortably on my iMac and my MBP. I'm not thinking of getting rid of either. I'm buying the iPad because it promises to be great at what you termed "consumption (reading, playing games, watching movies)." Why would I want it to multitask?

On top of that if I find myself out with just my iPad I *could* create a document or spreadsheet, or write a long e-mail, etc, maybe not under ideal circumstances, as you say, but it's an option and choice is good.

Also, to be honest the iPad would perfectly fill ALL the home computer needs of my girlfriend and be a far better experience than the netbook she struggles with now, why be derisive of that? Not everyone needs to be a 'serious' user.
 
mixel said:
I'd imagine it's something along the lines of "duh, the iphone is a single handset from a single vender while Android runs on loads of devices" ?
Click to expand...

I am talking strictly about cell phone numbers and I compare two phone OSes. Apple can produce and cell as many phone models and use as many carriers as they want. They prefer not to do this.
 
brotato said:
I have 3 data points:
PST
5:39am: 6341
9:47am: 5403
9:59am: 9756

These are the times I received the email confirmations not when I ordered them. The second one was actually the first that was ordered and that's probably why it has the lower number
Click to expand...

I reserved two for in-store pickup. While I have a confirmation email, it doesn't list a number...
 
Wow if true that would be very impressive. I know that I added 1 to whatever the actual number is :)
 
lilo777 said:
And yet people bought more Android phones in the last quarter than they bought iPhones. What's your opinion on this fact?
Click to expand...

oh, no!

hello, "iGenius"
No need to deny it - the syntax and choice of words are almost identical.

have you come here to flood this thread with foolish twaddle about android sales and your "facts" about apple's stagnation?

=B=
 
diabolic said:
Most people I know really do have way more computer power than they need.
Click to expand...

Until you need to run iPhoto. The limiting input options are the main problem with the iPad, not it's power.

Small White Car said:
The normal person does not own a smartphone.

The normal person did not buy an iPod touch because it's too small for them to see and type on.

The normal person is now looking at an iPad as something that gives them the benefits of those other devices without those 2 drawbacks.

Consider this: It is estimated that 1 in 6 people will own a smartphone by 2013. So please, please stop asking "where does it fit between an iPhone and a Laptop?" Who cares. Apple doesn't need to sell to thsoe people. There are a TON of customers who don't have that "problem."
Click to expand...

So who exactly are buying all these iPhones and Touches? Non-normal people? Are there really that many geeks and techies in the US?

mgclayton said:
Why is it that people think that every device has to do everything and be everything for everyone (and all for just $499)?
Multitasking? Serious database work? Programming? Large spreadsheets? Virtual machines? All these tasks I do comfortably on my iMac and my MBP. I'm not thinking of getting rid of either. I'm buying the iPad because it promises to be great at what you termed "consumption (reading, playing games, watching movies)." Why would I want it to multitask?

On top of that if I find myself out with just my iPad I *could* create a document or spreadsheet, or write a long e-mail, etc, maybe not under ideal circumstances, as you say, but it's an option and choice is good.

Also, to be honest the iPad would perfectly fill ALL the home computer needs of my girlfriend and be a far better experience than the netbook she struggles with now, why be derisive of that? Not everyone needs to be a 'serious' user.
Click to expand...

I never said the device needed to do everything or any of the things you listed. I think the main issue with it will be input options. When I look at non-techies using computers they tend to do a lot of communicating thus a lot of typing. The main complaint with netbooks is that they suck for typing. So is the onscreen keyboard going to be better for typing or are people going to carry around their keyboard in order to make it easier to type?
 
RT2020 said:
Spreadsheets? That's clearly a gimmick feature. Maybe if you're doing inventory for your church bake-sale?

This thing is good for surfing the web at the breakfast table... doing anything else on it looks PAINFUL. Most gimmicky product ever.

- listen to music? With such a giant device? What's the point? Am I gonna carry backpack when I could put an ipod in my pocket?
- Watch movies? Am i gonna have to hold the damn thing for 2 hours? Or do I have to carry yet more stuff in the form of a stand?
- Create documents? With a virtual keyboard? How frustrating is that?
- Read books? Gonna need eye-drops after using that backlit screen
- Do spreadsheets? Very basic toy feature looks increadbly frustrating to use from the pictures
- Email? can do it from any cellpone
- Games? I'll give it that only because i know nothing about gaming
- Stuff? What stuff?

Sometimes people are just attracted to shiny new stuff like moths to a lightbulb
Click to expand...

Or how about building a custom app that allows you to record your weekly patients visit information automatically with a simple touch interface in a template for $500? The cost of competing solutions runs about $1500. Just because the only thing you see is email does not mean there are not amazing things that will be possible in a relatively cheap package with a great development environment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back