I just got another email from apple about the ipad 2. They are leaning hard on be the first to get one, and get them to set it up and have you running before you leave the store. With them showing the features and explaining things to customers, it seems that the apple store would be the worst place, wait wise, to buy one.
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Apple is really pushing for people to buy in store.
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They want long lines it makes things look spectacular. If everyone could order online and get it delivered on Friday they would have another Verizon iphone fiasco where they sell a million phones that are 9 months old and due to refresh and still get hammered in the media because noone was waiting in line
They want long lines it makes things look spectacular. If everyone could order online and get it delivered on Friday they would have another Verizon iphone fiasco where they sell a million phones that are 9 months old and due to refresh and still get hammered in the media because noone was waiting in line
My thoughts exactly. All the news outlets showing non-lines and tons of store-people gave them a PR black eye. Now, Apple is going all out to make sure people line up for their stuff on Friday.
I agree with you but why do they have Walmart, Best Buy and Target selling them on launch. Makes the lines seems smaller at the Apple Stores, were the cameras will be.
About 40% of their keynote on iPad 2 was spent talking about accessories. Looking at the price points I doubt Apple will make that much on the actual iPad devices but the accessories are practically pure profit. They must know where people spend the most on accessories and I'm willing to bet it's in-store.
Apple don't want you to buy online because they wont sell as many accessories, which is where all the profit is coming from I would guess. Therefore forcing people to go in-store will dramaticly increase expenditure on accesories.
I hear the next keynote now, Steve Jobs "we sold 3 million iPads on the first day and sold 6 million Smart Covers. Isn't that Magical?'
you are assuming Apple will deliver enough to those other stores to keep them stocked for the rush. I'm sure Apple will under deliver and force people to go to their store late Friday, if they want one same-day.
It'll be part of their b$ campaign of: "Target, BB and Walmart all sold out of their supplies long before they closed up for the day. It's another record-selling event where a single device was sold out in multiple markets/stores within a 4-5 hour time period. We (apple) rock!" Their b$ marketing is growing tiresome. At this point just sell your stuff and sthu.
not really. They recoup about 50% on the 16GB wifi alone. Read up. That is a HUGE profit.
With as many companies there are selling accessories, Apple's share of accessory profits is pretty slim.
Nice theory bro.
They are a business and thats how you get people's attention. Either way, I don't envision people camping out at Target for an iPad. So there will be plenty to go around regardless if they have 10 in stock or 100 in stock.
Does that mean they probably wont have the covers or accesories at wal-mart or target?
That's kind of like the supposed reports for the original, first gen iPhone and iPhone 3G launches where it was suggested (one of the things I read even had proof) that Apple purposely only delivered a relatively small amount of phones to each store (AT&T and Apple Stores) each day for launch day/weekend, intentionally creating a "sell out" each day, with many people still standing in line when the last one sold. Even though Apple had plenty of phones for the whole weekend, and replenished the stock completely with a new delivery after closing each day. Basically purposely creating a frenzy, because of the free press it gave. Having plenty of phones ready to go, but purposely only trickling them out to create the all important "sell out device" scenario. Knowing that it just made people want the phone that much more.
The whole "no pre-orders" on the iPad 2 this year reeks of the same type of stunt...create the stupidly long (and unnecessary, when pre-orders work fine) lines in stores because it generates free buzz for the product. It's because of the no preorders that I've about 99.9% convinced myself that I won't upgrade my iPad 1 this year. If they had allowed preorders right after (or soon thereafter) the iPad 2 announcement, I'm almost 100% certain that I'd have still had "new toy goggles" on and ordered one as a pure impulse purchase. It kind of ticks me off that Apple is doing this "line up at the store" crap on purpose.
Cuz there aren't apple stores everywhere.
They need at least bestbuy to distribute them.
They don't need them like D:. But its easier for customers
that want it on day 1
Apple cant be making better products for a lot less money than all of their competitors. Someone has to pay for all the iPad technology to be developed, run the Apple stores, distribution channels, website and that money has to come out of the profit from iPads and other stuff. I'm not just referring to net profit here.
Everywhere that sells the iPad will have the accessories, doesn't matter where they sell them, as long as people buy them.
My question is, how would they attempt to handle existing customers with the unlimited plan? I don't want a new account, it's my understanding that I have to call AT&T to do the switch. So, how would Apple handle an instore sale like this? It obviously can't be "up and running" before I leave the store unless they will handle it...
Last year it was:
-Walk in
-Select your model
-Pay
-Out you go
in and out in less than 10 minutes (once your in) and no one opens your box. Only the iPhone is required to be activated before you walk out the door, though the iPad can be activated before you leave if you request it.
I would think the easiest would be is to take your SIM out of your old iPad and install it into the new one, then likely nothing will have to be done with the account.
I saw an article a few days ago that said AT&T says *not* to do that - that you should call them and have the rep transfer the IMEI number.
