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How Apple blew the launch

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corriewf

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 5, 2009
971
87
Sorry, but I feel like Apple really blew the launch and here are my reasons.

  • No preorder- If you wanted your iPad 2 today, you had to wait in line. That is poor planning as Apple knows their product will be in high demand. That is not looking out for your customers.
  • No option to reserve- Last year they let you order by reserve and you could pick up when it became available at the store. You just wait on your email to say it's there.
  • Not enough stock at apple store- At my local store they were out of stock after an hour! Yikes! Didn't expect people to want this in high demand?
  • Horrible stock at other retailers- Some targets and walkways didn't get any iPad 2s. The ones that did only got a few. A quote from a local walmart was that they were sold out in 3 minutes.
  • No clear and concise restock info- I checked with the local apple store and they can't tell me if or when they are getting more. Not even and idea..just told to call back.

The reason I'm pissed is not that I can't say get one today. I have the first iPad, but the poor tactics used to cause further desperation. Excuse the pun, but I feel herded like sheep. I would have preordered online or reserve one in store for when they are back in stock, but no option like last year.

I'm not going to spend the next month calling every day all over the place to see if they have one or not. Too much work for a customer to do. I WORK for my money.

I guess apple rather have me have more time to see the competition come out with their tablets. I dunno....
 
Yeah my mall ran out in less than an hour.

Do they typically have more the next morning? I would go tomorrow if I knew they'd have more.
 
corriewf said:
Sorry, but I feel like Apple really blew the launch and here are my reasons.
Click to expand...

For all of the reasons you listed, Apple probably considers it a success.

Created huge lines, people driving from store to store to find one, and can tell the media "we sold them all".
 
johnc22 said:
For all of the reasons you listed, Apple probably considers it a success.

Created huge lines, people driving from store to store to find one, and can tell the media "we sold them all".
Click to expand...
The difference between Apple and a competitor saying that is that Apple can back it up with numbers that will be (very likely at least) better than last years.
 
I loved it. Waited my time in line and got the two iPad's I wanted. No problems for me. Now if you waited until 4:15-4:30 to get to an Apple store, then yes maybe it was a failure. I had a great time in line chatting to the people next to me and drinking coffee.
 
QuarterSwede said:
They didn't blow it. They got people to stand in lines at the Apple stores and no where else. Beautiful publicity once again.
Click to expand...

free publicity at the cost of snookering devoted fans. I'm sure they paid off the press so that they don't publish the gory details behind the 'success' here, but gosh.
 
Well, they didn't blow it. Their sales won't suffer at all. We as consumers may not have like it. But we have the choice to buy or not.
 
While I agree that Apple driving people to wait in line is good PR, I think the lack of inventory is gonna hurt. I remember waiting in line for a good 8 hours for the iPhone 4, but at the end of the day I had one.

This time the story is going to be a lot more "I waited in line and walked away with nothing," which is going to look worse.
 
Apple got all aspects right to get a big media frenzy going around the ipd 2. Unfortunately mother nature had other ideas and as is right all the media is looking at Japan not Apple. Even the new iPad can not steal media coverage from the terrible scenes in Japan. My thoughts go out to all those affected.
 
corriewf said:
The reason I'm pissed is not that I can't say get one today. I have the first iPad, but the poor tactics used to cause further desperation. Excuse the pun, but I feel herded like sheep. I would have preordered online or reserve one in store for when they are back in stock, but no option like last year.

I'm not going to spend the next month calling every day all over the place to see if they have one or not. Too much work for a customer to do. I WORK for my money.
.
Click to expand...

Why didn't you just order one online early this morning? Pretty easy.
 
I get pissed off at the competition. Everyone of those companies out there has had two years two years to come up with a better product, and they can't do it. They should fire everyone from the top down, for not being able to produce a product that even comes close.
 
Even Apple is only capable of manufacturing a finite amount of a given item within a finite period of time. If that number is less than the demand, there's going to be issues.
 
mr jnvii said:
Yeah my mall ran out in less than an hour.

Do they typically have more the next morning? I would go tomorrow if I knew they'd have more.
Click to expand...

Enjoy Apple's condescending mind games.

It's nothing personal, just an opportunity to show Apple's the boss.

A show courtesy of "The Gullibles", Apples any place, any time, any price devotees.

Apple pulls their strings so perfectly.
 
While I would have liked to have the opportunity to pre order, I'm not terribly upset because I couldn't. I ordered it online just before 4 am EST. No problem, no waiting, no noticeable lag in the Apple online store, and don't mind the 2 week delivery as I already have an iPad.
HOWEVER, if this was my first iPad I probably would have been one of the first (if not the first) in line at the Apple Store.

Judging by the posted reports and pictures of the masses lined up for this thing, I wouldn't go as far to say that the launch was a failure but another Apple Success.
 
QuarterSwede said:
They didn't blow it. They got people to stand in lines at the Apple stores and no where else. Beautiful publicity once again.
Click to expand...
^Im not saying they blew it but if you haven't already noticed, people stand in line for almost all of the apple launches (even the macbook air had people in line)
NOT BEAUTIFUL, just a way to get publicity
 
QuarterSwede said:
They didn't blow it. They got people to stand in lines at the Apple stores and no where else. Beautiful publicity once again.
Click to expand...

Beautiful publicity indeed. But in the end, having short stock and not handling disappointed customers is a more disappointing experience for this first time Apple-first-day-waiter. The Apple store near me sold out in about 45 min. That's cool, it happens. But then I see on the forum that there were people at some Apple stores who got a slip guaranteeing them one when future stock comes in. They didn't do that at the store I was at. Just told us to try our luck tomorrow. Where is the consistency in handling sell-outs? They were of course consistent in having a 5PM sell time and corralling us into lines. So in the end, I felt like those of us who stood in line and walked away with nothing are just pawns in Apple's marketing machine.
 
Doc750 said:
I get pissed off at the competition. Everyone of those companies out there has had two years two years to come up with a better product, and they can't do it. They should fire everyone from the top down, for not being able to produce a product that even comes close.
Click to expand...

I think the bigger problem for the competition is price. Apple can spend heaps on development and know they will sell enough to make those development costs back. Where as competitors can't put as much cash into development because they know they won't sell enough to make the cost back. So they limit development, increase price points and the result is Samsung tab, Xoom and all the others out there.
 
muu said:
free publicity at the cost of snookering devoted fans. I'm sure they paid off the press so that they don't publish the gory details behind the 'success' here, but gosh.
Click to expand...

Don't worry about the press, most of them are reporting on Japan. I think I've seen a single 30 sec blurb about the iPad 2 today. Serves apple right.
 
I tried waiting in line once for the iPhone 4 and it was a horrible experience....BUT at least I had one reserved! I knew there was a phone waiting for me when I got in. I had to work today so no getting in line early. I couldn't get up at 4 in the morning. I think that is a crazy time to start online sales if by the time most reasonable people wake up, your already waiting weeks for shipping. I have a young child, I sleep at 4 am if he doesn't wake me up. :D

I don't mind apple getting attention and media, but why harvest your customers for it?!?! I'm your customer and should be treated with all due respect. I at least thought if they wouldn't do preorders it's due to their confidence in having plenty of stock. So WTF happened? There were no vouchers in my line when they ran out.
 
As a heavy user/buyer of Apple products I was very disappointed. As a AAPL shareholder I can't say that I mind.

I stopped by the Fifth Ave store after work today around 7:30pm and it was a zoo. I overheard Apple employees saying it'll be a 3 hour wait and I came home. I'll just place an order online and wait for it.

They wanted publicity and got it so way to go Apple. They know their core customers would wait and buy anything so it doesn't matter. Blame Apple for treating its customers like cattle (with tons of $$) but also blame ourselves for going with it.
 
corriewf said:
why harvest your customers for it?!?! I'm your customer and should be treated with all due respect.
Click to expand...

what do you want, a limo ride to cupertino and a personal walkthrough of the iPad 2 from Steve Jobs? Get a grip. You're one of millions saying "shut up and take my money". It is you who are lowering yourself to be prostrate in front of the Apple shrine in order to get a new iPad on day one.

If you want to maintain your dignity, just wait until there's plenty of stock, and saunter in, latte in hand at your majesty's convenience? The smart "customer" might just buy an iPad 1, save some money, and wait for greater advances in iPad 3.

And what is this "competition" of which you speak? Your hysteria belies your fanboyism. You are already reeled in. Even non-fanboys admit there's hardly anything out there that competes.
 
corriewf said:
Sorry, but I feel like Apple really blew the launch and here are my reasons.

  • No preorder- If you wanted your iPad 2 today, you had to wait in line. That is poor planning as Apple knows their product will be in high demand. That is not looking out for your customers.
  • No option to reserve- Last year they let you order by reserve and you could pick up when it became available at the store. You just wait on your email to say it's there.
  • Not enough stock at apple store- At my local store they were out of stock after an hour! Yikes! Didn't expect people to want this in high demand?
  • Horrible stock at other retailers- Some targets and walkways didn't get any iPad 2s. The ones that did only got a few. A quote from a local walmart was that they were sold out in 3 minutes.
  • No clear and concise restock info- I checked with the local apple store and they can't tell me if or when they are getting more. Not even and idea..just told to call back.

The reason I'm pissed is not that I can't say get one today. I have the first iPad, but the poor tactics used to cause further desperation. Excuse the pun, but I feel herded like sheep. I would have preordered online or reserve one in store for when they are back in stock, but no option like last year.

I'm not going to spend the next month calling every day all over the place to see if they have one or not. Too much work for a customer to do. I WORK for my money.

I guess apple rather have me have more time to see the competition come out with their tablets. I dunno....
Click to expand...


cry me a river
 
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